Knit a Trusty Troll for a Kid, Or Yourself

I’m a sucker for knit toys of all sorts, but especially when that knit toy is a character of some kind that you can make a story about and put into different scenes, I don’t think there’s anything better. Knit toys allow kids (and adults, too!) to build a world around them. I think that’s part of the appeal of the knit frog and toad characters, and maybe the emotional support chicken, too.

This pattern from Fuzzy Mitten is for a trusty troll with a rucksack and a tool belt. The sack can hold tiny treasures like the rocks you collect when you’re out exploring together, and he can carry his own tiny tools on his belt.

The pattern is rated for advanced beginners as it uses increases and decreases, garter and stockinette stitch worked flat, bobbles, yarn overs and a bit of intarsia for the face. Alternatively you could work the face in the same color as the body and add it later with duplicate stitch.

It calls for bulky yarn for the troll’s body and worsted weight yarn for the accessories. You could easily use leftover yarn from other projects for this project. It stands about 16 inches of 40 cm tall, and really the hardest part is probably all the finishing because it is worked flat and you need to add safety eyes, embroidery and other details.

This little creature is just so cute I want to knit one for myself so I can take it on adventures or insert it into photos for no particular reason. If you have a young child in your life I see no reason you shouldn’t knit a whole basket full of trolls.

I also don’t see why not having a young child in your life should stop you from doing that, either.

You can grab a copy of the pattern (and check out all the other cute creations) from Fuzzy Mitten on Etsy.

[Photo: Fuzzy Mitten]

If you’re new to knitting and you know other knitters, you’ll probably hear about the magical nature of sock knitting. It’s a genre of knitting that intimidates a lot of beginners, but more seasoned sock knitters will tell you there’s nothing like knitting and wearing socks.

The trouble with sock knitting, though, is that there are a lot of places you can go awry, and a lot of things you might not know until you learn them the hard way. Lisa K. Ross seeks to dispel some of the trouble spots of sock stitchers of all skill levels with her book Sock Knitting Success.

The book attempts to lay out all the options that are before you as a person who wants to knit socks, including different materials and dye styles of yarn, types of needles, toe up or top down and different kinds of heels and toes.

She emphasizes the importance of getting gauge, but also notes that once you know what needles you can get correct gauge with, you might not ever have to swatch again because sock patterns tend to be built on the same gauge (8 stitches per inch/2.5 cm, which is what she uses for the 11 patterns in the book). The book also goes into a lot of detail about how to measure a foot and determine the right size sock to knit for the person who will be wearing it.

While she has preferred methods for making her socks (using a 9 inch circular, afterthought heel, round toe, using Tillybuddy’s very stretchy cast on, a tutorial for which is included) she provides a lot of options and of course the patterns use a variety of methods so new sock knitters can try different techniques and learn their favorites. There’s also a quick overview of using cables, lace and colorwork on socks and blocking.

A chapter on modifying patterns gives knitters guidance if they aren’t getting gauge, have a high instep or a wider leg than foot. There’s also a troubleshooting section to help deal with fit issues, tight cuffs and other problems.

Patterns are arranged by skill level on a scale of one to three. Four patterns are for newbie sock knitters, three for inquisitive knitters looking to build skills and four for experienced sock knitters who might want to try something new.

The beginner pattern, Thick and Quick, is a vanilla sock worked with DK weight yarn for quick progression. Anywhere Anytime is the basic sock in sock yarn, and Easygoing is a simple sock worked from the toe up.

There’s a ribbed sock, one with an afterthought heel, one with an easy textured stitch pattern and columns of mini cables, an easy diamond lace pattern, a textured sock with twisted stitches and a diamond motif, a more complex lace design in a toe up sock, a toe up sock with cables and lace and an allover colorwork design.

The cables, lace and colorwork are all charted, so having familiarity with reading charts is helpful for those projects. The book offers solid basics and some more interesting socks so that knitters of all sock skill levels should see something they like and maybe learn something new, too.

About the book: 144 pages, Flexibound, published 2026 by Quarry Books. Suggested retail price $26.99.

Have you read?