Knitted Duck Pattern

Looking for a knitted duck pattern? Follow this mallard duck knitting pattern for a intermediate knitter looking for a challenge.

My animal knitting patterns are born out of collaboration with two of my children, who record the sightings in nature and sketch them for me to draft. The patterns are also the culmination of a lifelong love of both knitting and animals. Animals make our world a more beautiful place to live in, and my hope is that knitting this project will bring you happiness and appreciation for all the animals out there.

New knitters will find this mallard project challenging, but anyone who can knit in the round should be able to complete it. The pictured duck measures 14 inches from bill to tail feathers and is 6 inches wide. It was made with Cascade Yarns’ Cascade 220 (about 220 yards per hank), a worsted-weight 100 percent Peruvian Highland wool. You can substitute any worsted-weight yarn, but be sure to do a gauge swatch first. The gauge of the yarn in the pictured project is 18 to 20 stitches per 4 inches on size US 7 and 8 (4.5 and 5 mm) needles. Note: All colors are held double in this pattern.

Tools and Materials

Skeins of #4 medium-weight 100% worsted wool yarn in the following colors, each about 3-1/2 ounces and 220 yards:

White (A) for body; 160 yards

Chocolate heather (B) for breast; 80 yards

Forest green (C) for neck and head; 50 yards

Goldenrod yellow (D) for bill, legs, and feet; 30 yards

Black (E) for tail feathers; 20 yards

Silvery gray (F) for wings; 100 yards

US 6 (4-mm) double-pointed needles

Stuffing

10-mm brown safety eyes for stuffed animals

Darning needle

Wire or other support for legs (optional)

Plastic foam (optional)

Mallard Duck Body

Work begins at the top center of a vertical line between breast and body. With A yarn (held double), cast on 43 stitches onto 3 double-pointed needles. Join in the round by slipping the first cast-on stitch onto the third needle and then pulling the second stitch (formerly the last stitch) over it and off the needle; 42 stitches remain.

Round 1: K all stitches.
Round 2: K3, M1, [K6 2 times], M1, K12, M1, [K6 2 times], M1, K3 (48 stitches).
Rounds 3-4: K all stitches.
Round 5: K4, M1, [K8 5 times], M1, K4 (54 stitches).
Rounds 6-7: K all stitches.
Round 8: K5; M1, [K10 2 times], M1, K4, M1, [K10 2 times], M1, K5 (60 stitches).
Rounds 9-18: K all stitches.
Round 19: K10, SSK, K6, K2tog, K20, SSK, K6, K2tog, K10 (56 stitches).
Rounds 20-23: K all stitches.
Round 24: K9, SSK, K6, K2tog, K18, SSK, K6, K2tog, K9 (52 stitches).
Rounds 25-28: K all stitches.
Round 29: K8, SSK, K6, K2tog, K16, SSK, K6, K2tog, K8 (48 stitches).
Rounds 30-33: K all stitches.
Round 34: K7, SSK, K6, K2tog, K14, SSK, K6, K2tog, K7 (44 stitches).
Rounds 35-38: K all stitches.
Round 39: K6, SSK, K6, K2tog, K12, SSK, K6, K2tog, K6 (40 stitches).
Rounds 40-43: K all stitches.
Round 44: K5, SSK, K6, K2tog, K10, SSK, K6, K2tog, K5 (36 stitches).
Round 45: K all stitches.
Round 46: K2, K2, [K2tog 3 times], K8, [SSK, K2 3 times], K2 (30 stitches).
Round 47: K all stitches.
Round 48: K2, K1, [K2tog 3 times], K8, [SSK, K1 3 times], K2 (24 stitches).
Round 49: K all stitches.
Round 50: K2, [K2tog 3 times], K8, [SSK 3 times], K2 (18 stitches).
Round 51: K all stitches.
Round 52: [K2tog 3 times], K6, [SSK 3 times] (12 stitches).
Round 53: K all stitches.
Round 54: K1, [K2tog 2 times], K2, [SSK 2 times], K1 (8 stitches).
Round 55: K all stitches.

Cut yarn, thread through remaining live stitches, and pull closed. Weave in loose ends. The breast will be easier to knit if the body isn’t stuffed yet.

Mallard Duck Breast

Begin the duck’s breast by picking up the original cast-on stitches. With 3 double-pointed needles and right sides facing, begin at the first cast-on stitch at top center and pick up 42 stitches with B yarn (held double); join in the round. The breast is worked in short rows.

