Knitted Toys: The Making of a Hedgehog

Writer and avid knitter Selma Moss-Ward joins us for a series of blog posts about becoming a first-time grandmother and knitting toys. Click here to read her previous blog post. 

Hedgehogs are wild creatures, native to Europe; those on this continent are raised as pets…or knitted from Lion Brand’s William the Hedgehog pattern!  I’ve always loved hedgies, as they’re affectionately known, because Beatrix Potter’s Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle was a childhood favorite.  So when I saw William in  the Lion Brand pattern library, I was a goner.

If you’ve never knitted a toy before, William is an excellent first project.  He’s done on size 11 needles with thick yarn—two subtly-colored strands of Fun Fur and one of Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, knitted simultaneously.  The results are swift, because William is only one piece—and very exciting as he develops!  It’s like starting with a real pelt [insert photo of pelt on needles] that animates as you work your way from nose to rump, then seam and stuff.  (A bit of advice—knit slowly, because it’s easy to drop a partial stitch when you’re working with three strands, and you may not notice until you’re a few rows beyond.)

Though he’s only 32 rows long, William’s a huggable 10” long and 14” around.  I’m pretty sure there’s enough yarn left over to knit him a twin.  Until then, his best friend here is Leo, another adorable toy from the Lion Brand pattern menagerie.  More about him next time!

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Selma Moss-Ward is a freelance writer who combines her love of writing and of knitting in her columns, stories, and blog posts. Selma is also an active classical musician and the caretaker of five wonderful pets. She lives with them and her husband in Rhode Island. Read a monthly fiction story by Selma in our Pattern Journal newsletter.