I don’t know about you but Christmas is by far my favourite holiday. I think it stems from the warm memories I have of spending it with my amazing and much-missed grandmother in her warm, cosy, council flat just outside London. Even though she didn’t have a lot of spare cash, she always made her place feel so special and happy, and her roast dinners were the best. The smell of turkey and (slightly fart smelling) vegetables boiling away on the stove, the TV showing choir singers belting out Christmas songs on BBC2, bowls filled with nuts and dates and – randomly – her haphazard Christmas tree laden with mismatched neon ornaments and silver and blue (eek!) tinsel fill me with overwhelming warmth and happiness. I think this explains why I am such a Christmasist (fellow Peep Show fans will know) and why I am determined to create the perfect Christmas every year now I have my own family. Although, if I may say, I am a lot more organised and obsessive with regards to decor compared with my Nan – she didn’t care a hoot about matchy stuff and I am almost maniacal in that respect!
When coming up with festive designs it’s tempting to go in the direction of baubles and trees, but this year I thought I’d add another member to my Tiny Family and create a brand-new friend In honour of my Nan’s mismatched tree and kitsch decorations! Introducing Toby Tinsel – he’s podgy, he’s sweet and he’s proudly sparkly in every sense! He combines cuteness with unusual yet festive colours and makes an adorable handmade gift. Let get sparkly!
PATTERN
Techniques and Abbreviations: Cast on (co), knit stitch (k), purl stitch (p) knit into the front and back of the stitch (kfb), knit two stitches together (k2tog), bo (bind off), stitches (sts). You’ll need to know how to knit in the round using circular needles or double-pointed needles and how to join invisibly by casting on an extra stitch (instructions here). For the hat you’ll need to know how to make a tiny attached tassel (instructions here).
Yarn: Less than 15g of DK yarn or fingering weight yarn held double (I used Hobbii Friends Sock Wool in 03 held double) which counts as yarn one, and approximately 25g of tinsel yarn (I used Miss Sparkle by Hobbii*) which counts as yarn two. For the tiny tassel you’ll need oddments of DK weight cotton yarn. I used scraps of Ricorumi DK in 011).
*NOTE: Miss Sparkle by Hobbii has sadly been discontinued but this can be substituted with any bulky tinsel/fuzzy yarn. Yarnsub couldn’t find many accurate substitutes but some potential alternatives I found could be Scheepjes Panda, King Cole Tinsel or similar. Feel free to use any fancy yarn you like for a different texture and effect.
Tools: 3.5 mm longer-length circular needles for the magic loop method or double pointed needles, a stitch marker, scissors, a small amount of scrap yarn or toy filling for stuffing, two safety toy eyes or embroidery thread if you prefer sewn on eyes.
Face guide:
IMPORTANT: Be careful when using safety eyes if you’re planning on giving your finished Toby Tinsel to a small child (under 36 months). It’s always best to embroider eyes onto items intended for gifting to young kids.
METHOD:
MAKING THE ARMS (MAKE TWO):
Using yarn one held double, co 12 sts. P one row. Bo all.
MAKING THE BODY:
Rd 1: In yarn one held double cast on 11 sts and join to work in the round by decreasing one st (10 sts).
Rd 2: Kfb (20 sts).
Rd 3: K.
Rd 4: Kfb, k1 (30 sts).
Rd 5: K.
Rd 6: Kfb, k2 (40 sts).
Rd 7: K.
Knit the next 16 rds. Change to yarn two and knit the following 16 rds.
At this point you can sew on your eyes or add the safety eyes and mouth using the guide as a template.
Rd 39: K1 (k2tog, k2) 9 times, k2tog k1 (30 sts).
Rd 40: K
Rd 41: K1 (k2tog, k1) 9 times, k2tog (20 sts)
Sew on the arms and stuff your work at this point.
Rd 42: K
Rd 43: K2tog all (10 sts).
Bo all sts and weave the yarn tail through the bound off sts. Pull tight to cinch closed and weave in your ends tightly to secure.
MAKING THE HAT:
Rd 1: Using yarn two, co 21 sts. Join to work in the round by decreasing one stitch, leaving you with 20 sts.
Rd 2 – 9: k.
Rd 10: k2tog, k1 until 3 sts remain, k3 (14 sts).
Rds 11 – 14: k.
Rd 15: k2tog, k1 until 2 sts remain, k2 (10 sts).
Rd 16: k.
Rd 17: k2tog all (5 sts).
Bo all sts. Cinch the top closed using your yarn tail. Weave in ends.
At this point make a tiny tassel and attach it to the top of the hat. You can make it as thicker or thinner by winding your yarn over your fingers as many times as you like (I wound it until I had 10 loops on my finger).
Trim the tassel until it is the length you like and secure.
Sew the hat onto the top of Toby’s head carefully and evenly and then you’ve finished.
If you’d like to add more members to your Tiny Family, check out my patterns for Harriet, Ruben and Clarence by following the links.
Don’t forget to share your finished Tiny Family characters on social media and tag me @emmaknitty so I can see your wonderful work!
Happy crafting,
emmaknitty.com 
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