Acrylic Knit Arigurumi - Little Fox (knitted toy)

Compact, top-down and modular knitted toy designed to be made with acrylic worsted/aran yarn. Worked mostly in the round on double-pointed needles (DPNs) or magic loop. Clear stitch counts and finishing notes make this friendly for confident beginners who know basic increases and decreases.

Finished size

About 6.5 inches / 16.5 cm tall from top of head to base (with worsted weight yarn and needles listed below). Adjust by gauge or yarn weight.

Materials

• Yarn: Acrylic worsted / aran (Category 4). Main color (rust/orange): 25 g / 0.88 oz (~50 yd / 46 m). Contrast (white): 10 g / 0.35 oz (~20 yd / 18 m). Accent (dark brown/black) for nose/eye embroidery: small scrap.
• Yarn ball reference: typical worsted ball 100 g / 3.5 oz ≈ 200 yd / 183 m (use proportions above).
• Needles: Use size that gives a tight fabric so stuffing won’t show through. Recommended: US 3 (UK old 10) / 3.25 mm for a firmer fabric; optionally US 4 (UK old 9) / 3.5 mm if you want a slightly softer toy. Use DPNs or circular needle for magic loop. You may also want a smaller set (US 2 / UK 12 / 2.75 mm) for snout or ear edges if you prefer crisper shaping.
• Notions: tapestry needle, stitch marker, toy stuffing (polyfill) ~50 g / 1.8 oz, two safety eyes 10 mm (optional) or embroider eyes, small amount of black embroidery thread for nose and mouth, sewing needle and matching thread, pins for assembly.

Gauge

Approximately 28 sts × 36 rnds = 10 cm / 4 in in stockinette in the round using 3.25 mm needles. Gauge is not critical but affects finished size. For a tighter fabric, use smaller needles.

Abbreviations (US knitting)

• CO - cast on
• K - knit
• P - purl
• K2tog - knit two together (right-leaning decrease)
• SSK - slip slip knit (left-leaning decrease)
• Kfb - knit front and back (increase)
• St(s) - stitch(es)
• rnd - round
• MC - main color
• CC - contrast color

Techniques used

Working in the round on DPNs or magic loop, increases (kfb or M1), decreases (k2tog, SSK), mattress stitch for seaming, simple embroidery for face. If you use safety eyes, attach before closing the head and secure with washers.

Notes

• Pattern is modular: head, body, arms, legs, ears, tail and muzzle are knitted separately and sewn together.
• Keep a small gap when closing pieces to stuff firmly but avoid overstuffing which distorts shape.
• All pieces are worked in the round unless otherwise stated.

Pattern

Head (worked in MC)

Using 3.25 mm needles, CO 8 sts. Distribute on 3 DPNs and join, place marker for beginning of rnd.

1. Rnd 1: kfb in each st around — 16 sts.
2. Rnd 2: knit.
3. Rnd 3: (k1, kfb) around — 24 sts.
4. Rnd 4: knit.
5. Rnd 5: (k2, kfb) around — 32 sts.
6. Rnd 6: knit.
7. Rnd 7: (k3, kfb) around — 40 sts.
8. Rnds 8–18: knit (11 rnds) — work until head measures about 3.25 in / 8.5 cm from base of increases. Fit safety eyes between rnds 12 and 13, spaced about 6–8 sts apart (approx 2.5 cm / 1 in center-to-center) or embroider later.
9. Start decreases to close head:
10. Rnd 19: (k3, k2tog) around — 32 sts.
11. Rnd 20: knit.
12. Rnd 21: (k2, k2tog) around — 24 sts.
13. Rnd 22: (k1, k2tog) around — 16 sts.
14. Stuff firmly, then Rnd 23: k2tog around — 8 sts. Break yarn, thread tail through remaining sts, pull tight and secure. Weave in end inside head.

Muzzle (CC white)

Optional small muzzle sewn to front of head.

1. Using 3.25 mm needles, CO 6 sts, join and work flat or in short rounds: Rnd 1: knit; Rnd 2: (k1,kfb) across = 9 sts if working in short rows — alternative simpler: knit a small oval by CO 6 and work 3 rows garter, bind off, fold in half and sew to head. Keep it small (~1.25 in / 3 cm).

Body (MC)

Using 3.25 mm needles, CO 12 sts. Join to work in the round.

