Knitting Tutorial: Woodland Tiger in Mushroom Garden Overalls – Free Knitting Pattern.

This woodland tiger knitting pattern creates a round-headed orange tiger doll wearing olive mushroom garden overalls, a brown belt, yellow sandals, a crossbody satchel, and a tiny acorn cap. The finished set also includes a knitted harvest basket filled with vegetables and a small pair of beige gardening gloves, matching the cozy handmade look shown in the image.

Please note: I strive for accuracy in every pattern, but occasional errors can happen. Thank you for understanding and for enjoying my designs.

Finished Size and Construction Style

This pattern is written for a soft knitted toy worked mostly in the round on double-pointed needles or magic loop. The finished tiger is approximately 11 inches tall from sandal sole to the top of the acorn cap. The head is large and rounded, the body is shorter and slightly pear-shaped, and the limbs are small, giving the doll the cute woodland storybook proportion seen in the photo.

• Finished tiger height: about 11 in / 28 cm.
• Head width: about 5 in / 12.5 cm after stuffing.
• Body height: about 4.25 in / 11 cm before legs.
• Arm length: about 3.25 in / 8 cm.
• Leg length: about 3 in / 7.5 cm including sandal.
• Skill level: confident beginner to intermediate.

Yarn and Materials

Use smooth DK weight yarn for the body and accessories. The image has clear stockinette stitches with a soft stuffed shape, so avoid very fuzzy yarn except for optional light brushing around the cheeks. Work at a tight gauge so the stuffing does not show through.

• DK yarn in tiger orange, about 60 g.
• DK yarn in white, about 25 g for muzzle, cheeks, paws, chin, and eye patches.
• DK yarn in black, about 10 g for stripes, tail tip, nose detailing, and embroidery.
• DK yarn in olive green, about 55 g for overalls and sleeves.
• DK yarn in brown, about 25 g for belt, satchel, straps, basket, and acorn cap.
• DK yarn in tan beige, about 15 g for sandal soles, glove, acorn base, and basket highlights.
• DK yarn in yellow ocher, about 12 g for sandal straps.
• Small scraps of red, cream, light green, dark green, carrot orange, and berry red for mushrooms, vegetables, and tiny decorations.
• Two 12 mm black safety eyes or glossy black buttons.
• Fiberfill stuffing.
• Four tiny round buttons for the front of the overalls.
• One small oval or round buckle, or brown yarn to embroider the belt buckle.
• US size 2 / 2.75 mm double-pointed needles or circular needle for magic loop.
• US size 1 / 2.25 mm needles for small accessories if you knit loosely.
• Tapestry needle, removable stitch markers, stitch holder, sewing pins, and scissors.

Gauge

Gauge is important because this toy needs firm fabric. In stockinette stitch in the round, 7 stitches and 10 rounds should measure about 1 inch / 2.5 cm. If your fabric is loose, go down a needle size. If your tiger becomes too small but the fabric is neat, continue with the same needles and simply stuff firmly.

Abbreviations

• CO: cast on.
• BO: bind off.
• K: knit.
• P: purl.
• St / sts: stitch / stitches.
• Rnd: round.
• Kfb: knit into the front and back of the same stitch, increasing 1 stitch.
• K2tog: knit 2 stitches together, decreasing 1 stitch.
• SSK: slip 1 knitwise, slip 1 knitwise, knit slipped stitches together through back loops.
• M1L: make 1 left.
• M1R: make 1 right.
• St st: stockinette stitch.
• RS: right side.
• WS: wrong side.

Main Tiger Head

The tiger head is the largest piece. It is round, slightly wider at the cheeks, and lightly flattened at the front after facial shaping. Work in orange, then add the white cheeks and muzzle separately so the face has the raised plush look shown in the image.

