Hippo Knit Lovey

My first toy!! Crafted with the soft and eco-friendly Bio Love yarn by Rosarios 4, this lovey combines the comfort of a soft, textured blanket with the charm of an adorable hippo.

The cute hippo head is a perfect size to cuddle and the blanket’s surface is a landscape of soft hills and valley, perfect for tiny fingers to explore.

Developed in collaboration with talented and sweet Olga Barshai, a friend, tech editor and mother of two, every detail of this lovey has been carefully considered for pattern clarity, cuteness and safety.

Whether it’s draped over a sleeping infant or clutched in the hands of an exploring toddler, this hand-knit lovey promises comfort, joy, and a sense of security, making it the perfect gift for any new little one in your life.

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SIZE

12 x 12” / 30 x 30 cm blanket (easily adjustable).

The Head (including Ears and Snout) is ~2.25” / 6 cm high and wide and ~3.5” / 9 cm long.

CONSTRUCTION

The Head is worked from the front to back, starting with Turkish CO (used as provisional) for the Snout and knitting it flat, then picking up sts from the sides to continue in the round. The rest of the Head is worked in the round with increases and decreases to create the round shape and using purl sts to mark the placement of the Eyes, Ears and Blanket.

Knit 2 Ears top-down in the round, starting with Turkish CO and finishing with 3-Needle BO, then immediately seam them onto the Head. You can choose to embroider the face at this stage, or at the end, depending on your personal preference.

Blanket stitches are picked up from the bottom of the Head and then knit in the round in Moss Stitch with regular increases along 4 lines for the square shape. The Border is worked in C1 to give it a more finished feel, then bound off with Traditional BO.

YARN

Fingering-weight yarn in 2 colors. To be safe for newborn babies, yarns that are superwash, soft and don’t pill too much are recommended.

You will need ~ 77 yds / 70 m of C1 (Head and Blanket border) and ~ 190 yds / 175 m of C2 (Main Part of the Blanket).

Original sample knit out of Rosarios 4 ‘Bio Love’ (100% cotton; 191 yds / 175 m per 1.8 oz / 50 g) in colorways 15 (C1, lighter) and 16 (C2, darker), you need 1 ball of each color (you can also make 2 Hippo Loveys using 1 ball of C1 and 2 balls of C2).

NEEDLES

24” / 60 cm circulars + 1 spare DPN in size US 1.5 / 2.5 mm or size to get gauge in Stockinette Stitch

GAUGE per 4” / 10 cm

• Stockinette Stitch – 28 sts x 38 rows
• Moss Stitch – 29 sts x 40 rows

NOTIONS

• 0.3 oz / 9 g of fiberfill
• 1 marker for BOR & 3 for blanket increase lines
• Ruler / tape measure
• Row counter (optional)
• Scissors
• Tapestry needle
• Safety eyes (optional) - make sure they cannot be pulled out!

PATTERN TECHNIQUES

• Turkish Cast On (both as Provisional and in the round)
• Picking up sts
• Basic increases (M1L / M1R)
• Basic decreases (k2tog, ssk)
• Basic embroidery (for facial features) and seaming (only to attach the Ears)
• Traditional Bind Off
• 3-Needle Bind Off

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We would love to see your versions of this Hippo Lovey! Feel free to tag us on Instagram (@saltandstoneknits and @ginger_handcrafts) in your photos and add these hashtags to your posts on Instagram! #hippoknitlovey #saltandstoneknits

If you have any questions about the pattern, please contact me by email at mieka@saltandstoneknits.com.

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Co-written and designed with Olga Barshai

Ravelry: GingerHandcrafts

IG: @Ginger_handcrafts

Email: olga.barshai@gmail.com

Sample Knit by Yoff Kau

Ravelry: WonderWitch

IG: @yoffkau

Email: yoffkau@gmail.com

Photos by Dennis Heeringa

IG: @dutchie