Knit Giraffes from Noah’s Ark [Free Knitting Pattern]

If you’ve ever wanted to bring a little biblical whimsy to your knitting basket, this free knitting pattern for a pair of adorable giraffes inspired by Noah’s Ark is exactly what you’ve been looking for. Whether you’re knitting gifts for a nursery, building a complete Noah’s Ark toy set, or simply looking for a charming stuffed animal project to work on during your evenings, these knitted giraffes are the perfect companions. Tall, spotted, and wonderfully huggable, they’re sure to become treasured keepsakes for any child lucky enough to receive them.

This pattern is written for knitters with some experience — you should be comfortable with basic knitting and purling, knitting in the round on double-pointed needles, simple shaping with increases and decreases, and basic seaming. That said, if you’re a confident beginner willing to take things slowly, you’ll find this project very achievable. The finished giraffes stand approximately 10 to 12 inches tall and are sturdy enough for play while being beautiful enough to display on a nursery shelf.

Let’s dive in.

Materials You’ll Need

Before you cast on, gather everything you’ll need so your knitting goes smoothly from start to finish.

For yarn, you’ll want a worsted weight yarn in a warm golden yellow or tan for the body — roughly 150 yards — and a smaller amount of dark brown or rust in the same weight for the spots, hooves, and mane details. You’ll also want a tiny bit of cream or off-white for the belly and inner ear areas. Any soft, washable wool blend or acrylic yarn works beautifully for stuffed animals, since the finished toy will likely need to withstand the occasional trip through the washing machine.

For needles, use US size 5 (3.75mm) double-pointed needles or a set of short circulars in a similar size. Because stuffed animal knitting benefits from a tight gauge to prevent the stuffing from showing through the fabric, going down a needle size from what the yarn label recommends is often a good idea.

You’ll also need polyester fiberfill stuffing, a tapestry needle for seaming and weaving in ends, two small black safety eyes (approximately 9mm), black embroidery floss for the nostrils and any face details you’d like to add, stitch markers, stitch holders or scrap yarn, scissors, and a small amount of cardboard or plastic canvas if you want to create a stiffened base inside the body to help the giraffe stand upright on its own.

Gauge

Because this is a stuffed animal, gauge is more flexible than it would be in a garment pattern. Aim for approximately 20 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch. The most important thing is that your fabric feels dense and that the stuffing doesn’t peek through the knitted fabric. If it does, go down a needle size.

Abbreviations

Throughout this pattern, the following abbreviations are used:

CO — cast on, BO — bind off, K — knit, P — purl, St/sts — stitch/stitches, K2tog — knit two stitches together (right-leaning decrease), SSK — slip, slip, knit (left-leaning decrease), M1L — make one left (left-leaning increase), M1R — make one right (right-leaning increase), PM — place marker, SM — slip marker, BOR — beginning of round, RS — right side, WS — wrong side, and dpns — double-pointed needles.

Pattern Notes

These giraffes are knitted primarily in the round from the bottom up. The legs are knitted separately and attached to the body, and the neck and head are either knitted as an extension of the body or worked separately and seamed, depending on your preference. Detailed instructions are given for both approaches.

The spots are worked using the intarsia technique when knitting flat, or by duplicate stitch after the piece is complete if you prefer not to manage multiple bobbins of yarn. For a beginner-friendly approach, simply knit the entire body in the main color and add spots afterward using duplicate stitch or even a few stitches of surface embroidery.

Stuff the piece firmly as you go — it’s much easier to add stuffing before seaming than to try to push it through a small opening at the end.

The Legs (Make Four)

Each leg is knitted identically, beginning at the hoof and working upward.

Using dark brown yarn and dpns, CO 12 stitches. Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist. Place a marker for the beginning of the round.

Rounds 1 through 4: Knit all stitches. This forms the hoof.

Round 5: Switch to your main golden yellow color.

Rounds 6 through 30: Knit all stitches. This forms the leg shaft.

Round 31: (K1, M1R) repeat to end of round — 18 stitches.

Round 32: Knit all stitches.

Round 33: Knit all stitches.

Leave these stitches on a stitch holder or scrap yarn and set aside. Make all four legs before moving on to the body.

Stuff each leg firmly before setting it aside, leaving the top open.

The Body

The body is worked in the round, beginning at the base.

