Sweet Animal Knitting Patterns

Knitting animals as toys or for display is a lot of fun, and they make great gifts for people of all ages. Last summer I made two sets of bears for my daughter’s teacher who was having her second set of twins — two boys and two girls!

Even if you don’t have a bunch of little ones to knit for, these fun little projects are great stash busters and fun to donate.

This little elephant from Clare Garland (Ravelry) is so cute, and his little onesie makes him look even more like a sweet little baby.

A knitted lion from Lion Brand Yarn (of course!) would be sweet to knit for a baby’s nursery or to give to an animal-loving kiddo.

DotPebblesKnits has a really realistic looking cat pattern (Etsy) that would be fun to give to someone who loves cats but can’t have a live one, or just for a little one to snuggle.

The bears I made were from a pattern by Little Cotton Rabbits, who has a ton of adorable little animals with clothing ensembles to knit. I love her little dog in a dress pattern too (Etsy).

It’s hard to tell from the picture but this knit octopus from Yarnspirations is not really a small project. It’s worked in Bernat Blanket using size 10.5 knitting needles, and the head is about 12 inches tall and 15 inches in diameter, with 18-inch-long tentacles. So fun!

And maybe my favorite (though they are all my favorite when I’m looking at them!) is this sweet little duck from Knit Picks. Designed by Barbara McIntyre, it’s 7 inches tall and only uses about 80 yards of yarn, so it’s a great little last minute project when a little one is coming to visit.

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In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve never watched Gilmore Girls. I know I probably should, but I feel like I wasn’t quite the right age for it when it came out and I’ve never gone back to watch it. That said, fans of the show are sure to enjoy these knit homages to the beloved characters from Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls: The Official Knitting Book.

Edited by Tanis Gray, the book includes 29 projects for hats, cowls, scarves, socks, mitts, garments and home decor designed by a variety of stitchers.

Six of the projects are rated easy, 17 intermediate and six for advanced knitters.

The projects are sometimes literally inspired by the show, such as the tam Rory wore when she went golfing with her grandfather, while others incorporate icons, quotes (like “I smell snow”) and logos (Luke’s Diner) from the show.

There’s a hat made to look like newsprint as a nod to Rory’s journalistic aspirations, mitts and gloves for supporting the teams at Stars Hollow High, a beaded lace scarf inspired by Rory’s adventure with the Life and Death Brigade, and a cardigan designed to show Paris’s love of macaroni and cheese.

Some of the patterns are less obviously related to the show, like a cowl with falling leaves or an argyle vest.

Each pattern comes with a quote from the show and a little back story about the cast, different storylines or the inspiration behind the design. The book is scattered with photos from the show and other fun facts about its production.

In the back of the book you’ll find a glossary of techniques (words but no pictures), and the book has a ribbon bookmark to hold your place on the pattern you’re working on.

This book would be a fun gift for a knitter who is a Gilmore Girls fan, or use it to stitch something up for someone who watches this show as their comfort show almost 25 years later.

About the book: 200 pages, hardcover, 29 patterns. Published 2024 by Insight Editions, suggested retail price $34.99

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