The great spotted woodpecker is one of the UK’s most colourful birds, often found in gardens visiting peanut feeders. This pattern is to make a knitted model woodpecker to be used as a toy or decoration.
This pattern uses only small amounts of dk cotton – much less than a ball of yarn so is a good stash buster. Knitted on straight needles in 5 individual pieces, the seams help to give your bird structure. The work is in stocking stitch mostly, with a little bit of garter stitch and small amounts of colourwork. The knitting and sewing skills required are not extensive but the pattern requires attention to detail and more than the very basic skills a beginner will have. This means the pattern is suitable for intermediate knitters.
The pattern makes a life size woodpecker, approximately 25 cm from top of the head to the end of the tail. If you wish to make a larger or smaller version, you could change the wool and/or the needles.

Materials
1 x 100 g DK cotton in white or natural, e.g. Cascade Ultra Pima Double Knit in natural (3718)
1 x 100 g DK cotton in black, e.g. Cascade Ultra Pima Double Knit in black (3754)
1 x 100 g DK cotton in red, e.g. Cascade Ultra Pima Double Knit in lipstick red (3755)
small oddment dark grey 4 ply e.g. King Cole Giza in grey (2207)
2.75 mm straight needles
2.00 mm straight needles for the beak
6 mm safety eyes (optional) or use black yarn to make French knots
toy stuffing
large and small tapestry needles, a sharp needle with medium eye
embroidery cotton in white eg DMC stranded cotton in blanc
Florists wire for the feet or bought bird feet. If using wire, wire cutters and pliers plus a knitting needle or nail of approximately 5 mm diameter. Use the needle/nail to bend the wire over to form a loop
Scrap of black felt for the tail (8 cm x 5 cm)