Rainbow the Unicorn: Your Complete Guide to DROPS Children 37-18

There is something undeniably magical about a knitted unicorn. Whether it sits on a nursery shelf, becomes a child’s most beloved companion, or gets gifted at a baby shower wrapped in tissue paper and tied with a ribbon, a handmade unicorn carries a warmth that no store-bought toy can replicate. And when the pattern behind that unicorn comes from DROPS Design — one of the most trusted names in the global knitting community — you know you are working with something special.

DROPS Children 37-18 is exactly that kind of pattern. Called “Rainbow the Unicorn,” it is a free knitting pattern published by DROPS Design as part of their extensive children’s collection. In this guide, we are going to walk through everything you need to know about this pattern: what it is, what materials you will need, how to approach it as a knitter, what makes it stand out, and why knitters all over the world keep coming back to DROPS free patterns again and again.

What Is DROPS Children 37-18?

DROPS Children 37-18 is a stuffed unicorn toy pattern — a knitted amigurumi-style figure complete with a mane, tail, and of course, a spiraling horn. The pattern is part of DROPS Design’s children’s category, which covers everything from baby cardigans to play accessories and toys. Like all DROPS patterns, it is available completely free of charge on the DROPS Design website, making it one of the most accessible toy knitting patterns available to crafters worldwide.

The finished unicorn is designed to be a soft, huggable toy suitable for young children. It features a rounded body, four sturdy legs, a flowing mane, and a tail — all worked in the brand’s recommended yarn. The horn gives it that instantly recognizable silhouette, and the overall aesthetic is charming without being overly complicated. This is not a pattern that tries to do too much. It knows what it is, and it does it beautifully.

The design sits within DROPS Collection 37, which has a playful, colorful theme throughout. If you browse the rest of the collection, you will find matching children’s garments and accessories that complement the unicorn perfectly — meaning if you want to knit an entire rainbow-themed gift set for a little one, this pattern fits right in.

Why Free DROPS Patterns Are Such a Big Deal

Before we get into the specifics of materials and construction, it is worth pausing to appreciate just how significant DROPS Design’s commitment to free patterns actually is. In a world where individual patterns on knitting platforms can cost anywhere from three to ten dollars or more, DROPS has made the decision to offer their entire library — thousands of patterns — completely free.

This is not a small or incidental thing. It means that a new knitter with a tight budget can access the same high-quality, professionally designed patterns as an experienced crafter with a well-stocked stash. It means that a grandmother in rural Norway and a hobbyist in urban Japan can both download Rainbow the Unicorn today and start knitting tonight without spending a cent. It democratizes the craft in a meaningful way.

Of course, DROPS is also a yarn brand, and the patterns are designed to showcase their own yarns. But even that is handled with generosity — the website includes yarn substitution tools, weight equivalency charts, and guidance on using alternative brands. For crafters who want to follow the pattern exactly as written, the recommended yarns are widely available and well-priced. For those who prefer to work with what they have, DROPS provides the information needed to make smart substitutions.

Materials You Will Need

DROPS Children 37-18 is designed to be worked in DROPS Safran, a fingering-weight 100% cotton yarn. Cotton is an excellent choice for children’s toys for several reasons. It is durable and can withstand the enthusiastic handling that a beloved toy inevitably receives. It is easy to wash, which any parent will tell you is a non-negotiable feature in anything destined for small hands. And it comes in a wonderful range of colors, which matters enormously when you are knitting something called “Rainbow the Unicorn.”

For this project, you will typically need several colors: a main body color (often a soft white or cream), plus accent colors for the mane, tail, and any additional decorative elements. The beauty of a rainbow theme is that you have creative latitude here. You could go with traditional rainbow stripes — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet — or lean into pastels for a softer, dreamier look. Some knitters choose a monochromatic mane in a contrasting color, while others go wild with every shade in their stash.