1. With orange yarn, CO 8 sts. Divide evenly over needles and join to work in the round.
2. Rnd 1: Kfb in every st around. 16 sts.
3. Rnd 2: K all sts.
4. Rnd 3: K1, kfb; repeat around. 24 sts.
5. Rnd 4: K all sts.
6. Rnd 5: K2, kfb; repeat around. 32 sts.
7. Rnd 6: K all sts.
8. Rnd 7: K3, kfb; repeat around. 40 sts.
9. Rnd 8: K all sts.
10. Rnd 9: K4, kfb; repeat around. 48 sts.
11. Rnd 10: K all sts.
12. Rnd 11: K5, kfb; repeat around. 56 sts.
13. Rnd 12: K all sts.
14. Rnd 13: K6, kfb; repeat around. 64 sts.
15. Rnd 14: K all sts.
16. Rnd 15: K7, kfb; repeat around. 72 sts.
17. Rnds 16-25: K all sts for 10 rounds.
18. Rnd 26: K16, kfb, K4, kfb, K28, kfb, K4, kfb, K16. 76 sts. These increases create soft cheek fullness.
19. Rnds 27-31: K all sts.
20. Rnd 32: K8, k2tog; repeat to last 6 sts, K6. 69 sts.
21. Rnd 33: K all sts.
22. Rnd 34: K7, k2tog; repeat to last 6 sts, K6. 62 sts.
23. Rnd 35: K all sts.
24. Rnd 36: K6, k2tog; repeat to last 6 sts, K6. 55 sts.
25. Rnd 37: K all sts.
26. Rnd 38: K5, k2tog; repeat to last 6 sts, K6. 48 sts.
27. Rnd 39: K all sts.
28. Rnd 40: K4, k2tog; repeat around. 40 sts.
29. Rnd 41: K all sts.
30. Rnd 42: K3, k2tog; repeat around. 32 sts.
31. Pause and stuff the head firmly. Shape it into a smooth sphere with a gently full lower face.
32. Rnd 43: K2, k2tog; repeat around. 24 sts.
33. Rnd 44: K1, k2tog; repeat around. 16 sts.
34. Rnd 45: K2tog around. 8 sts.
35. Cut yarn, draw through remaining sts, pull closed, and weave in securely.

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White Eye Patches and Cheek Panels

The white face areas sit on the front of the orange head. In the image, the white begins above the muzzle beside each eye and curves down into rounded cheeks. Make two mirrored patches and sew them on before attaching the muzzle.

Left White Face Patch

1. With white yarn, CO 6 sts. Work flat.
2. Row 1: P all sts.
3. Row 2: K1, kfb, K2, kfb, K1. 8 sts.
4. Row 3: P all sts.
5. Row 4: K1, kfb, K4, kfb, K1. 10 sts.
6. Row 5: P all sts.
7. Row 6: K all sts.
8. Row 7: P all sts.
9. Row 8: K1, ssk, K5, k2tog. 8 sts.
10. Row 9: P all sts.
11. Row 10: K1, ssk, K3, k2tog. 6 sts.
12. BO loosely. Make one more patch, reversing the curve by shaping the first decrease as k2tog and the last as ssk.

Place each white patch on the face with the widest part at cheek level. The top inner corners should sit close to the safety eyes. Sew with white yarn using small invisible stitches. Lightly stuff under the lower cheek edge only if you want a raised plush cheek.

Raised White Muzzle

1. With white yarn, CO 8 sts and join in the round.
2. Rnd 1: Kfb around. 16 sts.
3. Rnd 2: K all sts.
4. Rnd 3: K1, kfb; repeat around. 24 sts.
5. Rnds 4-6: K all sts.
6. Rnd 7: K2, k2tog; repeat around. 18 sts.
7. Rnd 8: K1, k2tog; repeat around. 12 sts.
8. Cut yarn, leaving a long tail. Do not close completely until the muzzle is lightly stuffed.

Sew the muzzle to the lower center of the face. The top of the muzzle should sit just below the eyes, and the bottom should overlap the white chin area. Stuff gently so it forms two soft rounded cheeks rather than a pointed snout.

Nose, Mouth, Eyes, and Whisker Details

Attach the safety eyes after the white patches are in place, or sew glossy black buttons if this is a display piece. Place the eyes between head rounds 24 and 25, about 10 stitches apart. The eyes should be large and slightly low, giving the tiger a sweet woodland expression.

• Nose: With light tan yarn, embroider a small upside-down triangle at the top center of the muzzle, about 6 stitches wide and 4 rows tall.
• Nose outline: Use black yarn to outline the triangle with two diagonal stitches and one horizontal upper stitch.
• Mouth: From the bottom point of the nose, stitch one straight black line down 4 rows. Add two curved mouth lines, each about 5 stitches long, forming a gentle smile.
• Whisker dots: Add three tiny black straight stitches on each white cheek.
• Eye shine: Add one tiny white stitch on the upper outer side of each black eye if using embroidered eyes.

