Knook Piggy by Amy Gaines is a colourful little pig made using the Knook, a special tool that allows you to create knitted fabric using something that looks and feels more like a crochet hook.
Originally shared as a free project by Leisure Arts, this cheerful pig combines a pink face with a brightly striped body and simple stuffed-toy construction.
It’s an especially interesting project for crocheters who like the appearance of knitting but find traditional knitting needles awkward to use.
Quick Pattern Information
- Pattern: Knook Piggy
- Designer: Amy Gaines
- Publisher: Leisure Arts
- Project: Stuffed pig toy
- Technique: Knooking
- Yarn Weight: Medium
- Main Stitch: Stocking stitch
- Features: Colourful striped body and embroidered details
- Get the free pattern: here
What Is Knooking?
Knooking sits somewhere between the familiar movements of crochet and the finished appearance of knitting.
A Knook looks similar to a crochet hook, but the opposite end has an opening for attaching a cord. The cord helps hold the live stitches while you work.
The important distinction is that the resulting fabric is genuinely knitted fabric rather than a crochet stitch designed to imitate knitting.
For Knook Piggy, that means you can create familiar knit and purl stitches without using a pair of traditional knitting needles.
What Makes Knook Piggy Different?
The technique is the obvious difference, but the pig itself is also wonderfully cheerful.
Rather than knitting the entire toy in one shade of pink, the design uses colourful stripes across much of the body. The contrasting pink face, little ears and simple features give it an almost cartoon-like appearance.
It’s quite different from a realistic farm-animal toy, which is part of its charm.
A Fun Introduction to the Knook
This pattern was created while Amy Gaines was experimenting with the Knook and was originally shared during a Leisure Arts Knook blog tour.
That makes it particularly appropriate if you’re curious about the technique and would rather learn by making something fun than simply producing practice swatches.
If you already crochet, holding a hook-shaped tool may also feel more familiar than learning to control two long knitting needles.
Yarn
The pattern uses medium-weight yarn in several colours.
Pink forms the recognisable pig details, while contrasting shades create the striped body.
There’s plenty of room to personalise this design. You could use scraps from other projects for the stripes or choose an entirely different palette.
Refer to the original Leisure Arts pattern for the complete yarn and material requirements before starting.
Who Would I Recommend This Pattern To?
I’d recommend Knook Piggy primarily to someone who wants to try knooking.
It’s particularly interesting for crocheters who would like to experiment with knitted fabric but haven’t enjoyed working with conventional knitting needles.
For an experienced knitter simply looking for a pig toy, however, one of the regular knitting patterns in our pig collection may be a more natural choice.
Knitting Bee Pattern Notes
Best feature: The unusual Knook technique. This isn’t just another knitted pig.
Best for: Crocheters interested in learning how to create knitted fabric with a hook-style tool.
Style: Colourful, cheerful and cartoon-like.
Colour potential: Excellent. The striped body is perfect for experimenting with different combinations or leftover yarn.
Construction: Made from relatively simple stuffed shapes that are assembled to create the finished pig.
Consider before choosing it: You’ll need a Knook rather than ordinary knitting needles or a standard crochet hook.
Knook Piggy vs a Regular Knitted Pig
The biggest question isn’t really which pig you prefer—it’s how you want to make it.
If you’re already comfortable with knitting needles and simply want a pig toy, choose a conventional pig knitting pattern.
If you’re a crocheter who has always wanted to try knitting, or you’re simply curious about alternative knitting techniques, Knook Piggy is much more interesting.
You end up with knitted fabric, but the process of getting there is quite different.
Is Knook Piggy Right for You?
Choose this project if you’re looking for:
- a free Knook pattern
- a colourful stuffed pig
- an introduction to knooking
- a toy made with knitted fabric
- a way to experiment with knit and purl stitches using a hook-style tool
If you’re specifically searching for a pig made with ordinary knitting needles, compare the other designs in our pig knitting collection instead.
Before You Start
Refer to the original Leisure Arts project for the complete requirements and instructions for making Knook Piggy.
You’ll find the recommended materials, Knook size, gauge, complete pattern instructions, assembly information and technique guidance there.
Knitting Bee’s overview is designed to help you understand what makes this project different and decide whether you’d like to try knooking; use the original Amy Gaines and Leisure Arts pattern to make the pig.
More Free Pig & Toy Knitting Patterns
Looking for a pig made with traditional knitting needles? Explore our free pig knitting patterns for more adorable pig toys to make.
For hundreds more animals, dolls and characters, browse our free toy knitting patterns.
You can also explore our top free knitting pattern roundups for more curated collections and ideas for your next project.