I created the Gumblebee pattern because of Eat.Sleep.Knit.’s annual Yarnathon! Every year the participants are divided into four teams; my team for 2017 is the Gumblebees! One of the badges we can earn in the Yarnathon is to incorporate our mascot into a project - I knew I had to make a stuffie. I’d never knit a toy before, and I’d never used DPNs for a whole project before, but the need for a Gumblebee pressed me onward.

I reviewed several patterns here on Ravelry to get ideas of how I wanted this pattern to look. I used inspiration and directions from Summer Garden, Bitty Bee, and Juggling Eyeballs, and my Gumblebee was born!

Gauge is NOT important, as this is a toy. Using DK-weight yarn I was able to have a large stuffie, perfect for tossing like a ball or cuddling with. Mine is 8 inches from belly to the top of her wings; 6 inches in just the body. Obviously, if you’d like a smaller stuffie you could always go down in yarn and needle size, and go up for a larger one. My suggestion is to use at least two needle-sizes down so your stuffing won’t show through your knitted fabric.

You can choose your stripes; I used three main colors on the body, but feel free to use fewer or more!

The pattern is knit from face to stinger in one piece, then the wings, antennae, and legs are added separately.

This pattern is free! Find the PDF here!