Free Pattern: Moss Stitch Monkey Ball Knitted Toy

Introduction

If you have ever wanted to make a tiny, squishable friend but felt nervous about complicated shaping, this Moss Stitch Monkey Ball is the perfect first toy for you. It is a palm-sized knitted monkey head (about 4 inches across) worked in soft sport-weight cotton, so it feels smooth, sturdy, and lovely to hold. The nubby moss stitch gives the surface a bumpy, tactile texture that looks far more impressive than the simple stitches it is made from. Striped in pastel candy colors — pale mint, soft peach, baby pink, and butter yellow — it has that sweet retro 90s charm, finished with two little knitted circle ears and a simple embroidered face. You only need knit, purl, and two easy increases and decreases, so even a total beginner can finish this in a weekend.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Sport weight (fine, CYC #2) cotton yarn. You need only small amounts of each color:
  • Color A — pale mint: about 25 yards (23 m)
  • Color B — soft peach: about 12 yards (11 m)
  • Color C — baby pink: about 12 yards (11 m)
  • Color D — butter yellow: about 12 yards (11 m)
  • Dark brown: a few yards for the embroidered face
• Needles: US 3 (3.25 mm) knitting needles — a set of double-pointed needles (DPNs) or a circular needle long enough for the magic loop method, so you can work in the round.
• Tapestry needle: a blunt, large-eye needle for seaming and embroidering the face.
• Stitch markers: at least 4, to mark the beginning of the round and your increase/decrease points.
• Scissors for cutting yarn.
• Stuffing: polyester fiberfill (a small handful).
• Finished size: about 4 inches (10 cm) tall and 4 inches (10 cm) wide — palm-sized.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

• st / sts — stitch / stitches. One "stitch" is one loop on your needle.
• k — knit. Insert the right needle into the front of the stitch from left to right, wrap the yarn around, and pull it through to make a new stitch.
• p — purl. Insert the right needle into the front of the stitch from right to left, wrap the yarn around the front, and pull it through.
• k1, p1 — knit one stitch, then purl one stitch. This alternation is the heart of moss stitch.
• M1 — make one. Lift the horizontal bar of yarn between two stitches onto your left needle and knit it through the back loop. This adds one new stitch (an increase).
• k2tog — knit two stitches together. Insert your needle through two stitches at once and knit them as one. This removes one stitch (a decrease).
• p2tog — purl two stitches together. Purl two stitches at once as one. Another decrease.
• round — one complete circle of stitches when working in the round (as opposed to a "row," which goes back and forth).
• work in the round — knitting in a continuous spiral on circular or double-pointed needles so there is no seam.
• moss stitch — a textured pattern made by alternating knit and purl stitches, shifting them by one each round so bumps and flat spots alternate.
• cast on — the very first step: creating your starting loops on the needle.
• bind off / weave in — finishing the edge, and hiding the yarn tails inside the fabric.

Gauge

Gauge: 24 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in moss stitch worked in the round.

Gauge simply means how tightly or loosely you knit — how many stitches fit into 4 inches. It matters because it controls the finished size: if your stitches are bigger than the gauge, your monkey will come out too large and the stuffing may show through; if smaller, it will be too small and stiff. To check, cast on about 30 stitches, work in moss stitch for about 4 inches, then lay a ruler across the middle and count how many stitches fit in 4 inches. If you have more than 24, go up a needle size; if fewer, go down. A quick swatch saves you from re-knitting the whole toy.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Use stitch markers. Place one at the beginning of every round so you always know where you are, and add markers at each increase or decrease point so you never lose your place.
• Do not pull your yarn too tight. Tension is the number-one beginner struggle. Keep your stitches relaxed and even; tight stitches make the fabric stiff and hard to stuff.
• Count after every round. The stitch counts in parentheses tell you exactly how many stitches you should have. If the number is off, fix it before moving on.
• Stuff before the hole gets tiny. The pattern tells you exactly when to stuff — do it then, because it is very hard to add stuffing through a small opening.
• Change colors at the start of a round. Simply drop the old color and pick up the new one; the loose tails get woven in later.
• Keep your work inside out if it looks odd. When knitting in the round, the smooth side faces you; if you see purl bumps everywhere, you may have twisted your join — check before you go far.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Body (Monkey Head)

Using Color A (pale mint), cast on 8 stitches onto your double-pointed needles. Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.

