Techniques

How to Sew Eyes to a Knitted Toy

One of the most asked questions is how to attach eyes to a knitted toy. This little visual guide is here to help. Finishing a knitted toy off is probably the most important part of making toys as the face is what gives your creation a personality.

We start where the head has been made and stuffed. A small button nose has been added. We are going to sew eyes just above the nose. If you are not sure where to place your eyes, adding eyes close to the nose will make the face look complete.

attach eyes to a knitted toy 1
Thread a needle with black yarn. Use the same thickness black yarn as you have made your toy with. Put a knot in one end. Insert the needle into your work in a random place and bring the needle out again where you will place the bottom of the first eye.
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Pull the thread through and make sure the knot gets stuck in the stuffing inside the head. If it pulls through and doesn’t get stuck, do it again with a larger knot.
attach eyes to a knitted toy 3
Re-insert the needle two stitches above the bottom of the eye, where the top of the eye will go and bring the needle out again at the base of the eye. Pull the yarn through.
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Insert the needle once more at the top of the eye so that it has two threads of yarn to one eye. Bring the needle out again at the top of the second eye. Pull it through.
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Insert the needle two stitches below at the bottom of the eye and bring the needle out at the top again to begin to make the second eye. Pull the yarn through.
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Place the needle back in at the bottom of the second eye but this time bring the needle out in a random place and pull it through.
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Now we are going to secure the end of the work inside the head. Re-insert the needle back into the same spot that the yarn came through and bring the needle out again in another random spot.
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Then go back again with the thread so the yarn is going back upon itself inside the toy stuffing.
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Repeat this process 3 or 4 times. This will stop the end of the thread from un-ravelling. Snip the end and push the end back into the head so it can’t be seen.
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Finished eyes. Well done!
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The Finished Toy.

If you liked this tutorial, you can also see how we sew a nose to a knitted toy.

6 thoughts on “How to Sew Eyes to a Knitted Toy”

  2. ALISON Humphrey says:

    Thank you for your prompt reply. Having so much fun knitting your Snowman pattern. Looking forward to adding the eyes and mouth.

  3. Shelagh Preston says:

    I love this website you can’t beat it for the patterns which have turned out perfectly every time and just when I think I wonder how I do that? The answers are in your easy to follow pictorial instructions. I would highly recommend these patterns and website.😊

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