Using main color yarn and dpns or short circulars, CO 48 stitches. Join to work in the round and place a marker for BOR.

Rounds 1 through 5: Knit all stitches. This forms the base of the belly.

Round 6 (joining round): Now you’ll attach the four legs. Place the first leg on a spare needle. Knit across the 18 held leg stitches, then continue around the body stitches, attaching each leg at the appropriate points. The front two legs should be positioned roughly a quarter of the way in from the front edge of the body, and the back two legs roughly a quarter of the way in from the back edge.

If you find joining the legs mid-round confusing at first, an equally good alternative is to simply knit the body as a closed oval, stuff it, sew the legs to the body using mattress stitch, and stuff the connection firmly. Many knitters find this approach easier and the result just as lovely.

Continue in the round over the body stitches only (not the leg stitches, which you’ll work into the sides as you go).

Rounds 7 through 40: Knit all stitches.

Round 41: (K6, K2tog) repeat to end — 42 stitches.

Round 43: (K5, K2tog) repeat to end — 36 stitches.

Round 45: (K4, K2tog) repeat to end — 30 stitches.

Round 47: (K3, K2tog) repeat to end — 24 stitches.

Stuff the body firmly here before continuing to close it up.

Round 49: (K2, K2tog) repeat to end — 18 stitches.

Round 51: (K1, K2tog) repeat to end — 12 stitches.

Round 53: (K2tog) repeat to end — 6 stitches.

Cut yarn, thread tail through a tapestry needle, draw through remaining stitches, pull tight, and fasten off. Weave in end.

The Neck

Using main color and dpns, CO 20 stitches. Join to work in the round.

Rounds 1 through 50: Knit all stitches. The neck should be long — this is what makes a giraffe unmistakably a giraffe. Resist the temptation to make it shorter. The long elegant neck is part of the charm.

Round 51: (K3, K2tog) repeat to end — 16 stitches.

Round 53: (K2, K2tog) repeat to end — 12 stitches.

Stuff the neck firmly, especially toward the base where it will need to support the weight of the head. Leave the top open for now.

The Head

The head is worked flat and seamed, which makes it easier to position the eyes and embellishments before closing everything up.

Using main color yarn, CO 30 stitches.

Row 1 (RS): Knit all stitches.
Row 2 (WS): Purl all stitches.
Rows 3 through 16: Continue in stockinette stitch.
Row 17: K1, SSK, knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1 — 28 stitches.
Row 18: Purl all stitches.
Row 19: K1, SSK, knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1 — 26 stitches.
Row 20: Purl all stitches.
Row 21: K1, SSK, knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1 — 24 stitches.
Row 22: Purl all stitches.
Row 23: K1, SSK, knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1 — 22 stitches.
Row 24: Purl all stitches.
Row 25: K1, SSK, knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1 — 20 stitches.
Row 26: Purl all stitches.
Row 27: (K2, K2tog) repeat to end — 15 stitches.
Row 28: Purl all stitches.
Row 29: (K1, K2tog) repeat to end — 10 stitches.
Row 30: Purl all stitches.
Row 31: (K2tog) repeat to end — 5 stitches.

Cut yarn, draw through remaining stitches, and pull tight. This forms the nose end of the head. Sew the side seam of the head, stuff firmly, and then seam the flat back edge closed. Sew the head to the top of the neck.

The Ears (Make Two)

Using main color, CO 10 stitches.

Row 1: Knit all stitches.
Row 2: Purl all stitches.
Rows 3 through 8: Continue in stockinette stitch.
Row 9: K1, SSK, K4, K2tog, K1 — 8 stitches.
Row 10: Purl.
Row 11: K1, SSK, K2, K2tog, K1 — 6 stitches.
Row 12: Purl.
Row 13: K1, SSK, K2tog, K1 — 4 stitches.
Row 14: Purl.
Row 15: SSK, K2tog — 2 stitches.
Row 16: P2tog. Fasten off.

If desired, knit a smaller ear lining in cream or off-white following the same pattern with fewer rows, and seam it to the main ear piece before attaching to the head. Fold the ears slightly before sewing them to give them a natural, three-dimensional look. Attach the ears to the sides of the head, just behind the eyes.

The Ossicones (Horns)

Giraffes have those wonderful little horn-like protrusions on their heads called ossicones, and no knitted giraffe is complete without them.

