How to Make a Knitted Owl

Use a variety of yarns to make a group of colorful knitted owls.

The likeness of owls is often used in fashion, as cuddly gifts for children or home decor items. Creating an owl is an approachable knitting project for beginning and intermediate needle workers. The rounded body and large geometric facial features can be created using basic knitting stitches and skills. The completed knitted owl's size, color and expressions can be personalized according to your preference.

Things You'll Need

• One skein worsted or chunk weight yarn
• Double-pointed needles sized to suit yarn
• Stuffing or scrap fabric
• Fabric glue
• Tapestry needle
• Large sewing
• Stitch marker
• 1 square foot black felt
• 1 square foot white felt
• 1 square foot felt to match body yarn
• Thread to match yarn
• White thread

Instructions

1. Cast on five stitches with the double-pointed needles. Join them with a slip stitch in a round, and place the stitch marker. Double the number of stitches for the first round, making 10 stitches total. Replace marker. Double the number of stitches again and stitch 20 for the next two rounds, using the stitch marker to know when the next round of 20 stitches begins.

2. Knit one (K1) after the first three rounds, then knit a round of 30 stitches, followed by two rows of 45 stitches. For a fatter owl, continue to increase the rounds with one row of 50 stitches, and two rows of 55. Continue knitting 45 or 55 stitch rounds until the owl is as tall as you hope. You can make a longer, leaner owl of 8 inches or longer, or a rounder, squat owl of 5 to 6 inches tall.

3. Stuff the owl tight with fiber fill stuffing, recycled pillow stuffing or fabric scraps. Decrease the number of stitches in the rounds in the reverse order of how you extended them. Knit one row of 30 stitches, then two rows of 20 stitches. Continue to fill the owl with stuffing as you close the body. To complete the body, knit two together (K2tog) for 10 stitches. For the last row, knit two rounds of five stitches. Knot the stitches of the last row tight by using the tapestry needle and yarn. Poke the thread tail into the body to hide it.

4. Make the ears and wings by cutting triangles from the yarn matching felt. Ears should be small equilateral triangles about 1 inch along the base and coming to a point. Wings are wider scalene triangles that are long along the base, with one side shorter than the other. Attach the ears to the top of the owl's head using the sewing needle and dark thread. Attach wings to the sides of the owl's body by sewing the longest side with the needle and matching thread.

5. Cut the owl's beak out of black felt. The beak is an upside down equilateral triangle slightly larger than the ears. Cut the beak somewhat large and adjust the size to fit the owl's face. Sew the beak onto the center of the owl's face using the sewing needle and matching thread.

6. Cut out the owl's eyes from the felt. Eyes are white ovals, approximately 2 inches tall according to your preference. Pupils are smaller black circles. Sew or use fabric glue to affix pupils to eyes. Using the sewing needle, white thread and a whip stitch, attach eyes to the owls face so the inner bottom corners touch just above the beak.

Tips & Warnings

• Use scraps of yarn to make a scarf or hat for the owl.

• Add feet to the owl with black felt.

• Use buttons for pupils instead of felt for a homespun effect.