Peter Rabbit Knitting Pattern - A Christmas Make

This Christmas, I dug out my old Peter Rabbit knitting pattern from the 'archives under the bed', for a very special mum-to-be, my brother's girlfriend Monika.

Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas for me if I didn't have some handmade gifts to make. Granted with my charity handmade jewellery sale, I was a little short of time this year but luckily I started the knits a little earlier so that was alright. And this year there were more than just knits - I decided to do some Christmas cross stitch too.

But Peter Rabbit was the special one.

Peter Rabbit

 It just so happens that my brother and his girlfriend are expecting a little baby boy this coming February.

I always struggle to know preciseley when to gift knitted things to people and invariably nearly always do it too early or too late. But Christmas seemed a good opportunity to give gifts to the 'bump'.

I picked Peter Rabbit because mum-to-be is a big fan of Beatrix Potter, particularly our cotton-tailed friend here. And my personal speciality has always been knitting toys. It's where I cut my knitted teeth, if you like.

Thankfully I've been hoarding knitting patterns for toys since I was about eight, so in amongst my stash is my Peter Rabbit knitting pattern as well as knitting patterns for the rest of the Beatrix Potter clan.

It's no coincidence that I'm now working at Woman's Weekly Magazine, as I've been an obsessive fan since I could read. My late grandmother used to help me make the toys and it's nothing that I've shaken off.

Sadly, for copyright reasons, the Peter Rabbit knitting pattern is no longer available unless you're able to snag a copy from eBay (worth watching, they do pop up from time to time).

I used Stylecraft Special DK which is pretty handy because they've got every colour known to man, and I added a few embellishments, a couple of brown Trimits safety eyes and a big pom pom for his tail.

I initially bought a pom pom from TOFT, having asked them at Ally Pally whether or not it would be baby safe - they said it was but I soon realised that it probably wouldn't wash, so opted for a synthetic one from Rico instead.

The sewing up and stuffing took some time - I shredded the stuffing and really went to town with puffing out his cheeks and shaping the face. As with all Alan Dart patterns, the shaping and sewing up was extremely complex but worth getting right and undoing if needed. I was thrilled with the outcome and I'm pleased to say that mummy-to-be was, as well.

 Apparently she sat with it in her arms for most of the day on Christmas - not believing that a knitter could produce such a thing. Which is cool, because this is the first thing I've ever knitted for her and it's hard to tell whether or not non-knitters are gonna love the handmade thang....