Cuddle pals: 12 toys to knit and crochet

Cuddly friends to knit

Grab your needles and dig into your stash to knit a cuddly friend for someone in need. From bunnies to bears, a knitted toy is a treasure forever. Remember, if you're making toys for small children, please be aware of choking hazards, such as buttons and bells - you can either embroider faces, or make yarny features and sew them on.

Crocheted cuddlies to snuggle

Crochet lends itself beautifully to toy making, partly because of the robustness of stitches but also because of the long tradition of amigurumi, and the ease of working in the round. You can utilize all kinds of fun techniques, such as fluffing up yarn, as shown in this fabulous Fizzgig below, and embroidery for adding faces, too.

What you'll need

Yarn, needles and hooks, of course - and, if you are making a toy as a gift, be sure that you use a yarn that is washable and if possible, kind to skin, such as a cotton yarn or an acrylic blend.

Sewing needles are a must - there is a lot of seaming involved, and you'll need a pair of scissors for snipping ends. You will nearly always need stuffing, but in the absence of having any to hand, you can stuff toys with spare yarn or the insides of old pillows. Be sure that whatever you use is fire retardant and child safe.