This pattern is meant to be combined with the Holiday Mice, Wee Panda, Wee Woodland Wuzzies, or Petite Pocket Pets toys. While these are all designed to be knit with worsted weight yarn to make a 7.5 cm (3”) tall toy, you can also make them with finer yarn on smaller needles to get a smaller toy (use the same yarn weight and needles given for the walnut shells).
Idea: if you don’t want to knit the whole toy, you can just make the head, add stuffing under the blanket, then sew the pieces to the shell.
This project is meant as a holiday ornament or toy for older children. If young children might play with it, do not add the wire to the walnut shell rim.
Download the PDF, or follow the pattern below.
Small Size
Materials: 10 g of light brown and 10 g of contrasting colour fingering weight yarn, pairs of 2.5 and 3.0 mm knitting needles, tapestry needle, 15 cm (6”) of fine craft wire, 20 cm (8”) of narrow ribbon or cord to hang (optional); stuffing (optional, see idea above)
Gauge: 8 sts and 10 rows per 2.5 cm (1”) in stockinette on smaller needles, 8 sts and 10 rows per 2.5 cm (1”) in blanket pattern on larger needles
Size: walnut shell 6.5 cm (2.5”) long and 20 cm (8”) around at rim, blanket 5.5 x 7.5 cm (2.25 x 3”)
Medium Size
Materials: 15 g of light brown and 15 g of contrasting colour DK weight yarn, pairs of 3.0 and 3.5 mm knitting needles, tapestry needle, 18 cm (7”) of fine craft wire, 20 cm (8”) of narrow ribbon or cord to hang (optional); stuffing (optional, see idea above)
Gauge: 6 sts and 8 rows per 2.5 cm (1”) in stockinette on smaller needles, 6 sts and 8 rows per 2.5 cm (1”) in blanket pattern on larger needles
Size: walnut shell 8 cm (3.25”) long and 24 cm (9.5”) around at rim, blanket 7 x 8.5 cm (2.75 x 3.5”)
Large Size
Materials: 20 g of light brown and 20 g of contrasting colour worsted weight yarn, pairs of 3.75 and 4.5 mm knitting needles, tapestry needle, 20 cm (8”) of fine craft wire, 20 cm (8”) of narrow ribbon or cord to hang (optional); stuffing (optional, see idea above)
Gauge: 5.5 sts and 7 rows per 2.5 cm (1”) in stockinette on smaller needles, 5.5 sts and 7 rows per 2.5 cm (1”) in blanket pattern on larger needles
Size: walnut shell 10 cm (4”) long and 27 cm (10.5”) around at rim, blanket 9 x 11 cm (3.5 x 4.5”)
Walnut Shell
CO 7 sts with light brown yarn and smaller needles.
Row 1 (WS): s1, p to end.
Row 2 (RS): s1, k1, [m1, k1] x 4, k1. (11 sts)
Row 3: s1, p to end.
Row 4: s1, k1, [m1, k1] x 8, k1. (19 sts)
Row 5: s1, p to end.
Row 6: s1, k1, [m1, k2] x 8, k1. (27 sts)
Row 7: s1, [k1, p2] x 8, k1, p1.
Row 8: s1, [p1, k1, m1, k1, p1, k2] x 4, p1, k1. (31 sts)
Row 9: s1, k1, [p2, k1, p3, k1] x 4, p1.
Row 10: s1, [p1, k1, k2tog, p1, k2] x 4, p1, k1. (27 sts)
Row 11: s1, [k1, p2] x 8, k1, p1.
Row 12: s1, [p1, k2, p1, k1, m1, k1] x 4, p1, k1. (31 sts)
Row 13: s1, k1, [p3, k1, p2, k1] x 4, p1.
Row 14: s1, [p1, k2, p1, ssk, k1] x 4, p1, k1. (27 sts)
Row 15-30: Repeat Rows 7-14 twice more.
Row 31: s1, [k1, p2] x 8, k1, p1.
Row 32: s1, [p1, k2tog] x 8, p1, k1. (19 sts)
Row 33: s1, [k1, p1] x 9.
Row 34: s1, [k2tog] x 8, k2. (11 sts)
Row 35: s1, p to end.
Row 36: s1, [k2tog] x 5. (6 sts)
Row 37: Purl.
Cut yarn, thread end through rem sts, and pull tight to gather. Gather together cast-on stitches. Wet or steam block the shell to help it hold its shape, and slightly stretch the ribbed texture.
Starting at the cast-on end, thread the craft wire around the upper rim of the walnut shell, bending it into the correct shape. Bend the wire ends inside the shell. Use the yarn ends to secure and hide the ends of the wire, and then secure them on the WS.
Handle
CO 42 sts with light brown yarn and smaller needles.
Row 1: Purl.
Row 2: Knit.
Bind off with purl stitches.
With the purled side facing up, sew one end of the handle to the cast-on end of the walnut shell. Sew the other end of the handle to the pointed end of the shell, making sure you don’t cover the point. Secure the yarn ends on the WS.
Blanket
CO 22 sts with contrasting yarn and larger needles.
Row 1-2: [k1, p1] to end.
Row 3-4: [p1, k1] to end.
Row 5-20: Repeat Rows 1-4 four more times.
Row 21: [k1, p1] to end.
Bind off in k1, p1 pattern. Secure yarn ends.
Finishing
Place the animal toy you’ve made into the walnut shell, and tuck the blanket snuggly around it. If you like, sew the blanket in place with a few small stitches.
Abbreviations
[ ] x N = repeat sequence in brackets N times ("to end" means to repeat until the end of the row)
Beg = beginning
CO = cast on
K = knit
k2tog = decrease 1 by knitting 2 stitches together
m1 = increase 1 by picking up loop between stitch just worked and next stitch, from front to back, and knit into the back of this loop
P = purl
RS = right side
s1 = slip one stitch from left-hand needle to right-hand needle. Hold the yarn in the back for a RS row, or in the front for a WS row.
ssk = decrease 1 by slipping 2 stitches purl-wise from left to right-hand needle, slip both stitches back to left-hand needle, then knit slipped stitches together
st or sts = stitch or stitches
WS = wrong side
