Here's how to knit an adorable snowman for Christmas
If you’ve been on the lookout for a free snowman knitting pattern, look no further. Our free pattern below is super-simple to make for those who have got a grip of how to knit and purl. Donning a stylish hat and scarf, his crowning glory is a stylish pompom on his beanie.
This is such a fun Christmas craft project to work on over the festive period. It's the perfect accompaniment to an evening in front of the Christmas tree!
Scroll down for our free knitting pattern to make your own snowman, as well as our top tips to make him look as professional as possible.
And don't stop there with your Christmas knitting – why not make a knitted Santa with our free pattern, too. He's the perfect companion for the snowman!
How to make your snowman stand up
As with any knitting pattern, the finishing touches really do make all the difference. Just as with our free Santa knitting pattern, adding a bit of cardboard into the base will help keep your snowman standing sturdy. But for a bit more longevity and to make sure he stays washable, you’re better-off using a firm interfacing fabric instead.
Either way, the snowman body is knitted from the cast-on edge upwards to the top of his head with shaping to create a flat knitted base.
How to knit a snowman
Here are some top tips for your free snowman knitting pattern to make sure he’s got a lovely finish and looks just like ours:
Avoid bendy branches: for his arms, darn in all your ends along the full length of the inner arm. The more ends you darn in along there, the better – they’ll help keep the arms firm and sturdy. If your tension tends to ebb a bit on the loose side, try using a smaller needle for these.
Snowman smile that lasts a lifetime: there’s an easy way to stop French knots from coming undone – a secret weapon for your knitting bag is a bottle of Fray Check. Pop a drop or two on each of your French knots to stop them coming undone months or years down the line. It even goes in the wash and comes in handy for creating sharp ribbon edges and sealing fabric seams.
What you need
DK Acrylic wool White x1 (A)
DK Acrylic wool Navy Blue x1 (B)
DK Acrylic wool Royal Blue x1 (C)
Oddments of DK Acrylic wool in Orange (D)
Oddments of DK Acrylic wool in Chocolate (E)
Oddments of DK Acrylic wool in Black (F)
Fray Check (optional)
Needles
One pair of 3mm (UK11) knitting needles
Blunt-ended darning needle
Stitch markers (optional)
Cardboard or pompom makers
Measurements
His finished height from his flat base to top of pompom is around 38cm.
Tension
Not essential
Knitting abbreviations
RS, right side; WS, wrong side; K, knit; P, purl; St(s), stitch(es); Inc, work twice into next st keeping pattern correct (knitwise on a knit row, purlwise on a purl row); Rep, repeat; Pm, place marker; Rem, remaining; Tog, together; SKPO, slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over; Foll(s), following (follows); Prev, previous; Alt, alternate/alternating; St-st, stocking stitch: k on RS and p on WS; LH, left-hand; RH, right-hand.
Check out our full glossary of knitting abbreviations here.
Free snowman knitting pattern
Body
Using 3mm needles and A, cast on 12sts.
Row 1 (RS): (Inc kwise) to end. (24 sts)
Row 2 and all foll alt rows: P.
Row 3: (K1, inc) to end. (36 sts)
Row 5: (K2, inc) to end. (48 sts)
Row 7: (K3, inc) to end. (60 sts)
Row 9: K.
Row 11: (K4, inc) to end. (72 sts)
Row 13: K.
Row 15: (K5, inc) to end. (84 sts)
Row 17: K.
Row 19: (K6, inc) to end. (96 sts)
Row 21: P.
Starting with a p row, work 29 rows in st-st ending with a WS row.
Row 51: (K6, k2otg) to end. (84 sts)
Rows 53 and 55: K.
Row 57: (K5, k2tog) to end. (72 sts)
Row 59: K.
Row 61: (K4, k2tog) to end. (60 sts)
Row 63: K.
Pm at each end of prev row.
Row 65: (K4, inc) to end. (72 sts)
Rows 67 and 69: K.
Row 71: (K5, inc) to end. (84 sts)
Starting with a p row, work 21 rows in st-st ending with a WS row.
