Popular Animal Toy Knitting Patterns

King Cole have produced the most amazing range of animal knitting patterns (and some great crochet ones too). They mostly use special yarns which give beautiful finishes and mimic the animals they are based on. Funny Yummy is perfect for sheep, Luxury Fur, Tufty and Truffle all create perfect teddy bears and Tinsel Chunky gives a colourful, sparkly 'furry' finish.

Knitting toy animals is one of my favourite things and I can never decide which project to do next. The fun part is seeing all the pieces come together, the patterns are clever and the knitting is varied and interesting to do. The patterns range from easy knits, perfect for beginners, to more advanced knits for those with more experience. Often the wow factor comes in the sewing up, stuffing and finishing.

With great difficulty, I've selected my ten favourite animal patterns and tried to include a mix of yarn types.

Number One

Image of cover of King Cole knitting pattern to knit a Highland Cow toy in orange tinsel chunky yarn. There are also two cushions (white or green) with a Highland Cow face

What's not to love about this pattern. A super cute toy knitted in tinsel chunky yarn. The matching cushions are a fun talking point with their different yarns. But, my favourite is the toy. I've seen it knitted up as a large toy, which I assume has been achieved by using bigger needles and possibly two strands of yarn. Buy

Number Two

These hedgehogs are deceptively simple to knit and very quick. I knitted in coconut tinsel and it gave quite a realistic finish. The colour combos are endless and this is a pattern that could easily become addictive. The pattern includes instructions for three sizes of hedgehog. Buy

Number Three

Image of cover of knitting pattern to knit Kangaroo and Joey toys in Truffle yarn

This pattern is too cute! The Truffle yarn is easy to work with and gives a soft, textured finish. This is an easy knit pattern, making it ideal if you are new to toy knitting. I always find that the difficulty with knitting toys is in the making up, so an easy knit pattern is a good place to start. Buy

Number Four

Three cats to knit in a range of poses and markings. The Truffle yarn is perfect for creating a soft, somewhat realistic fur coat. I knitted the sitting cat and it was fairly straightforward until I came to attach the legs. A tip I found was to using knitting needles - insert them at the foot and pierce through the main body so you can position the legs and hold them in place while you sew them on. Buy

Number Five

Image of cover of knitting pattern to knit guinea pig toys in DK yarn. The image shows five guinea pigs in a range of colours and sizes with different markings including a stripe and plain (all one colour)

Two sizes of guinea pigs with a range of markings. If you are knitting for a guinea pig lover, or you have your own guinea pig, you can match their markings to the pattern. This pattern isn't too difficult and it is quick to knit up. Buy

Number Six

Image of cover of knitting pattern showing a range of snail toys knitted in chunky yarn. There are a range of sizes and colour combinations, some snails are plain and others have frills

A fun pattern with endless colour combos and finishing touches. There are different sizes and finishes to choose from. A very easy to knit pattern in chunky yarn, these snails are quick and fun to create. I find this pattern addictive! Buy

Number Seven

Image of cover of knitting pattern showing four chimpanzee toys in two sizes knitted in luxury faux fur yarn to give a realistic furry finish

Chimpanzees in luxury faux fur yarn to give a realistic finish that is soft and tactile. These chimps are quite tricky to knit. The fur yarn can be difficult to sew up so I recommend using oddments of wool to mark the start and end of shaping and other key points in the pattern. Once you've knitted one, it becomes easier to knit more. Buy

Number Eight

Image of cover of knitting pattern showing a hippo, two elephants and two giraffes in different colours. These toys are knitted in Yummy yarn and look soft and perfect for babies

These animals are knitted in Yummy yarn - a soft, chunky chenille yarn. They make perfect gifts for newborn babies and look great in nurseries. Yummy is available in baby and bold colour palettes, so you can tie it in with nursery decor or just knit in your favourite colour. Buy

Number Nine

Image of cover of knitting pattern showing a range of sizes and colours of elephant toys knitted in Yummy yarn - a soft, chenille yarn that creates beautiful toys

Cute, soft and tactile elephants knitted in Yummy yarn. These toys make great baby gifts and can be knitted in small or large sizes. I knitted a pair in complementary colours and they looked great. Buy

Number Ten

Image of cover of knitting pattern to knit toy sheep. The picture shows two small and two large sheep - blue, cream and pink and one that is knitted in white with blue legs and face. Funny Yummy yarn gives a wooly effect to the body and Yummy yarn gives contrasting smooth faces and legs

Funny Yummy yarn was created to knit sheep! The texture is perfect for creating the woolly coats and the contrasting Yummy yarn is perfect for the legs and faces. I found the Funny Yummy yarn tricky to get started with and had a couple of failed attempts before I got it to work. I had to concentrate on the pattern and feel the stitches so I was putting my needle in the right place. But, I soon got used to it and the end result was worth the effort. Buy