Using dark brown yarn, CO 6 stitches and work in the round for 8 rounds. Then K2tog three times — 3 stitches. Draw yarn through remaining stitches and pull tight. Stuff lightly if desired and sew to the top of the head, between the ears.

Make two and sew them in place about an inch apart.

The Mane

Using dark brown yarn, cut approximately 20 pieces of yarn each about 3 inches long. Using a crochet hook or tapestry needle, attach these strands along the top of the neck and continuing up to between the ossicones in a simple fringe technique. Fold each strand in half, loop it through a stitch on the neck seam, and pull the ends through the loop. Trim to a uniform length. The mane should be short and bristly, not long and flowing like a horse’s — giraffe manes are characteristically upright and short.

The Tail

Using dark brown yarn, make a twisted cord or a simple I-cord approximately 4 inches long. Add a small tassel of dark brown yarn to the tip. Sew the tail to the back of the body at an appropriate position.

Adding the Spots

Giraffe spots are irregular, large, and beautiful. Using dark brown yarn and a tapestry needle, work duplicate stitch over the body, neck, and upper legs to add the characteristic giraffe pattern. Giraffe spots in real life are large, angular, and separated by narrow cream-colored lines, so work your spots with this in mind — big irregular patches, not small dots.

If you’re comfortable with intarsia, you can of course work the spots directly into the fabric as you knit, but for most knitters working on a small stuffed animal, duplicate stitch afterward is easier and produces a perfectly lovely result.

Assembly

Lay out all your pieces before you begin seaming so you can plan the proportions and positioning. Sew the neck to the body at a slight forward angle — giraffes hold their necks more or less vertically but with a gentle lean. Attach the four legs symmetrically, with the front legs positioned farther apart than the back legs for stability. If you want the giraffe to stand independently, insert a small disc of firm cardboard or plastic canvas into the base of the body before closing it up, and stuff the legs very firmly all the way to their tops.

Once all the main pieces are attached, position and insert the safety eyes on either side of the head. The eyes of a giraffe are set relatively far back and out to the sides, so don’t place them too close to the nose. Using black embroidery floss, stitch two small nostril dots near the tip of the nose. You can also add a few stitches for the mouth if you like — a slight upward curve gives your giraffe a cheerful expression that children adore.

Finishing Touches

Weave in all remaining ends carefully, burying them within the stuffed body of the animal so they won’t work their way out over time. Give your giraffe a gentle steam block if using a wool blend — this will even out the stitches and give the fabric a beautifully finished look. Acrylic yarns should not be steam blocked, but you can use a damp cloth and a cool iron held just above the surface.

Making It a Pair

The wonderful thing about Noah’s Ark is that the animals come in twos. Make a second giraffe following the same pattern, and consider giving the second one slightly different spot placement or a slightly different pose — perhaps with the head turned to one side by positioning the neck at a slight angle during seaming. A mama and baby giraffe set makes an especially sweet gift, and the baby version can be made simply by casting on fewer stitches and working fewer rows throughout to scale the pattern down.

Gifting and Display Ideas

A pair of knitted Noah’s Ark giraffes makes a wonderful gift for baby showers, baptisms, first birthdays, or Christmas stockings. Pair them with a knitted ark (a simple box shape in brown and tan yarn works beautifully) and any other animals you’d like to knit — elephants, lions, zebras, and sheep are all charming additions to the set and can be found in many free patterns online. Displayed together on a nursery shelf, a complete Noah’s Ark set becomes a genuine heirloom.

Tips for Success

A few final pieces of advice before you cast on: always check your gauge, even for stuffed animals, because a fabric that’s too loose will look sloppy and let the stuffing peek through. Stuff as you go rather than trying to push stuffing through a tiny gap at the end. Take your time with the seaming — neat, even seams make an enormous difference in the final appearance of a knitted toy. And don’t worry too much about perfection. Knitted animals have a wonderful handmade character to them, and slight imperfections are part of what makes them charming.

Most of all, enjoy the process. There’s something deeply satisfying about knitting a toy that a child will love and carry with them through childhood — perhaps even keeping it well into adulthood as a precious reminder of someone who made it for them with love and patience and a pair of knitting needles.

Happy knitting, and may your yarn never tangle.