These owls are really quick and fun to make, so use your imagination to create your own.
10g merino roving for the body
2 × size 40 triangular needles, for shaping
1–2 × size 42 triangular needles, for surface finishing
Small amounts of merino roving for the tummy, eye goggles and beak
2 × 2mm black seed beads
Beads and various threads, for decoration
Finished size: 6–7cm tall for the owl featured here
1 Take a strip of body roving measuring 18–20 × 4cm. Fold it in half and insert a small nugget of wool in the folded end to help form a wider base.
2 Pull the sides of the roving around to enclose the nugget and work with two size 40 needles to form a simple tall hump with a flat bottom for the owl to stand on. Hold the wool in place with your fingers as you work, and it will stay in position once the wool starts to stick.
3 When the body is firm, cover it with a thin layer of wool, using one needle to neaten the surface. Small, precise movements, not too deep or heavy, are needed for a fine finish. Where possible, make sure the covering fibres follow the same direction as the body fibres.
4 Still using one needle, add a tiny beak in a contrasting colour, shaping the wool directly on the face.
5 Add two eye goggles using one needle, then sew in the seed beads for front-facing eyes. Make sure the beads are sewn flat to the face so that the hole in the bead is the centre of the eye.
6 Add a tummy patch, using a pinch of roving and needling the wool directly onto the body.
7 Edge the patch with stitches and embellish the body with embroidery stitches or beads. This would make a delightful holiday tree decoration if you added a pretty dangling cord or a clip underneath (see here).