1. Rnd 1: (k1, kfb) around — 18 sts.
2. Rnd 2: knit.
3. Rnd 3: (k2, kfb) around — 24 sts.
4. Rnd 4: knit.
5. Rnd 5: (k3, kfb) around — 30 sts.
6. Rnd 6: knit.
7. Rnds 7–16: knit even (10 rnds) — body length before decreases approximately 3.5 in / 9 cm. Stop to place legs attachment positions (see assembly).
8. Rnd 17: (k3, k2tog) around — 24 sts.
9. Rnd 18: knit.
10. Rnd 19: (k2, k2tog) around — 18 sts.
11. Rnd 20: (k1, k2tog) around — 12 sts.
12. Stuff body firmly. Rnd 21: k2tog around — 6 sts. Break yarn, thread through remaining sts, pull tight and secure. Leave a long tail to sew head to body.

Arms (make 2)

Using 3.25 mm needles, CO 8 sts, join and work in the round.

1. Rnds 1–12: knit even (or until arm measures ~2.25 in / 6 cm).
2. Next rnd: decrease evenly if you want a tapered wrist: (k2tog, k2) around = 6 sts.
3. Work 2 more rnds, stuff lightly, bind off leaving tail for sewing. Attach to sides of body with mattress stitch.

Legs (make 2)

Using 3.25 mm needles, CO 10 sts, join and work in the round.

1. Rnds 1–8: knit even (leg tube about 2.25 in / 6 cm).
2. Rnd 9: (k1, k2tog) around = 7 sts — shape ankle.
3. Rnds 10–12: knit. Stuff firmly down into foot, close by k2tog around to 4 sts, pull tail through and secure. Leave tail for sewing. Sew legs to bottom of body with even spacing so the toy sits upright.

Ears (make 2)

Using 3.25 mm needles, cast on 6 sts. Work flat.

1. Row 1 (RS): k across.
2. Row 2 (WS): p across.
3. Row 3: k2tog, k2, k2tog — 4 sts.
4. Row 4: p across.
5. Row 5: k2tog twice — 2 sts.
6. Bind off, leave tail for sewing. Fold base and sew to head rim so ears point slightly forward. For inner ear, work the same piece in CC (white) but one row shorter and sew inside.

Tail

Using 3.25 mm needles, CO 8 sts, join and knit in the round for 10–14 rnds depending on desired length (about 3 in / 8 cm). For a white tip, switch to CC for last 4 rnds. Decrease to 4 sts, bind off and sew closed. Sew tail to back of body.

Assembly

1. Attach muzzle to the center front of the head by sewing around base; stuff slightly to maintain shape.
2. Sew ears to top sides of the head evenly. Block/open head and position eyes before final sewing. If using safety eyes, ensure washers are correctly installed before stuffing.
3. Sew head to body: use mattress stitch or ladder stitch placing head on top of body opening. Use the long tail left when closing body to anchor head securely. Reinforce with a few extra passes so the head does not flop.
4. Attach arms to the sides of the upper body, just below neck seam, and legs to the bottom front of the body to balance the toy.
5. Sew tail to center back. Weave in all remaining yarn ends. Trim any excess threads.

Face and Embroidery

• Nose: small triangle with satin stitch in black or dark brown at the front tip of muzzle. Alternatively, a small sewn-on felt heart works well.
• Mouth: with a thin tapestry needle and black thread, embroider a small Y shape under the nose. Keep stitches small and secure.
• Cheeks: optional blush with a tiny dab of fabric-safe blush or pastel dust sealed with clear-finish fabric medium.

Variations & tips

• Change yarn weight and needles for larger or smaller toys; remember to adjust stuffing and safety eye size.
• To make a floppy-eared fox, use a slightly larger ear pattern and do not stiffen the ear base when sewing.
• For a striped tail, change colors every 2 rnds.

Care

Hand wash in cool water with mild detergent, reshape, and air dry. Acrylic is machine washable on gentle cycles, but hand washing prolongs toy life and keeps embroidery secure.

Troubleshooting

• If stuffing shows through, switch to smaller needles or use tighter stuffing pockets (sew a small lining inside limbs).
• If head flops, add a small disc of felt inside the neck seam for stability and reinforce head-to-body seam.

Happy knitting! For pattern updates and other patterns visit https://purljam.verde.uk or contact support at team@verde.uk. Share finished makes: socials #purljam

Created by purlJam with the help of magic AI dust. Shop Verde for patterns and yarn.

Disclaimer: Enjoy the fun! Accuracy of patterns cannot be guaranteed. Remember to use and share content responsibly when engaging with this AI-powered app.