Round 1: Knit all stitches. (8 sts)

Round 2: (M1, k1) around. (16 sts)

Round 3: (M1, k2) around. (24 sts)

Round 4: (M1, k3) around. (32 sts)

Round 5: (M1, k4) around. (40 sts)

Round 6: (M1, k5) around. (48 sts)

Now begin the moss stitch pattern and color stripes. Moss stitch in the round: on odd-numbered rounds work (k1, p1) around; on even-numbered rounds work (p1, k1) around.

Rounds 7–10: Work in moss stitch with Color A. (48 sts)

Change to Color B (soft peach).

Rounds 11–14: Work in moss stitch. (48 sts)

Change to Color C (baby pink).

Rounds 15–18: Work in moss stitch. (48 sts)

Change to Color D (butter yellow).

Rounds 19–22: Work in moss stitch. (48 sts)

Change to Color A (pale mint).

Rounds 23–26: Work in moss stitch. (48 sts)

Change to Color B (soft peach).

Rounds 27–30: Work in moss stitch. (48 sts)

Change to Color C (baby pink).

Rounds 31–34: Work in moss stitch. (48 sts)

Change to Color D (butter yellow).

Rounds 35–38: Work in moss stitch. (48 sts)

Change to Color A (pale mint).

Rounds 39–42: Work in moss stitch. (48 sts)

Begin decreasing:

Round 43: (k2tog, k4) around. (40 sts)

Round 44: (k2tog, k3) around. (32 sts)

Round 45: (k2tog, k2) around. (24 sts)

Round 46: (k2tog, k1) around. (16 sts)

Stuff the ball firmly with polyester fiberfill now.

Round 47: (k2tog) around. (8 sts)

Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread the tail through the remaining stitches and pull tight to close. Weave in the ends.

Ears (make 2)

Using Color A (pale mint), cast on 6 stitches onto double-pointed needles. Join to work in the round.

Round 1: Knit all stitches. (6 sts)

Round 2: (M1, k1) around. (12 sts)

Round 3: (M1, k2) around. (18 sts)

Rounds 4–6: Work in moss stitch. (18 sts)

Round 7: (k2tog, k1) around. (12 sts)

Round 8: (k2tog) around. (6 sts)

Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread the tail through the remaining stitches and pull tight. Do not stuff the ears. Flatten them slightly with your fingers.

Assembly and Finishing

Sewing on the ears: Thread a tapestry needle with the long tail from one ear. Position the ear against the side of the head, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) down from the top. Using small, even stitches, sew around the base of the ear, catching a little of the head fabric each time, then secure with a couple of hidden stitches. Repeat for the second ear on the opposite side.

Embroidering the face: Thread your tapestry needle with dark brown yarn. Bring the needle up through the front of the head and make two small eyes about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, centered on the front. Make a small curved smile below the eyes using the same brown yarn, working a few short stitches in a gentle curve. Keep it simple and retro.

Weaving in ends: Thread each loose tail onto the tapestry needle and run it through the inside of the fabric for about an inch, then trim close to the surface so it disappears.

Blocking and shaping: Gently shape the ball with your hands, rolling it between your palms to smooth the stuffing. If you like, lightly mist the surface with water and let it dry to even out the moss stitch texture.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the color story: Swap the pastel stripes for bold primary colors, or work the whole ball in one color and use a contrasting color for the ears.
• Adjust the size: Use a thicker yarn and larger needles (for example, worsted weight with US 6 / 4 mm needles) to make a bigger monkey; keep the same stitch counts and your gauge will scale the toy up.
• Try a different yarn: Cotton gives a crisp, sturdy finish; a soft acrylic or cotton-blend will make it squishier and slightly fuzzier.
• Add a hanging loop: Before closing the top, knit a short 6-stitch i-cord or chain a few stitches and attach it to the top so the monkey can hang from a bag or crib.