Say hello to Barbara the blue tit! She’s a very sweet and colourful bird who loves to sit in your hand for a cuddle.

Barbara is 12cm / just over 4 inches tall – you’ll need oddments of DK yarn to knit her, I used Stylecraft Special Dk but you can use any brand of DK yarn, making this a great stashbuster project.

You’ll also need a pair of 4mm (UK 8/ US 6) knitting needles, 2.75mm (UK 12, US 2) knitting needles, a yarn darning needle, polyester toy stuffing, 2 x 4mm black beads and black thread.

Is Barbara easy to knit?

Yes she is! Barbara is knitted flat on a pair of 4mm (UK 8/ US 6) knitting needles, making her a great project for a beginner: no need to knit in the round. Basic skills that you need to know: stocking stitch, increasing by knitting into the front and back of a stitch (inc 1) and decreasing by knitting 2 stitches together (k2tog). You’ll also be changing colours mid-way through rows. The knitting pattern includes detailed making up instructions and colour photos to help you on your way.