Row 1: K26, W&T.
Row 2: P10, W&T.
Row 3: K11, W&T.
Row 4: P12, W&T.
Row 5: K13, W&T.
Row 6: P14, W&T.
Row 7: K15, W&T.
Row 8: P16, W&T.
Row 9: K17, W&T.
Row 10: P18, W&T.
Row 11: K19, W&T.
Row 12: P20, W&T.
Row 13: K21, W&T.
Row 14: P22, W&T.
Row 15: K23, W&T.
Row 16: P24, W&T.
Row 17: K25, W&T.
Row 18: P26, W&T.
Row 19: K27, W&T.
Row 20: P28, W&T.
Row 21: K15, K2tog, K12, W&T (41 stitches).
Row 22: P15, P2tog, P12, W&T (40 stitches).
Row 23: K15, K2tog, K12, W&T (39 stitches).
Row 24: P15, P2tog, P12, W&T (38 stitches).
Row 25: K15, K2tog, K12, W&T (37 stitches).
Row 26: P15, P2tog, P12, W&T (36 stitches).
Row 27: K15, [K2tog 2 times], K10, W&T (34 stitches).
Row 28: P14, [P2tog 2 times], P10, W&T (32 stitches).
Row 29: K14, [K2tog 2 times], K9, W&T (30 stitches).
Row 30: P13, [P2tog 2 times], P9, W&T (28 stitches).
Row 31: K13, [K2tog 2 times], K8, W&T (26 stitches).
Row 32: P12, [P2tog 2 times], P8, W&T (24 stitches).
Row 33: K23, EOR.

Cut yarn. Stuff body and breast fully except for the last 5 to 6 rows of the tail, which are left unstuffed and flattened. The body of the duck should not be round; after stuffing, flatten top to bottom so the width of the body is nearly double the height.

Mallard Duck Neck and Head

Continue working up from the chest to shape the neck and head. Rounds 1 and 2 are worked with A yarn held double; switch to C yarn held double for the remainder.

Rounds 1-2: K all stitches (A yarn) (24 stitches).
Round 3: K all stitches (C yarn).
Round 4: K9, SSK, K2, K2tog, K9 (22 stitches).
Round 5: K all stitches.
Round 6: K8, SSK, K2, K2tog, K8. (20 stitches).
Round 7: K all stitches.
Round 8: K7, SSK, K2, K2tog, K7 (18 stitches).
Row 9: K2, M1, K2, W&T (19 stitches).
Row 10: P7, M1P, P2, W&T (20 stitches).
Row 11: K7, M1, K4, W&T (21 stitches).
Row 12: P9, M1P, P4, W&T (22 stitches).
Row 13: K7 (EOR).
Round 14: K2, [M1 3 times], K2, SSK, K2, K2tog, K2, M1, [K2 3 times] (26 stitches).
Round 15: K10, SSK, K2, K2tog, K10 (24 stitches).
Round 16: K2, [M1 4 times], K1, SSK, K2, K2tog, K1, M1, [K2 4 times] (30 stitches).
Round 17: K12, SSK, K2, K2tog, K12 (28 stitches).
Row 18: K4, W&T.
Row 19: P8, W&T.
Row 20: K9, W&T.
Row 21: P10, W&T.
Row 22: K11, W&T.
Row 23: P12, W&T.
Row 24: K13, W&T.
Row 25: P14, W&T.
Row 26: K7 (EOR).
Round 27: K11, SSK, K2, K2tog, K11 (26 stitches).
Round 28: K10, SSK, K2, K2tog, K10 (24 stitches).
Round 29: K9, SSK, K2, K2tog, K9 (22 stitches).
Row 30: K4, W&T.
Row 31: P8, W&T.
Row 32: K9, W&T.
Row 33: P10, W&T.
Row 34: K11, W&T.
Row 35: P12, W&T.
Row 36: K13, W&T.
Row 37: P14, W&T.
Row 38: K7 (EOR).
Round 39: K1, [K2tog 2 times], K11, [SSK 2 times], K1 (18 stitches).
Round 40: K1, [K2tog 2 times], K7, [SSK 2 times], K1 (14 stitches).
Round 41: K all stitches.
Round 42: K1, [K2tog], K8, SSK, K1 (12 stitches).
Round 43: K all stitches.

Cut C yarn. Add more stuffing if needed to the body and breast, and stuff the neck.
Leave the head unstuffed for now to make knitting the bill easier. Add safety eyes about 1 inch from C yarn edge and 1 inch apart from each other on top.

Mallard Duck Bill

Join D yarn held double.

Rounds 1-5: K all stitches.
Round 6: K4, SSK, K2tog, K4 (10 stitches).
Rounds 7-11: K all stitches.
Round 12: K3, SSK, K2tog, K3 (8 stitches).
Rounds 13-15: K all stitches.

