These Mini Pookies were designed as a miniature version of my bean-bag Pookie toys. They're super quick and easy to knit, using mostly basic knitting skills. The most challenging part is the shaped bobble that makes the nose of the Polar Bear and Arctic Fox, but there's only one per toy, and the stitches are useful to know. Since the idea of a sheep was also very popular, I decided to include that design too. The Sheep pookie is even easier to knit, and just as sweet. To make them extra special, I used some left-over bits of Blue Sky Fibers Royal Petites yarn. Since each toy only needs a few yards of yarn, they're perfect for using up tiny left-over bits of extra nice yarn.
I hope you left an hour or two in your holiday knitting time to make some Mini Pookies to decorate your home, or pop into a lucky kid's stocking! Follow along with the instructions below, or download the pdf.
Mini Pookies
Materials for one toy
5 g (about 15 m) of sport weight yarn in colour A, 7 g (about 20 m) of sport weight yarn in colour B, pair of 3 mm (US size 2.5) knitting needles, pair of 6 mm safety eyes, stuffing, black yarn to embroider the face, tapestry needle, 15 cm (6") of cord for hanging (optional).
Gauge
7.5 sts and 10 rows per 2.5 cm (1”) in stockinette
Size
6 cm (2 ¼ᐦ) tall
Notes
To begin pieces, use a long-tail cast on method, or similar. Leaving 20-25 cm (8-10″) of yarn when casting on or finishing a piece will give you a convenient yarn end for sewing seams.
Use mattress stitch to sew the seams, and whip stitch to attach the ears.
You could easily knit these in the round, if you prefer. Divide the stitches as evenly as possible between your double-pointed needles. Before working the final row of decreases, attach the safety eyes, weave in the yarn ends from the colour change, and stuff the toy. The ears must all be knit flat.
Polar Bear and Arctic Fox
Begin at bottom. CO 9 sts with yarn A.
Row 1: Knit.
Row 2: k1, [m1, k1] x 8. (17 sts)
Row 3: Knit.
Row 4: k1, [m1, k2] x 8. (25 sts)
Row 5: Knit.
Row 6: k1, [m1, k3] x 8. (33 sts)
Row 7-13: Beginning with a WS row, work 7 rows in st st.
Row 14: k16, k2tog, k15. (32 sts)
Row 15-16: [k1, p1] to end.
Row 17: Knit.
Switch to yarn B on next row.
Row 18: ssk, k30. (31 sts)
Row 19: Purl.
Row 20: k15, increase 2 into next stitch (knit, purl, knit into stitch), turn. P3, turn. K1, m1, k1, m1, k1, turn. P5, turn. K5, turn. P5, turn. K1, s2kp, k1, turn. P3, turn. S2kp, k15. (this row makes a shaped bobble for the muzzle)
Row 21: p15, s1, p15.
Row 22: k15, s1, k15.
Row 23: p15, s1, p15.
Row 24-25: Work 2 rows in st st.
Row 26: [k1, k2tog] x 10, k1. (21 sts)
Row 27: Purl.
Row 28: [k2tog] x 10, k1. (11 sts)
Cut yarn, thread end through remaining stitches, and pull tight to gather. Put a tiny piece of stuffing inside the bobble, then carefully sew down the sides, knotting the yarn securely on the WS when you’re done. This makes the muzzle. Embroider a nose and mouth with black yarn. Attach the safety eyes. Gather together the cast-on stitches, then sew the back seam towards the head, leaving an opening. Stuff the toy, finish sewing the back seam, and weave in the yarn ends. Make a pair of ears.
Polar Bear Ear (make 2)
CO 13 sts with yarn B.
Row 1: K 1 row.
Row 2: [k1, ssk] x 2, k1, [k2tog, k1] x 2. (9 sts)
Row 3: K 1 row.
Row 4: [ssk] x 2, k1, [k2tog] x 2. (5 sts)
Cut yarn, thread end through remaining sts, pull tight to gather. Sew the ears to the head: the CO edge is the top edge of the ear. Curving the edge sewn to the head will give the ears a more realistic shape.
Arctic Fox Ear (make 2)
CO 15 sts with yarn B.
Row 1: Knit.
Row 2: k6, s2kp, k6. (13 sts)
Row 3: Knit.
Row 4: k5, s2kp, k5. (11 sts)
Row 5: Knit.
Row 6: [ssk] x 2, s2kp, [k2tog] x 2. (5 sts)
Cut yarn, thread end through remaining sts, pull tight to gather. Sew the ears to the head: the CO edge is the top edge of the ear. Curving the edge sewn to the head will give the ears a more realistic shape.
Sheep
Begin at bottom. CO 9 sts with yarn A.
Row 1-18: Work same as for Bear/Fox.
Row 19: k11, p9, k11.
Row 20: Knit.
Row 21-24: Work same as Rows 19-20.
Row 25: k12, p7, k12.
Row 26-27: Knit.
Row 28: [k1, k2tog] x 10, k1. (21 sts)
Row 29: Knit.
Row 30: [k2tog] x 10, k1. (11 sts)
Cut yarn, thread end through remaining stitches, and pull tight to gather. Attach the safety eyes. Gather together the cast-on stitches, then sew the back seam towards the head, leaving an opening. Stuff the toy, finish sewing the back seam, and weave in the yarn ends. Embroider a nose and mouth with black yarn. Make a pair of ears.
Sheep Ear (make 2)
CO 3 sts with yarn B.
Row 1: Knit.
Row 2: k1, m1, k1, m1, k1. (5 sts)
Row 3: Knit.
Row 4: k2, m1, k1, m1, k2. (7 sts)
Row 5-10: Knit in garter stitch.
Bind off. Fold the ear in half lengthwise, then sew together the bound-off edge. Sew this edge to the side of the Sheep’s head, with open side facing forward and folded side facing backward. Weave in yarn ends. Repeat for the second ear.
Hanging Loop (optional)
Thread cord for hanging under the gathered stitches on the top of the toy. Pull halfway through, then knot the two ends together.
Abbreviations
[ ] x N = repeat sequence in brackets N times ("to end" means to repeat until the end of the row)
CO = cast on
K or k = knit
k2tog = decrease 1 by knitting 2 together
m1 = increase 1 by picking up loop between stitch just worked and next stitch, and knit into the back of this loop
P or p = purl
RS = right side
s2kp = decrease 2 by slipping 2 stitches as if to k2tog, knit next stitch, then pass 2 slipped stitches over the one knit.
ssk = decrease 1 stitch by slipping 2 stitches from left needle to right, then back again (so the direction they lie on the needle is reversed), then knit slipped stitches together through
st or sts = stitch or stitches
st st = stockinette stitch. Knit on right side, purl on wrong side.
WS = wrong side