Knit Flat Sloth Sleep Sack Doll Free Pattern

Introduction

This little sloth is the perfect first "doll" project for anyone who has mastered knit and purl but isn't quite ready for shaping in the round. It's a flat-knit friend tucked into a rainbow-striped sleeping bag, made from just a few simple rectangles that fold and seam into a cozy pod. The double-knit sack gives it a squishy, reversible feel, while the cream face and tiny brown paws add a sweet Scandinavian touch. At about 10 inches tall, it's small enough to finish in a weekend and cuddly enough to become someone's favorite companion.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Sport weight (fine/#2) 100% cotton, 50 g / 125 yds per ball.
  • Main color (MC) rainbow stripes — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple: about 100 yds total (roughly 15–17 yds per color).
  • Contrast color (CC) cream: about 50 yds.
  • Small amount of brown for eyes, nose, and paws (about 10 yds).
• Needles: 3.5 mm (US 4) straight knitting needles.
• Notions: tapestry needle, stitch markers (optional), scissors, a small amount of polyester fiberfill or scrap yarn for stuffing the face lightly (optional).
• Finished size: Approximately 10 inches (25 cm) tall and 6 inches (15 cm) wide.

Abbreviations

• CO — cast on: make the starting loops on your needle.
• BO — bind off: finish the edge so the stitches don't unravel.
• k — knit stitch.
• p — purl stitch.
• st(s) — stitch(es).
• RS — right side: the side of the work that faces out.
• WS — wrong side: the back of the work.
• MC — main color (the rainbow stripes).
• CC — contrast color (cream).
• Double knitting — a technique where you knit one stitch and purl the next with alternating colors, creating two layers at once (one color on each side).

Gauge

24 sts and 32 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in double knitting (each side shows 12 sts per 4 inches). Knit a small swatch in double knitting and measure it before starting; if your stitches are larger than this, go down a needle size, and if smaller, go up.

Tips Before You Start

• Keep your two colors separate. In double knitting, hold MC and CC apart and always bring the new color under the old one to avoid tangles and gaps.
• Count in pairs. Your 72 cast-on stitches are 36 pairs — one MC stitch and one CC stitch per pair. Checking pairs as you go keeps the layers even.
• Change stripe colors on a right-side row so the color joins hide neatly inside the layers.
• Don't stuff the sack. The double-knit fabric is already thick and holds its shape; the face can be lightly stuffed only if you want it puffy.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Sleep Sack (double knit)

With MC, CO 72 sts (36 pairs).

Row 1 (RS): [k1 MC, p1 CC] across (72 sts).

Row 2 (WS): [p1 MC, k1 CC] across (72 sts).

Rows 3–6: Repeat Rows 1–2 twice more (72 sts).

Rows 7–60: Continue in double knitting, repeating Rows 1–2, and change MC color every 6 rows in rainbow sequence: red (Rows 1–6), orange (Rows 7–12), yellow (Rows 13–18), green (Rows 19–24), blue (Rows 25–30), purple (Rows 31–36), then repeat the sequence from red (Rows 37–42), orange (Rows 43–48), yellow (Rows 49–54), green (Rows 55–60) (72 sts).

Row 61: BO all sts.

Face (cream)

With CC, CO 20 sts.

Rows 1–16: Work in stockinette stitch (knit on RS rows, purl on WS rows) (20 sts).

Row 17: BO all sts.

Eyes (brown)

With brown yarn, make 2 French knots on the face, spaced about 1 inch apart and centered horizontally.

Nose (brown)

With brown yarn, embroider a small triangle below the eyes, using straight stitches to fill it in.

Paws (brown) — make 2

With brown, CO 8 sts.

Rows 1–6: Work in stockinette stitch (knit on RS rows, purl on WS rows) (8 sts).

Row 7: BO all sts.

Assembly and Finishing

Fold the sleep sack rectangle in half with right sides together, matching the bound-off edge to the cast-on edge. Seam the two side edges, leaving the top 2 inches open for the opening. Turn the sack right side out. Sew the cream face to the front of the sleep sack at the top, just below the opening. Attach one paw to each side of the sleep sack near the opening. Weave in all ends on the wrong side. Block lightly by misting with water and shaping flat; do not wring or machine dry.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Color play: Swap the rainbow for a two-color palette (like sage and cream) for a calmer, more modern look.
• Sleepy eyes: Instead of French knots, embroider two small closed-eye curves for a peaceful sleeping sloth.
• Gift-ready: Add a tiny loop of yarn at the top back of the sack so it can hang from a hook or nursery peg.