In addition to yarn, you will need:

A pair of appropriately sized knitting needles — the pattern specifies the needle size that pairs well with Safran, typically around 2.5mm, though you should always swatch first and adjust based on your own gauge.

Polyester fiberfill or toy stuffing for filling the body, head, and legs. Make sure to use stuffing that is specifically labeled as safe for children’s toys.

Safety eyes or embroidered eyes — if the toy is intended for very young children or babies, embroidered eyes are the safer choice, as they cannot be pulled out. Safety eyes with washers are appropriate for older toddlers and children.

A blunt tapestry needle for seaming and weaving in ends.

Stitch markers to keep track of your rounds, as the unicorn is worked in the round throughout.

Scissors and a little patience — seaming stuffed toy pieces is one of those tasks that rewards care and attention.

Gauge and Sizing

Getting gauge right for a stuffed toy is a slightly different exercise than for a garment. With a sweater, an off-gauge fabric can mean the difference between something that fits and something that doesn’t. With a toy, the stakes are lower in one sense — a unicorn that comes out slightly larger or smaller than expected is still a unicorn.

However, gauge still matters here for a few reasons. A fabric that is too loose will have visible holes that can be a problem when you stuff the toy, since the fiberfill may poke through or be visible beneath the surface. A tighter gauge means a denser, more solid fabric that holds its shape well and conceals the stuffing completely. Most experienced toy knitters actually recommend going down a needle size from what you would typically use for the yarn weight to achieve that firm, dense fabric.

DROPS provides gauge information in the pattern, and it is worth doing a small swatch to check your own tension before casting on, especially if this is your first time knitting toys. A few minutes spent swatching can save you from an unsatisfying finished object.

Construction: How the Unicorn Comes Together

One of the things that knitters appreciate about DROPS toy patterns is that they tend to be well-structured and logically laid out. Rainbow the Unicorn is worked primarily in the round using short circular needles or double-pointed needles, depending on your preference. The pieces are generally worked separately and then assembled.

The body is typically the largest piece and is worked from one end to the other, increasing and decreasing to create a rounded, plump shape. The head follows a similar logic — worked in the round, shaped with strategic increases and decreases to create a face with distinct features. The legs are simple tubes worked in the round, stuffed firmly, and attached to the body.

The horn is one of the most satisfying elements to knit. It is worked in a tight spiral, increasing gradually to form that characteristic cone shape that makes a unicorn instantly recognizable. Depending on the yarn you use for the horn, you might choose a pale gold, a soft cream, or even a sparkly metallic yarn if you can find one in the right weight and fiber content.

The mane and tail are where your creativity can really come into play. Some knitters use short lengths of yarn to create a fringe-style mane, knotting strands along the neck seam. Others knit or crochet small strips and sew them on. The pattern provides specific guidance on how to create these elements, but there is also room for personal interpretation, especially when it comes to color.

Assembly is the final step, and for many knitters, it is the most rewarding part of the whole project. Watching the separate pieces come together into a complete, recognizable unicorn is genuinely delightful. Take your time with the seaming, stuff each piece firmly before closing it off, and position the features carefully before committing to them with the needle.

Tips for Knitting Rainbow the Unicorn Successfully

If you are approaching this pattern for the first time, here are some practical suggestions to help the project go smoothly.

Read the pattern all the way through before you cast on. This is advice that applies to every knitting project, but it is especially useful for toy construction, where understanding how all the pieces fit together helps you make smart decisions as you work.

Use stitch markers generously. Working in the round without markers can lead to confusion about where your rounds begin and end, especially on smaller pieces like the legs and horn.

Stuff as you go when possible. For the body and head in particular, it can be easier to add stuffing before you close the piece entirely rather than trying to force fiberfill through a small opening at the end.

Don’t rush the seaming. This is genuinely the step that makes or breaks a stuffed toy. Messy seams on a knitted animal are very noticeable. Take your time, use a mattress stitch or whip stitch depending on what gives the cleanest result for each join, and weave in your ends thoroughly so they don’t work their way out with use.

