Knit Father Christmas
Pattern Designed By: Sachiyo Ishii
It just wouldn’t be Christmas without Santa so make your own cuddly version complete with fluffy beard and fur-trimmed jacket…
Our colleagues at Let’s Knit Together, the friendly online knitting club, have a whole range of knitted toys and accessories for Christmas, and this jolly Santa is just one of them. For more information on joining the knitting community at Let’s Knit Together, which will give you access to a whole range of patterns, including many Christmas designs, click here.
Measurements & Sizes:
Santa’s height: 28 cm including hat
You will need:
- Yarn: Hayfield Bonus DK, shades (A) 963 Biscuit, (B) 977 Signal Red, (C) 965 Black, one 100g ball of each, (D) White Fleecy DK, one small ball, Light Brown DK, Yellow DK, small amounts
- Needles: 3.5mm
- Crochet Hook: 3mm
- Stitch holder
- Safety toy stuffing
- Beads: 6mm, black, two
- Thread: black
- Sewing needle
- Tapestry needle
TENSION SQUARE:
- 24 sts x 30 rows
- 10cm x 10cm
- Stocking stitch
- 3.5mm needles
CHANGING COLOUR:
When knitting the jumper, you will be switching between colours on the same row. Use the intarsia method for this, keeping each section of colour separate. When you change from one colour to the next twist the yarns together on the back of the work and pull taut to prevent a hole from forming.
ABOUT THE YARN:
Hayfield Bonus DK is a great value 100% acrylic yarn that’s perfect for toys. It costs £1.85 per 100g (280m) ball from woolwarehouse.co.uk
NEED AN ALTERNATIVE?
Only small amounts of each colour are needed so see what DK yarn is in your stash!
If you do not wish to use beads for safety reasons, make French knots with yarn C.
To make Right Leg:
Using 3.5mm needles and yarn B, cast on 16 sts
Rows 1-23: beg with a p (WS) row, work in st st
Cut yarn, keep sts on a holder.
LEFT LEG, BODY AND HEAD:
Work as for Right leg, do not cut yarn
Continue to body as folls:
Row 24: kfb, k14, kfb over sts of Left leg, kfb, k14, kfb over sts of Right leg from holder, connecting both legs. 36 sts
Rows 25-39: beg with a p row, work in st st
Row 40: (k4, k2tog) three times, (k2tog, k4) three times. 30 sts
Rows 41-43: beg with a p row, work in st st Cut yarn B. Join yarn A
Rows 44-47: beg with a k row, work in st st
Row 48: (k3, k2tog) three times, (k2tog, k3) three times. 24 sts
Rows 49-51: beg with a p row, work in st st
Row 52: (k2, k2tog) three times, (k2tog, k2) three times. 18 sts
Row 53: p
Row 54: (k1, k2tog) to end. 12 sts
Rows 55-57: beg with a p row, work in st st
Row 58: (kfb) to end. 24 sts
Row 59: p
Row 60: k4, (kfb) 16 times, k4. 40 sts
Rows 61-69: beg with a p row, work in st st
Row 70: k10, (k2tog, k2) five times, k10. 35 sts
Rows 71-77: beg with a p row, work in st st
Row 78: (k3, k2tog) to end. 28 sts
Row 79: p
Row 80: (k2, k2tog) to end. 21 sts
Row 81: p
Row 82: (k1, k2tog) to end. 14 sts
Row 83: (p2tog) to end. Seven sts
Cut yarn, thread through rem sts, pull tight and fasten off.
BOOTS (make two):
Using 3.5mm needles and yarn C, cast on ten sts.
Row 1 (WS): p
Row 2: (kfb) to end. 20 sts
Row 3: p
Row 4: (k1, kfb) to end. 30 sts
Rows 5-6: beg with a p row, work in st st
Row 7 (edge): k
Rows 8-15: beg with a k row, work in st st
Row 16: k9, (k2tog) six times, k9. 24 sts
Row 17: p
Row 18: k8, (k2tog) four times, k8. 20 sts
Rows 19-27: beg with a p row, work in st st.
Cast off.
BELT:
Using 3.5mm needles and yarn C, cast on four sts, k 78 rows, cast off.
BUCKLE:
Using 3mm crochet hook and yellow DK, make 22 ch. Fasten off.
JUMPER:
Using 3.5mm needles and yarn D, cast on 54 sts
Rows 1-5: k NOTE: letter following instruction indicates yarn shade. Keep colours correct and cross yarn at colour change to avoid any holes.
Row 6 (WS): k5D, join in yarn B and p44B, join another end of yarn D and k5D
Row 7: k
Row 8: k5D, p44B, k5D
Rows 9-22: rep Rows 7-8
Row 23: k5D, (k9, k2tog)B twice, (k2tog, k9)B twice, k5D. 50 sts
Row 24: k5D, p40B, k5D
Row 25: k5D, (k8, k2tog)B twice, (k2tog, k8)B twice, k5D. 46 sts
Row 26: k5D, p36B, k5D
Row 27: k5D, (k7, k2tog)B twice, (k2tog, k7)B twice, k5D. 42 sts
Row 28: k5D, p32B, k5D
Row 29: keeping colours correct, k
Row 30: as Row 28
Row 31: k5D, (k6, k2tog)B twice, (k2tog, k6)B twice, k5D. 38 sts
Row 32: k5D, p28B, k5D
Row 33: keeping colours correct, k
Row 34: as Row 32
Row 35: k5D, (k2, k2tog)B seven times, k5D. 31 sts
Row 36: k5D, p21B, k5D.