Tiger Stripe Placement

The stripes are embroidered after stuffing, using black yarn and duplicate stitch. The image shows short uneven stripes on the forehead, cheeks, side face, arms, legs, and tail. Keep the stripes organic, but follow the counts below for a balanced look.

Forehead Stripes

• Make one center stripe from head round 12 to round 19, 2 stitches wide at the top and narrowing to 1 stitch.
• Make two short angled stripes on each side of the center stripe, each 4 rows tall and 2 stitches wide.
• Make two tiny black marks above each white eye patch, each 2 stitches wide and 3 rows tall.

Cheek and Side Stripes

• On each orange cheek, embroider three short horizontal stripes. Each stripe should be 4 to 5 stitches long.
• Place the top cheek stripe beside the outer eye edge, the second at muzzle height, and the third just above the lower jaw.
• Add four small black spots along the lower side of each face, spacing them 2 stitches apart.

Ears

The ears are round orange discs with darker orange inner centers. They sit at the upper sides of the head, slightly behind the eyes, and are sewn with the lower edge tucked into the head curve.

Outer Ear, Make 2

1. With orange yarn, CO 8 sts and join in the round.
2. Rnd 1: Kfb around. 16 sts.
3. Rnd 2: K all sts.
4. Rnd 3: K1, kfb; repeat around. 24 sts.
5. Rnds 4-6: K all sts.
6. Rnd 7: K1, k2tog; repeat around. 16 sts.
7. Rnd 8: K2tog around. 8 sts.
8. Cut yarn and draw through. Flatten slightly into a rounded ear.

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Inner Ear, Make 2

1. With darker orange yarn, CO 6 sts. Work flat.
2. Row 1: P all sts.
3. Row 2: Kfb, K4, kfb. 8 sts.
4. Row 3: P all sts.
5. Row 4: K all sts.
6. Row 5: P all sts.
7. Row 6: SSK, K4, k2tog. 6 sts.
8. BO. Sew one inner ear to each outer ear.

Sew ears to the head between rounds 15 and 26. Place them about 18 stitches apart across the top of the head. Curve each ear slightly forward before securing the lower edge.

Body and Olive Mushroom Garden Overalls Base

The body is worked as a single stuffed shape in olive green, because the overalls cover almost the entire torso. The white neck collar peeks out above the overalls, while the orange tiger arms and legs emerge from short green sleeves and pant legs.

1. With olive green yarn, CO 12 sts and join in the round.
2. Rnd 1: Kfb around. 24 sts.
3. Rnd 2: K all sts.
4. Rnd 3: K3, kfb; repeat around. 30 sts.
5. Rnd 4: K all sts.
6. Rnd 5: K4, kfb; repeat around. 36 sts.
7. Rnd 6: K all sts.
8. Rnd 7: K5, kfb; repeat around. 42 sts.
9. Rnds 8-16: K all sts.
10. Rnd 17: K12, kfb, K18, kfb, K10. 44 sts.
11. Rnds 18-26: K all sts.
12. Rnd 27: K9, k2tog; repeat around. 40 sts.
13. Rnd 28: K all sts.
14. Rnd 29: K8, k2tog; repeat around. 36 sts.
15. Rnd 30: K all sts.
16. Rnd 31: K7, k2tog; repeat around. 32 sts.
17. Change to white yarn for the little neckband. Rnds 32-34: K all sts.
18. Rnd 35: K2, k2tog; repeat around. 24 sts.
19. Stuff the body firmly, keeping the base slightly wider than the shoulders.
20. Rnd 36: K1, k2tog; repeat around. 16 sts.
21. Cut yarn, draw through remaining sts, and close.

Short Overall Legs

The green romper in the image has short pant legs ending above the tiger feet. These are knitted separately and sewn around the tops of the orange legs so the lower legs show beneath.

1. With olive green yarn, CO 24 sts and join in the round.
2. Rnds 1-3: K1, P1 rib around.
3. Rnds 4-10: K all sts.
4. Rnd 11: K4, k2tog; repeat around. 20 sts.
5. BO loosely. Make a second pant leg.

