The characters developed by Beatrix Potter may be even more well-known than the stories about them. The classic illustrations in her books have a timeless appeal, and now you can knit 12 of those characters with help from Claire Garland’s Knitting Peter Rabbit.
These designs are incredibly detailed and definitely not for people who have never knit animals before. Many parts of the patterns involve holding two strands of yarn at a time to give the animal’s fur the right texture. There are also felt garments for the characters to make them look even more like the original illustrations.
Because I’m sure you’ll want to know, here’s the full list of characters in the book:
- Peter Rabbit
- Benjamin Bunny
- Flopsy Bunny
- Jemima Puddle-Duck
- Mrs. Tiggy-winkle
- Mr. Jeremy Fisher
- Tom Kitten
- Squirrel Nutkin
- The Tailor of Gloucester
- Samuel Whiskers
- Mr. Tod the fox
- Tommy Brock the badger
My favorite is probably Mrs. Tiggy-winkle, the adorable hedgehog laundress. She has a little knit sweater and a felt apron and is just so cute. (You can see a few of the patterns on the book’s Amazon listing.)
But honestly they’re all pretty adorable, and the whole set would be great to knit for someone of any age who loves these stories. Or if they don’t already love them, knit up a character and gift it along with the book in which they appear and you’ll make a fan in no time.
The designs are very faithful to the original illustrations and the level of detail is amazing, but well worth the effort. She includes detailed finishing instructions and advises you to make good use of locking stitch markers as you knit to make it easier to know where pieces are supposed to go together when you’re doing the assembly. All the pieces are knit flat on straight needles, and there are templates in the back for making all the felt clothing and accessories.
For fans of Beatrix Potter, or just those who love adorable animals in human clothes, Knitting Peter Rabbit is a great guide to knitting these classic characters.
About the book: 128 pages, paperback, 12 patterns. Published 2023 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $29.99.
I know that my posts can be read at different times of year and in different years by different people, but as I write this we’re on teh cusp of summer. And I know a lot of people don’t knit as much, and certainly don’t wear a lot of knits in the summer, but I want to encourage you to make and to wear your makes no matter the temperature.