Say hi to George the Great Tit! He’s a very smart and colourful bird who loves to sit in your hand for a cuddle.

George is 14cm / nearly 5 inches tall – you’ll need oddments of DK yarn to knit him, I used Stylecraft Special DK but you can knit George with any DK yarn, making him a great stashbuster!

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

Is George easy to knit?

Yes he is! George is knitted flat on a pair of 4mm (UK 8/ US 6) knitting needles, making him 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.