After the tiger legs are complete, slide one green pant leg over each upper leg and sew the top edge to the lower body. The ribbed edge should sit near the knee area, just like the cuffed overalls in the image.

Arms with Green Sleeves and White Paws

Each arm begins with a white paw, changes to orange tiger fur, then changes to olive green for the short sleeve. Embroider black stripes around the orange section after stuffing.

1. With white yarn, CO 8 sts and join in the round.
2. Rnd 1: Kfb around. 16 sts.
3. Rnds 2-5: K all sts.
4. Change to orange yarn.
5. Rnd 6: K all sts.
6. Rnd 7: K6, k2tog, K6, k2tog. 14 sts.
7. Rnds 8-14: K all sts.
8. Change to olive green yarn for the sleeve.
9. Rnds 15-20: K all sts.
10. Rnd 21: K5, k2tog; repeat around. 12 sts.
11. Stuff the paw and arm lightly. Keep the sleeve slightly flatter near the shoulder.
12. Rnd 22: K2tog around. 6 sts.
13. Cut yarn and close. Make a second arm.

For each arm, embroider two black stripe bands on the orange section. Each band should be 2 rows tall and should not go completely around the arm; leave a small orange gap on the inner side so the stripes look natural.

Legs, Feet, and Yellow Sandals

The tiger has orange legs with black stripes and soft white transitions near the ankles mostly hidden by the sandals. The sandals are tan soles with yellow straps and tiny red mushroom decorations on the outer sides.

Orange Legs, Make 2

1. With orange yarn, CO 10 sts and join in the round.
2. Rnd 1: Kfb around. 20 sts.
3. Rnds 2-9: K all sts.
4. Rnd 10: K8, k2tog, K8, k2tog. 18 sts.
5. Rnds 11-18: K all sts.
6. Stuff lightly.
7. Rnd 19: K1, k2tog; repeat around. 12 sts.
8. Cut yarn and close. Make a second leg.

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Rounded Feet, Make 2

1. With orange yarn, CO 8 sts and join in the round.
2. Rnd 1: Kfb around. 16 sts.
3. Rnd 2: K all sts.
4. Rnd 3: K4, kfb, K6, kfb, K4. 18 sts.
5. Rnds 4-8: K all sts.
6. Rnd 9: K2, k2tog; repeat to last 2 sts, K2. 14 sts.
7. Stuff the foot firmly, shaping it into a short oval.
8. Rnd 10: K2tog around. 7 sts.
9. Close and sew one foot to the bottom of each leg at a slight outward angle.

Tan Sandal Soles, Make 2

1. With tan yarn, CO 8 sts. Work flat.
2. Row 1: P all sts.
3. Row 2: Kfb, K6, kfb. 10 sts.
4. Row 3: P all sts.
5. Rows 4-13: Work in st st.
6. Row 14: SSK, K6, k2tog. 8 sts.
7. BO. Sew one sole under each foot.

Yellow Sandal Straps, Make 2

1. With yellow yarn, CO 5 sts.
2. Rows 1-14: Knit every row for garter stitch.
3. BO. Wrap across the top of one foot and sew both ends to the tan sole edge.
4. Repeat for the second sandal.

Use black yarn to embroider four toe lines on each orange foot. Add one tiny red mushroom on the outer side of each sandal by making a red French knot cap and a cream straight stitch stem.

Tail

The tail is striped orange and black with a black tip. It curves out from the right side of the body and rests behind the satchel area, matching the playful pose in the image.

1. With black yarn, CO 8 sts and join in the round.
2. Rnds 1-5: K all sts.
3. Change to orange yarn.
4. Rnds 6-9: K all sts.
5. Change to black yarn. Rnds 10-11: K all sts.
6. Change to orange yarn. Rnds 12-15: K all sts.
7. Change to black yarn. Rnds 16-17: K all sts.
8. Change to orange yarn. Rnds 18-22: K all sts.
9. Stuff very lightly as you work.
10. Rnd 23: K2tog around. 4 sts.
11. Cut yarn, close, and weave in.

Sew the tail to the back right side of the body between body rounds 12 and 16. Curve the tail gently toward the viewer and secure with two hidden stitches near the base only, leaving the tip free.