Row 37: keeping colours correct, k
Row 38: as Row 36
Row 39: keeping colours correct, k
Row 40: as Row 36
Row 41: k5D, (k1, k2tog)B seven times, k5D. 24 sts
Row 42: k5D, p14B. k5D
Cut yarn B and cont in yarn D only.
Rows 43-45: k
Cast off.
SLEEVES (make two):
Using 3.5mm needles and yarn D, cast on 20 sts
Rows 1-5: k
Cut yarn D and join in yarn B
Rows 6-18: beg with a p (WS) row, work in st st
Row 19: (k3, k2tog) to end. 16 sts
Rows 20-26: beg with a p row, work in st st.
Cast off
BEARD:
Using 3.5mm needles and yarn D, cast on 30 sts
Row 1: k
Row 2: skpo, k to end. 29 sts
Rows 3-11: as Row 2. 20 sts
Rows 12-14: k
Rows 15-16: as Row 2. 18 sts
Row 17: k
Rows 18-23: as Row 2. 12 sts
Cast off.
MOUSTACHE (make two):
Using 3.5mm needles and yarn D, cast on seven sts
Row 1: (kfb) to end. 14 sts
Rows 2-4: k
Row 5: k2, (k2, k2tog) to end. 11 sts
Rows 6-7: k
Row 8: k2tog, (k1, k2tog) to end. Seven sts
Rows 9-10: k
Row 11: k1, (k2tog) to end. 4 sts
Cut yarn, thread through rem sts, pull tight and fasten off.
NOSE:
Using 3.5mm needles and yarn A, cast on ten sts
Beg with a p (WS) row, work three rows in st st
Cut yarn, thread through rem sts, pull tight and fasten off.
GLOVES (make two):
Using 3.5mm needles and Light brown DK, cast on 14 sts
Rows 1-5: beg with a p (WS) row, work in st st
Row 6: k6, (kfb) twice, k to end. 16 sts
Row 7: p6, cast off four sts, p to end. 12 sts
Rows 8-9: beg with a k row, work in st st
Row 10: (k2tog) to end. Six sts
Cut yarn, thread through rem sts, pull tight and fasten off
HAT:
Using 3.5mm needles and yarn D, cast on 40 sts
Rows 1-5: k
Cut yarn D and join in yarn B.
Rows 6-14: beg with a p (WS) row, work in st st
Row 15: skpo, k to last two sts, k2tog. 38 sts
Rows 16-20: beg with a p row, work in st st
Row 21: skpo, k to last two sts, k2tog. 36 sts
Rows 22-24: beg with a p row, work in st st
Rows 25-36: rep Rows 21-24 three times. 30 sts
Row 37: skpo, k to last two sts, k2tog. 28 sts
Row 38: p
Rows 39-46: rep Rows 37-38 four times. 20 sts
Row 47: (k3, k2tog) to end. 16 sts
Row 48: p
Row 49: (k2, k2tog) to end. 12 sts
Row 50: p
Row 51: (k2tog) to end. Six sts
Cut yarn, thread through rem sts, pull tight and fasten off.
BOBBLE:
Using 3.5mm needles and yarn D, cast on 12 sts. k ten rows. Cut yarn, thread through rem sts, pull tight and fasten off.
TO MAKE UP:
With fastened-off yarn end, sew Head seam to neck. With cast-on yarn end, sew each Leg seam to crotch. Sew Body seam halfway. Stuff Body and Head and close seam. With yarn A, work a gathering thread along neck to shape. Fold Boot piece in half lengthways and sew sole and back seam.
Stuff Boot, insert Leg and secure leg to Boot. Thread yarn C, pierce foot from sole, take needle out from top of foot, then from top of foot to sole. Pull thread to flatten sole and shape ankle.
Repeat for the other Leg. Wrap Body with Jumper and secure it to Body. Attach Belt and Buckle. Fold hand lengthways and sew edges together. Seam Sleeve and stuff. Stuff hand, insert hand in Sleeve and secure hand to Sleeve. Attach Sleeves to Body. Attach Beard. Fold Moustache piece in half and stitch the edges together.
Attach Moustache to face on either side of nose. Seam and stuff Nose. Attach Nose to face. Attach beads for eyes or work French Knots instead, for safety. Seam Hat, stuff the tip lightly and attach it to Head. Bend the top part of Hat and stitch it to back of Head. Seam and stuff Bobble.
Attach Bobble to tip of Hat.
Thread yarn D and make backstitches for eyebrows.
Over the festive season we all want to relax and unwind. But do you know which free time activities can actually help to keep your mind active? We’ll give you a clue, knitting is one of them! Read our relaxation piece here.
