Sweater Pony

I need to take more photos while I’m working, but I wasn’t sure this was going to turn out.

I just used:

• An old raw silk/ramie sweater but any lightweight knit fabric will work
• Buttons *Not appropriate for children under age 3!
• Embroidery needle
• Batting
• Yarn –I used a glittery yarn that I had left over from making doll hair

Decide on the shape of your horse.  This is a two dimensional critter, because that’s easiest.  Draw the pattern on paper first, so you can work it out, and then cut it out.  Be sure and make it a little larger to account for a seam.  Turn the sweater inside out and place the paper pattern over the sweater and trace around the horse pattern with a sharpie.

Cut outside of the drawing, (what I mean is give yourself some room because if the sweater material frays you may have to account for that).

Then, simply sew around the edges of your horse.  It’s a little tedious, and you will probably have to stop on the turns, lift the foot, turn the fabric and put the foot down and start sewing again.  I started at his stomach and went toward his front, up around his head and then toward his back and then stopped and left his stomach open to stuff him.  That seemed like the best way to be able to stuff his legs, as those are the hardest areas to get to.

Turn your horse right side, being careful not to push through any of your stitches.  You can use something like a chopstick (my favorite thing!) to turn the legs and ears and then fill with batting.

Because my old sweater material was quite stretchy, I didn’t stuff him too full, or he would have looked like a hippo instead of a horse.  Just use your best judgement on how full you want him.

Then stitch up his belly by hand, and you’re ready to do his mane and tail.

I used my embroidery needle and simply made big loops with the yarn sewing across the seam on his neck all the way down, and then made another set to make it more full.  When I was done I cut the loops.  I did basically the same thing for the forelock. For the tail I made about 10 big loops the length I wanted (I measured longer than he was tall because I knew I could trim it once it was in place), tied it into a bundle with more yarn and sewed it to his rear end.  I cut the loops open and then trimmed the tail to the length I wanted.  Mine has sort of a wild look, but you could even braid the tail (or a little girl would probably enjoy being able to do that herself!)

Because I was making this for an adult, I used buttons for his nose and eyes.  I keep a jar of old buttons from clothes that come off, or when I buy things that have extras.  I found 2 black ones for his nose and 2 that worked for eyes (and I thought they matched his mane and tail).  I stitched these through his head like I did with the Sock Bunnies.

Then, using some black embroidery floss, I made him a mouth that went all the way on both sides.  I should have taken a picture.  He looks like he’s smiling more on one side than on the other!

My needle work is not as good as it used to be, I guess I need more practice.  🙂  But I think this old sweater is pretty happy to be a horse now!