Row 93: (K4, k2tog) to end. (70 sts)
Row 95: K.
Row 97: K.
Row 99: (K3, k2tog) to end. (56 sts)
Row 101: K.
Pm at each end of prev row.
Row 103: K.
Row 105: K.
Row 107: (K3, inc) to end. (70 sts)
Starting with a p row, work 19 rows in st-st ending with a WS row.
Row 127: (K5, k2tog) to end. (60 sts)
Row 129: K.
Row 131: (K4, k2tog) to end. (50 sts)
Row 133: K.
Row 135: (K3, k2tog) to end. (40 sts)
Row 137: (K2, k2tog) to end. (30 sts)
Row 139: (K1, k2tog) to end. (20 sts)
Row 141: (K2tog) to end. (10 sts)
Break yarn leaving a long tail and draw through rem sts. Use long tail to join row-ends to form back seam. At base, join row-ends and stuff before gathering up cast-on sts and pulling tight. Work a round of running stitches across the work between markers to accentuate the curvature of the snowman’s shape. Remove markers.
Scarf
Using 3mm needles and B, cast on 16 sts.
Row 1 (RS): (K1, p1) to end.
Row 2: (K1, p1) to end.
Repeat last 2 rows 3 times.
Join in C. Cont in rib patt as sett, and carrying yarns along row-end edge, work alt 8-row stripes of B and C until 21 stripes have been worked, or scarf reaches desired length. Cast off.
Add tassels along each cast-on edge. Darn in ends and affix to body.
Hat
Using 3mm needles and B, cast on 77 sts.
Row 1 (RS): K1 (p1, k1) to end.
Row 2: P1 (k1, p1) to end.
Rep last 2 rows 3 times.
Join in C.
Row 9: K
Row 10 and all foll alt rows: P.
Last 2 rows set st-st. Working alt 6-row stripes in C and B, cont in patt for 10 more rows.
Cont in stripe patt as set and work as folls:
Row 23: (K5, k2tog) to end. (66 sts)
Row 25: K.
Row 27: (K4, k2tog) to end. (55 sts)
Row 29: K.
Break off C and cont in B only.
Row 31: (K3, k2tog) to end. (44 sts)
Row 33: (K2, k2tog) to end. (33 sts)
Row 35: (K1, k2tog) to end. (22 sts)
Row 37: (K2tog) to end. (11 sts)
Break yarn leaving a long tail and draw up through rem sts and join row-ends. Make a 5cm pompom and affix to top of hat.
Nose
Using 3mm needles and D, cast on 12 sts.
Row 1 (RS): K.
Row 2 and all foll alt rows: P.
Row 3: (K2, k2tog) to end. (9 sts)
Row 5: K.
Row 7: (K1, k2tog) to end. (6 sts)
Row 9: K.
Row 11: (K2tog) to end. (3 sts)
Break off yarn leaving a long tail and thread through rem sts. Stuff and stitch to face using photo as a guide. Using F, embroider some long stitches for each eye and work a semi-circle of French knits for the mouth. Seal the French knots with Fray Check, if using. Stuff hat lightly and stitch to head.
Arms (make 2)
Main branch
Using 3mm needles and E, cast on 26 sts.
**Row 1 (RS): K.
Rows 2 and 3: K.
Cast off, picking up same st from 1st row and knitting this st tog with each st as you cast off. **
Short twigs (make 2)
Using 3mm needles and E, cast on 5 sts and work as given from ** to **.
Placing short twigs randomly, stitch to main branch and affix to body.
Buttons (make 4)
Using 3mm needles and F, Cast on 9 sts.
Row 1 (RS): K.
Break off yarn leaving a long tail and thread through rem sts. Join row-ends and stitch to front of body.
Now that you’ve knitted your free snowman knitting pattern, explore our other Christmas craft ideas that make great gifts for the holidays. Check out our free robin crochet pattern and free Santa Claus knitting pattern and get crafting for Christmas!
Do you love crafting? Share your creations with us by tagging @primamag in your pictures on Instagram!
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