Front Overall Bib, Buttons, and Garden Embroidery

The overalls have a front bib with two small buttons and several little mushroom stems rising from the green fabric. Because the body is already green, the bib detail is added with stitch texture and embroidery rather than a separate bulky panel.

• Using olive green yarn one shade darker, embroider a vertical center line from the neckline to the belt, about 18 rows long.
• Sew two tiny round buttons on the center front, spaced 5 rows apart.
• With light green yarn, make five vertical mushroom stems, each 4 to 7 stitches tall.
• With red yarn, embroider two red mushroom caps, each 3 stitches wide, and add white seed stitches on top.
• With cream yarn, embroider two small beige mushrooms with rounded caps.
• Place the tallest mushroom on the tiger’s right chest and the smaller mushrooms across the lower bib area.

Brown Belt and Buckle

1. With brown yarn, CO 5 sts.
2. Knit every row until the strip measures about 7.5 in / 19 cm, or long enough to wrap around the body at the waist.
3. BO and sew the belt around the body over round 16 of the olive overalls.
4. For the buckle, use tan yarn to embroider a small rectangle at the front center, 5 stitches wide and 4 rows tall.
5. Add one brown stitch across the middle of the buckle to create the inner bar.

Crossbody Strap and Satchel

The brown strap crosses from the tiger’s left shoulder down to the right hip. A small rectangular satchel sits on the lower right side, decorated with a red mushroom patch.

Crossbody Strap

1. With brown yarn, CO 4 sts.
2. Knit every row until the strip measures about 12 in / 30 cm.
3. BO, then pin the strap diagonally across the body.
4. Sew the upper end near the left back shoulder and the lower end under the right side of the belt.

Satchel Body

1. With brown yarn, CO 14 sts.
2. Rows 1-18: Work in garter stitch.
3. BO and fold the lower 11 rows upward to form a pouch.
4. Sew both side seams with brown yarn.
5. Fold the remaining top rows down as a flap.
6. With tan yarn, embroider a small flap outline.

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Mushroom Patch on Satchel

• Use red yarn to embroider a mushroom cap 5 stitches wide on the satchel flap.
• Add three white seed stitches on the red cap.
• Use cream yarn to embroider a short stem, 4 rows tall.

Sew the satchel to the right hip so it overlaps the belt and hangs slightly forward. Tack the strap to the satchel top with two firm stitches.

Acorn Cap

The small acorn cap sits on the tiger’s upper left head. It has a tan acorn nut base and a textured brown cap with a tiny stem.

Acorn Nut Base

1. With tan yarn, CO 8 sts and join in the round.
2. Rnd 1: Kfb around. 16 sts.
3. Rnds 2-7: K all sts.
4. Rnd 8: K2, k2tog; repeat around. 12 sts.
5. Stuff lightly.
6. Rnd 9: K2tog around. 6 sts.
7. Close and weave in.

Brown Acorn Cap

1. With brown yarn, CO 18 sts and join in the round.
2. Rnds 1-3: K1, P1 rib around.
3. Rnd 4: K all sts.
4. Rnd 5: K1, k2tog; repeat around. 12 sts.
5. Rnd 6: K all sts.
6. Rnd 7: K2tog around. 6 sts.
7. Do not cut yarn. Work an i-cord stem on 3 sts for 4 rows, then bind off.

Sew the brown cap over the tan acorn base. Attach the finished acorn to the top left side of the tiger’s head, just above the left ear, leaning slightly outward.

Harvest Basket

The basket is a separate accessory. It is round, tan-brown, and filled with tiny knitted vegetables and leafy greens. It sits beside the tiger in the image, so make it sturdy enough to hold its shape.

Basket Bowl

1. With tan yarn, CO 8 sts and join in the round.
2. Rnd 1: Kfb around. 16 sts.
3. Rnd 2: K all sts.
4. Rnd 3: K1, kfb; repeat around. 24 sts.
5. Rnd 4: K all sts.
6. Rnd 5: K2, kfb; repeat around. 32 sts.
7. Rnd 6: P all sts to create a turning ridge.
8. Rnds 7-16: K all sts.
9. Rnd 17: P all sts for rim texture.
10. Rnds 18-20: K1, P1 rib around.
11. BO loosely.

