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How to Make Knit Monster Plushies

"Plushie" is a name for small stuffed creatures of all sorts, which are made and collected by children and adults. Monsters of the plushie type are not vicious and cruel, but are endearingly soft and cuddly, and often fall into the "it's so ugly it's cute" category. While monster plushies can be purchased or sewn, they are not difficult to knit. The one in this project uses basic rectangles, and is a suitable project for beginning knitters.

Things You'll Need

Knitting needles, size 7
Worsted weight yarn in your choice of color
Yarn needle
Polyester stuffing
2 black half-inch buttons or two half-inch glue on wiggly eyes
A scrap of yarn in a contrasting color
A scrap of white felt
Fabric glue

Instructions

- 1
  Cast on 30 stitches. Knit the first row and purl the second. This is the stockinette stitch; knit all the odd rows and purl all the even ones. Continue in stockinette stitch until the rectangle is twice as long as you want the finished creature to be. Purl the last row, and then cast off.
- 2
  Knit four more smaller rectangles to use as arms and legs. These can be made short and stumpy, or long and spindly, or anything in between, depending on how many stitches you cast on.
- 3
  Fold the rectangles in half, and use the yarn needle to sew both sides. Stuff lightly with the polyester stuffing and sew the opening closed.
- 4
  Pinch off 1 inch of an upper corner of the largest stuffed rectangle. Cut a piece of yarn, wrap it tightly around the base of the corner and tie it off. Repeat this at the other corner. This makes the two ears.
- 5
  Sew the buttons or glue the eyes onto the front of the figure. Use the fabric glue and the scrap of contrasting yarn to make a mouth. Cut small triangles of the white felt to make teeth and glue them below the yarn mouth. If desired, cut more white triangles to make horns.

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