The Anklyosaurus model was made using KnitPicks Palette fingering weight yarn in colors Verdant Heather (MC), Brindle Heather (CC1) and Suede (CC2) using 2.25 mm (US size 1) needles BUT…

This toy is designed to be made in any yarn weight you choose. The pattern includes yarn requirements for fingering and worsted weight yarn, as well as approximate finished dimensions in those yarns.

Estimated sizes in fingering weight:
Length 10 in (25 cm)
Height 4.5 in (11.25 cm)

Estimated sizes in worsted weight:
Length 17.5 in (43.75 cm)
Height 7.25 in (18 cm)

The 24 page pattern includes written pattern, instructions for techniques used and photos demonstrating key points of the toy’s construction.

Techniques used include knitting in the round, short rows and kitchener grafting.

NOTE: The spikes on the anklyosaurus are very fiddly to make. I include three options for making them.

The first marks the spike positions with purl stitches as you knit. After the dino is stuffed, you pick up stitches at those positions and knit the spikes. This is the most straightforward option, but does involve a lot of picking up stitches and weaving in ends.

The second uses waste yarn to reserve the stitches you will use to knit the spikes. After the back of the dino is finished, you go back, pick up the reserved stitches and knit the spikes. As with any “afterthought” addition like this, you may need to use the tail ends of yarn to stitch up small holes around the added spikes.

The third gives directions for knitting the spikes into the dino’s back as you are making it. This option gets the whole “making the spikes” part of the pattern over with the fastest, but it is also the trickiest to follow. I provide multiple construction photos to illustrate the instructions. (I designed this option specifically because I hated the idea of going back to pick up stitches for all those spikes and then weaving all those yarn ends in.)