A Finished Wrap-Me-Up Puppy

This puppy is another of Susan B. Anderson’s patterns from her “Itty-Bitty Toys.” It’s called a wrap-me-up puppy and is designed for children to play nap-time with. I can remember as a child playing for hours that all the dolls and animals had to go to bed, get them wrapped in their blankets, and then waking them up to do it all again. I was excited when I found this pattern because it can be both a sweet toy when the recipient is a baby, but also be a toy that can be played with for a few years after that. 

My only dissatisfaction with the pattern is part of its inherent qualities: lots of fiddly arms, legs, and ears. It is a lot of work on a set of three double-pointed needles to keep 12 stitches untangled and neat. Also, the part of sewing all those appendages takes a lot longer than would normally be expected simply because they are so tiny. As the pattern did not include a tail, and where would a dog be without his tail, I designed my own tiny tail.

I knit the puppy from KnitPicks’ sport weight, organic cotton. As this was already given to an “I-love-to-chew-all-things” baby, I’m glad that she’s not putting any fuzzy wool, or non-organic cotton in her mouth.

Even for its time-consuming nature, I still highly recommend patterns from “Itty-Bitty Toys” and the wrap-me-up puppy as some of the cutest baby gifts. It’s something different than knitting an endless parade of baby hats and Susan B. Anderson’s designs are incredibly adorable. One of my favorite designs from the book was the Princess and the Pea. I have yet to make this pattern, as the project includes knitting a huge stack of blankets, quilts, and mattresses for the Princess. 

What are your favorite patterns for baby gifts? I’d love to hear what you’re working on!

Happy Knitting!