Knit a Rudolph reindeer for the Christmas tree

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Materials

• Fabric scissors
• 1 ball red cotton DK
• 1 pair knitting needles USA size 3 (UK10/3.35)
• Darning needle
• Toy fiberfill
• Scrap of red felt
• Red embroidery floss
• Embroidery needle
• 1 black bead for nose
• Black sewing thread
• 2 tiny black beads for eyes
• Ribbon for collar

Body
Cast on 30 stitches, knit 22 rows, cast off.

Head
Cast on 10 stitches, knit 26 rows, cast off.

Muzzle
Fold head piece in half to find centre. Pick up and knit 9 stitches from one edge of the centre section. Knit 1 row. Knit two together at the beginning of the next 6 rows. Cast off.

Legs
Cast on 10 stitches, knit 14 rows, cast off. Knit three more legs in the same way

To make up
Fold the body section in half and, using a darning needle and the knitting yarn, oversew the front and the underside. Fill with toy fiberfill and oversew to close.

Roll up a leg and oversew down the long seam. Repeat with other three legs. Stitch the legs to the body.

Oversew the back seam of the head. Oversew the front seam from the neck edge upwards and under the chin to the end of the nose. Fill with toy fiberfill from the back and oversew to close.

Stitch the head to the body pointing forward at an angle.

Make a small tassel from knitting yarn for the tail and stitch in position. Print the antler and ear templates below and cut two ears and four antler pieces in red felt. Place one antler piece on top of another and, using two strands of red embroidery floss, make a line of running stitches down the centre to stitch them together. Repeat for the other antler. Stitch into position at the top of the head.

Fold an ear piece in half lengthwise and stitch to the side of one antler. Repeat with the other ear.

Stitch the large bead at the end of the nose.

Stitch the two small beads onto the face for eyes.

Tie on the ribbon collar, thread through some yarn, tie, and use this to hang the decoration.

This pattern is taken from 'Home-made Christmas' by Tessa Evelegh (Cico Books, £14.99).

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