Pocket Emotional Support Chickens

There is something wonderfully sweet about these little Pocket Emotional Support Chickens. They are tiny, soft, slightly silly in the best possible way, and exactly the sort of handmade project that makes people smile before they have even finished reading the pattern.

This free knitting pattern is perfect for anyone who loves small comfort makes, quick gift projects, or quirky little knits with personality. Each chicken is small enough to sit in the palm of your hand, making them ideal as pocket companions, desk buddies, care-package gifts, or thoughtful little “thinking of you” presents for friends and family.

I especially love the idea behind this project. Not every handmade gift needs to be large or complicated to feel meaningful. Sometimes a tiny knitted chicken, made with love and tucked into someone’s bag, coat pocket, or bedside table, can be just the thing to brighten a difficult day. These little comfort chicks have that lovely handmade charm that feels personal without being overly sentimental.

The finished chickens have a simple rounded shape, cute beaks, tiny combs, and bead-like eyes, giving them just enough detail to feel full of character. They would be adorable knitted in natural chicken colours like cream, brown, grey, and speckled yarns, but you could also have fun with bright scraps, variegated yarn, or leftover wool from other projects. This is a great stash-busting project, especially if you have small amounts of yarn you do not want to waste.

Because they are small, they would also make a lovely charity knitting idea, a craft market item, a classroom reward, or a sweet addition to handmade gift baskets. You could knit a whole flock and package them with a little note that says “Pocket Emotional Support Chicken” for extra charm.

Overall, this is a delightful free knitting pattern for anyone who enjoys quick, comforting, personality-filled projects. It is cute, giftable, inexpensive to make, and full of handmade heart. Whether you knit one chicken or an entire flock, these adorable little comfort chicks are sure to bring a smile.

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Sashiko is a traditional Japanese embroidery technique that uses running stitches to make lines (straight or otherwise) that reinforce and insulate fabric. It can be used as a mending technique or for decorative purposes, and it has become popular in recent years as a visible mending technique.

It’s also the inspiration behind the Sashiko Tee by Elenor Mortensen. This top down, circular yoke top is worked in the round with allover stranded knitting designs reminiscent of intricate sashiko stitching.

You’ll find floral patterns, starbursts, straight lines and individual colorwork stitches in this design.

The pattern is offered in six sizes and two different gauges (both use fingering weight yarn) making a dozen different size options. The finished bust circumference of the sweater ranges from 33.8 to 57 inches, or 86 to 145 cm.

The project calls for two colors, and I love the traditional blue and white of the designer’s sample, but some of the projects shown on Ravelry use more than two or use a multicolored yarn as one of the options, which gives it a different look that’s even more interesting. There are also some projects that show longer sleeves, repeating the patterns from the body on the sleeves, which is a great move if you need a sweater for the fall.

I know I say this a lot but it’s worth your time to look at the different ways people have approached this sweater by clicking on the projects tab on Ravelry. You’ll find different colors and sleeves, different ribbing treatments, added beads, a bit of mohair, different lengths, subtle colors and bolder choices…so many fun options.

The pattern is available in English, French and German, and you can grab a copy of Ravelry. I think this one would be a fun way to get into colorwork knitting without having to deal with a bunch of colors, and you get a cool result and lots of practice following a chart.

[Photo: Elenor Mortensen]

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