Stuff head fully, adding extra stuffing to round out the cheeks. The bill isn’t stuffed.

Cut D yarn, leaving 8 inches of yarn, thread through remaining live stitches, and pull closed. With D yarn, embroider a small bump at the top center of the bill that extends into the C-colored section. Embroider a small black line for the nostril on each side of this. The entire bill is flattened below the nostrils.
Bring the head beneath the eyes closer together: Thread a darning needle with a piece of C yarn, and pass it back and forth several times inside the head near the eyes and out the other side. Pull to tighten, and weave in loose ends.

Mallard Duck Tail Feathers

Work the tail feathers separately and seamed to the top center of the A-colored end of body. They begin with a small piece worked back and forth on 2 double-pointed needles, ending with 3 small feathers that will naturally curl upward. With E yarn held double, cast 12 stitches onto 1 double-pointed needle, leaving a tail of about 12 inches for seaming.

Row 1: P all stitches.
Row 2: K all stitches.
Row 3: P all stitches.
Row 4: SSK, K8, K2tog (10 stitches).
Row 5: P all stitches.
Row 6: K all stitches.
Row 7: P all stitches.
Row 8: SSK, K6, K2tog (8 stitches).
Row 9: P all stitches.
Row 10: K all stitches.
Row 11: P all stitches.
Row 12: SSK, K4, K2tog (6 stitches).
Row 13: P all stitches.
The remaining 6 stitches are now worked two at a time to form the tail feathers.
Row 14: K2, turn work, P2, turn work; repeat 2 times.

Cut yarn, thread through the 2 stitches, pull closed, and weave in the loose end. Rejoin E yarn at the next stitch, and repeat Row 14 2 more times on remaining 4 stitches. You should have 3 curled tail feathers, each about 1 inch long.

Position the flat section (purl side down) to the back of your duck so the curled feathers are just hanging over the end of the body. Seam on all sides with the cast-on tail.

Mallard Duck Wings

Make an identical pair. The wings are worked separately, in the round, and seamed to the body. With F yarn held double, cast 7 stitches onto 3 double-pointed needles. Join in the round by slipping the first cast-on stitch onto the third needle and then pulling the second stitch (formerly the last stitch) over it and off the needle; 6 stitches remain.

Round 1: K all stitches.
Round 2: M1, K to last stitch in round, M1, K1 (8 stitches).
Repeat these 2 rounds until there are a total of 44 stitches. K all stitches for 10 rounds, and then work the following:
Row 1: K25, W&T.
Row 2: P6, W&T.
Row 3: K9, W&T.
Row 4: P12, W&T.
Row 5: K15, W&T.
Row 6: P18, W&T.
Row 7: K21, W&T.
Row 8: P24, W&T.
Row 9: K34 (EOR).
Round 10: K2, [K2tog 11 times] (33 stitches).
Round 11: K all stitches.
Round 12: K1, [K2tog 11 times] (22 stitches).
Round 13: K all stitches.

Arrange stitches evenly on 2 double-pointed needles and close with the Kitchener stitch. Position that end on the vertical line where body and breast (colors A and B) meet. Seam to body across the front and about a third of the way down each side. Additionally, tack to body about 1 inch from end.

Mallard Duck Legs and Feet

Make an identical pair. With D yarn (held double), cast on 4 stitches onto 1 double-pointed needle and work 12 rows of a 4-stitch I-cord; then work the rows below. Rows 1-3 are worked as an I-cord (pull working yarn up from bottom stitch); Rows 4-10 are worked flat (turn your work after each row).

Row 1: [KFB1 4 times] (8 stitches).
Row 2: K8.
Row 3: K8.
Row 4: P8.
Row 5: K1, M1, K6, M1, K1 (10 stitches).
Row 6: P10.
Row 7: K10.
Row 8: P10.
Row 9: K10.

Cast off all stitches.

Cut yarn, leaving a 1-yard tail; pull through last stitch. Use the tail to create 3 toes on each foot. The outer 2 toes are created by wrapping the 2 edge stitches on each side of the feet several times, from the leg down to the cast-off edge, starting wider and ending up narrower. Create the center toe the same way, by wrapping 2 stitches straight down the center of the foot from the leg to the cast-off edge. Once finished, the toes can be further defined by embroidering between them with B yarn.

For your duck to stand on its legs and feet, you’ll need to insert a straight stick, double-pointed needle, or heavy wire from the bottom up through the leg and into the body. The other end (below the foot) can be stuck into a block of plastic foam or any other type of firm base.

Sara Elizabeth Kellner is a designer and master knitter. This project is from her book Wild and Wooly Knitted Animals (Stackpole).