If you are a new knitter, this pattern is for you.

Grab those needles and jump into the world of knitting and toy making.

Written for a beginner, the Stockinette Stitch Duck gives you real practice with the knit stitch and the purl stitch, and it introduces seaming as you assemble your duck.

Knit flat, then seamed together to add the wings, beak, and feet, he is a wonderful next step for a new knitter ready to turn flat pieces into a finished toy.

He stands about 3.5 inches tall and uses only a small amount of worsted-weight yarn, so he is easy on the stash, too.

Skill level: Beginner

Techniques: worked flat, knit and purl stitches, seaming

Learning to seam is a real milestone, the skill that turns a strip of stitches into something huggable, and this little duck is a gentle, rewarding place to learn it.

As an early childhood educator, I love the moment a flat piece of knitting becomes a toy that stands on its own two feet.