Big Bird choc orange cover / toy

Big Bird Chocolate Orange Cover or 20cm Toy by Andrew Lucas

What is Being Made

This is a knitted toy or decorative cover designed by Andrew Lucas, suitable for a 20 centimeter chocolate orange or as a standalone stuffed toy. The finished piece features a Big Bird character design with a distinctive yellow body, orange accents, and colorful details in white, black, pink, and blue. This beginner-level knitting project creates a three-dimensional figure through strategic shaping and color work.

Craft and Technique Overview

This pattern uses fundamental knitting techniques appropriate for beginners learning garment construction. The project employs both flat knitting and shaping methods to create a dimensional toy form. Increases and decreases are strategically placed to form the body, shoulders, and head, while different stitch patterns provide texture and structure to the finished piece.

Stitches and Construction Methods

The pattern utilizes several essential knitting stitches and techniques:

• Stocking stitch (abbreviated st st) – alternating knit and purl rows – forms the primary fabric and creates a smooth, flat surface ideal for a toy
• Garter stitch (abbreviated gs) – knitting every row – provides textured areas where needed
• Increases (abbreviated inc or m1) – made by knitting into the back of the loop between two stitches – add stitches for shaping the body and head
• Decreases (abbreviated dec, tog, or skpo) – including knit two together and slip, knit, pass slipped stitch over – reduce stitches to shape shoulders and refine the silhouette
• Yarn round needle (abbreviated yrn) – creates decorative eyelet or textured effects
• Bind and tie (abbreviated B and T) – a finishing technique using a tapestry needle to thread yarn through live stitches, draw them closed, and secure the end

Body Construction

The body begins with casting on 25 stitches using 3.25mm needles and yellow double knitting wool. The first row incorporates an increase in every stitch, doubling the stitch count to 50 stitches. This creates an immediate widening effect that forms the base of the toy's body. The pattern then continues in stocking stitch for 21 rows, establishing the main body section with a smooth, finished appearance.

Shoulder and Head Shaping

After the body section, shoulder shaping is achieved by knitting two stitches together across an entire row, reducing the 50 stitches back to 25. A purl row follows to maintain stocking stitch continuity. The head section begins with a series of increases – knitting one stitch, then alternating between increases and knit stitches across the row – which raises the stitch count to 37 stitches. This expansion creates the larger head proportion characteristic of the Big Bird design.

Materials and Tools

Needles: 3.25mm knitting needles are used throughout the project, providing an appropriate gauge for double knitting wool.

Yarn: The pattern calls for oddments (small leftover quantities) of double knitting wool in multiple colors: yellow for the primary body, orange for accents, white, black, pink, and blue for facial features and details. Using oddments makes this an economical project for stash-busting.

Additional Materials: A small amount of polyester stuffing is required to fill the toy and create a three-dimensional form. A tapestry needle is essential for the bind and tie finishing technique and for sewing color details and seams.

Skill Level and Suitability

Designated as a beginner-level project, this pattern introduces fundamental knitting techniques including increases, decreases, and basic shaping. The straightforward stitch abbreviations and logical construction sequence make it accessible to knitters new to toy-making, while the colorwork and finishing details provide satisfying complexity for developing skills.