Basket Handle

1. With tan yarn, CO 5 sts.
2. Knit every row until the strip measures 8 in / 20 cm.
3. BO and sew one end to each side of the basket rim.
4. Twist a strand of brown yarn around the handle and tack it every 1 inch to mimic woven texture.

Mini Vegetables

• Carrot, make 2: With orange yarn, CO 8 sts, knit 8 rounds, then K2tog around and close. Add three dark green 4-stitch leaves at the top.
• Red apple or berry: With red yarn, CO 6 sts, Kfb around to 12 sts, knit 4 rounds, K2tog around, stuff, and close. Add one green stitch leaf.
• Small green squash: With light green yarn, CO 8 sts, knit 6 rounds, decrease to close, and embroider two darker green vertical lines.
• Leaf cluster: With dark green yarn, CO 3 sts, Kfb across to 6 sts, knit 2 rows, then SSK, K2, k2tog, BO. Make 5 leaves and sew inside basket.

Place the vegetables inside the basket and tack each one lightly to the inner base. Arrange orange carrots, red fruit, and green leaves so the basket looks full from the front.

Gardening Glove Prop

The beige glove is a flat knitted accessory with five small fingers and a green cuff. It can be placed beside the tiger or lightly stitched to the display background.

1. With beige yarn, CO 16 sts. Work flat in stockinette stitch for 12 rows.
2. Row 13: K3, place next 2 sts on holder, K3, place next 2 sts on holder, K3, place next 2 sts on holder, K4.
3. Work the first finger over 3 sts for 8 rows, then k3tog and fasten off.
4. Return 2 held sts to needles, pick up 1 st between fingers, and work 3 sts for 7 rows. K3tog and fasten off.
5. Repeat for the next two fingers, making one 8 rows tall and one 6 rows tall.
6. For the thumb, pick up 4 sts along the side of the palm and knit 6 rows, then k2tog twice and close.
7. With green yarn, pick up 16 sts along the wrist edge and knit 4 rows in K1, P1 rib. BO.

Assembly Order

1. Sew the head to the white neck edge of the body. Use a full circle of stitches twice so the large head stays upright.
2. Sew arms to the upper sides of the body at a downward angle. The green sleeves should touch the shoulder area.
3. Sew legs to the lower front of the body, spaced about 8 stitches apart. The feet should point slightly outward.
4. Slide and sew the short green pant legs over the upper orange legs.
5. Attach the tail to the back right side.
6. Add belt, strap, satchel, buttons, mushroom embroidery, and sandal decorations.
7. Sew ears and acorn cap to the head after the face is fully embroidered.

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Final Assembly and Facial Detailing

Check the face from the front before securing every thread. The eyes should sit evenly inside the white eye patches, the muzzle should be centered, and the ears should frame the head symmetrically. Add a few final black duplicate stitches if the tiger needs stronger stripe contrast.

Gently pinch the lower muzzle while sewing the mouth line so the expression becomes soft and friendly. Do not overstuff the muzzle, because the image shows a rounded plush face rather than a long pointed snout.

Care Notes

• Spot clean only with cool water and mild soap.
• Do not machine wash if using safety eyes, tiny buttons, or embroidered mushrooms.
• Let the toy air dry flat on a towel.
• Reshape the head, ears, satchel, and sandals while damp if needed.

Quick Checklist Before You Finish

• Large round tiger head with white muzzle and eye patches.
• Black tiger stripes on forehead, cheeks, arms, legs, and tail.
• Olive green overalls with short sleeves and short pant legs.
• Two front buttons, brown belt, and small buckle.
• Crossbody strap and brown satchel with red mushroom patch.
• Acorn cap attached above one ear.
• Yellow sandals with tan soles and tiny red mushroom details.
• Separate harvest basket with vegetables and leafy greens.
• Flat beige gardening glove with green cuff.

Detailed Cleaning and Preservation Guidelines

To preserve the shape, store the tiger sitting upright with the basket beside it. Avoid compressing the head or bending the tail for long periods. Keep the doll away from direct sunlight so the orange, olive, red, and yellow yarn colors remain bright.

If dust collects on the stitches, use a soft dry brush and move gently in the direction of the knitted fabric. For display pieces, place the small glove and basket in a shallow tray or fabric-lined box when not in use so the tiny vegetables stay together.