It’s quite clear that parrots aren’t afraid of anyone. In the jungle, if there are creatures watching out for a tasty supper, it’s best to develop camouflage if you want to stay safe. So the brilliant plumage of the parrots is a sign that they have few natural predators to worry about - they can afford to show off! This brightly coloured parrot is a Scarlet Macaw. It has been designed so that it can balance on the edge of a bed, on the back of a chair - or even on your shoulder, if you happen to be a pirate!

Lovely fellow knitters on Ravelry have already demonstrated how the pattern can easily be adapted to make many different types of colourful parrot. So let your imagination (and your colour scheme) run riot!

The pattern for the parrot is from the book Kath Dalmeny’s World of Knitted Toys, and the full list of over 50 projects is shown below.

Materials
For a scarlet macaw, the parrot pattern requires 50 g DK red; a small amount (10g or less) in brown for the feet and beak; and scraps of DK in yellow, blue, black and white for the features.

The pattern also suggests using 10mm (3/8 inch) toy safety eyes, but felt eyes or black stitches would also be appropriate.

KATH DALMENY’S WORLD OF KNITTED TOYS patterns list

The book contains over 50 patterns for making adorable knitted toys – people and animals from all over the world. Each chapter covers a different habitat, the animals that make their homes there, and one of the people who live there, with accessories to represent their lives or work. The knitting patterns are listed under three categories – Easy; Straightforward; and Challenging, to help knitters choose the project that is right for you. The projects are as follows:

BASIC PERSON PATTERN
(which is then adapted for the people patterns below)

IN THE JUNGLE

• South American Indian
• Spider monkey – mother and baby
• Snake
• Tiger cub
• Gorilla
• Orang utan
• Parrot
• Banana

AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK

• Australian sheep farmer (complete with corks hanging from his hat!)
• Merino sheep
• Koala bear
• Duck-billed platypus
• Wombat
• Kangaroo and Joey

DOWN ON THE FARM

• Farmer
• Highland bull
• Pigs and piglets
• Cat
• Mallard duck
• Chicken, cockerel and chicks

THE DEEP BLUE SEA

• Pearl fisherman
• Dolphin
• Shark
• Killer whale
• Turtle
• Octopus
• Clownfish

FOREST FRIENDS

• Canadian Mountie
• Horse
• Grizzly bear
• Beaver
• Raccoon
• Chipmunk
• Moose

ON SAFARI

• African Park Ranger
• Zebra
• Lion family – lion, lioness and lion cub
• Rhinoceros
• Elephant
• Warthog

THE SNOWY REGIONS

• Eskimo
• Husky dog
• Fish
• Penguins – Emperor penguins and Adelie penguins – parents and chicks
• Seal
• Walrus
• Polar bear

PATTERN VARIATIONS

• Sea lion
• Panda bear