Consider your yarn dye lots. If you are using multiple colors for the mane and tail, make sure you have enough of each color to complete those sections. Running out of a specific shade halfway through a rainbow mane is a frustrating experience.

Press the finished toy gently if needed. Cotton can be ironed or steamed lightly to smooth out any uneven stitches, though be careful with any synthetic stuffing or embellishments that might not respond well to heat.

Who Is This Pattern For?

Rainbow the Unicorn is genuinely accessible to a fairly wide range of skill levels. The construction techniques involved — working in the round, increasing, decreasing, seaming — are all fundamental skills that any knitter with a few projects under their belt should be comfortable with.

Complete beginners might find the combination of multiple small pieces and the assembly process a bit challenging, but this could also be a wonderful stretch goal for someone who has mastered basic knit and purl stitches and wants to try something with more dimension. The DROPS website provides video tutorials for many core techniques, which can be invaluable for visual learners working through a pattern like this for the first time.

Intermediate and experienced knitters will move through this pattern relatively quickly and may find themselves making multiple unicorns — perhaps in different colorways — as gifts. There is something satisfying about a project that comes together in a reasonable amount of time and produces such an immediately pleasing result.

Why Handmade Toys Matter

There is a broader conversation worth having here about why someone would spend the time knitting a toy when they could simply buy one. The honest answer is that the two things are not really equivalent.

A handmade toy carries something that a factory-produced toy cannot: intention. Every stitch was placed by someone who was thinking about the child who would eventually hold this unicorn. The color choices were made with a specific little person in mind. The hours spent on the project were an expression of care. Children often recognize this, even if they cannot articulate it. The handmade toy becomes special in a way that outlasts the novelty of any purchased alternative.

There is also something to be said for the environmental dimension of handmade toys. A knitted cotton unicorn made from high-quality yarn will last for years, can be washed and repaired, and is made from a natural fiber rather than plastic. In a world drowning in fast fashion and cheap, disposable goods, a handmade toy represents a different set of values — quality, longevity, and care.

The DROPS Design Ecosystem

One of the underappreciated advantages of working with DROPS patterns is the community and ecosystem that surrounds them. The DROPS Design website is not just a repository of patterns — it is a genuine resource for knitters. You will find tutorial videos, a community gallery where knitters share their finished projects, a forum for questions and advice, and tools for calculating yarn quantities based on your gauge.

The gallery feature is particularly useful when working on a pattern like Rainbow the Unicorn. Seeing how other knitters have interpreted the design — which colors they chose, how they styled the mane, whether they added any embellishments — can spark ideas and give you a realistic sense of what the finished toy looks like in a range of yarns and color combinations.

The DROPS community is also notably supportive and international. Because DROPS is a Scandinavian company with patterns available in dozens of languages, the community draws knitters from all over the world. This means that when you post your finished Rainbow the Unicorn to the gallery or share it on social media with the relevant tags, you are joining a genuinely global tradition of crafters who found joy in the same free, generously shared pattern.

Final Thoughts

Rainbow the Unicorn — DROPS Children 37-18 — is the kind of pattern that reminds you why you fell in love with knitting in the first place. It is charming, achievable, and produces something that genuinely delights the people who receive it. It is the perfect project for a gift knitter looking for something beyond the usual hat or sock, for a parent or grandparent who wants to make something meaningful, or for any knitter who simply wants to spend a few evenings creating something magical.

The fact that this pattern is completely free, backed by DROPS Design’s years of expertise, and supported by an extensive online community makes it even more appealing. You can find the full pattern, including all stitch counts, needle specifications, and assembly instructions, directly on the DROPS Design website by searching for DROPS Children 37-18 or “Rainbow the Unicorn.”

Cast on, pick your colors, and let yourself enjoy the process. A little unicorn is waiting to come to life under your needles — and somewhere, a child is going to love it very much.