One of the most popular toys I've ever made was the Sleepy Puppy. Many people have asked for a specific pattern for this toy, but the truth is he was made from my Pupster pattern. I think it was just a combination of the yarn and his sweet face and pose, that made him seem so special. I thought it might be useful to give you a few more details, in case you'd like to make a sleepy puppy too.
First, I simply ignored the colour changes in the pattern, and knit the toy all in one colour. The yarn I used was Pakucho Organic Cotton, in the chocolate colourway. This yarn is on the heavier side for worsted, so the toy ended up a bit chubbier than when I use a regular worsted weight yarn for my toys. I used slightly more than 50 g to complete the toy, because it has fewer yards per ball than the wool I usually use. This organic cotton yarn is lovely: soft with a smooth texture, and you can feel good about giving the finished toy to a baby (who will certainly chew on it). There are several brands of organic cotton available, depending on where you are, and I think others would work just as well.
The face is actually very simple. I made the nose and mouth as I show in this tutorial. The eyes are just shallow V's (see the photo below for more detail). I used a superwash wool in black for the face of this toy, but you could also use cotton if that's what you have. Last but not least, the bellybutton! This definitely bumps up the cuteness factor. It's just a small 'x' stitched onto the puppy's tummy (see photo at top). A satin ribbon around the neck is a nice finishing touch, if the toy will be a gift. Make sure to sew the ribbon in place, if you don't want it lost!
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