Stoat in an Ermine Coat
I've just finished writing up my new 'Stoat in an Ermine Coat' knitting pattern. You can find it over on my hand knitting patterns page or on Ravelry. I'm turning my knitted ermine into brooches and pins but they would be great stuck onto baubles or cones as hanging decorations.
Here in Lowland Scotland, stoats rarely turn white in winter but, in colder places, more stoats moult into a snowy ermine coat to blend into wintery landscapes.
Tiny beasties are often some of the fiddliest things to knit but I've used some simple techniques so make this ermine easier than you might expect. The ermine is knit as a length of i-cord, from tail tip to nose, knitting the legs and ears as simple short row flaps as you go, then wet felted and features embroidered (similar to my Red Squirrel Brooch, just different proportions).
There are two versions - a running ermine about 7.5cm long, or a curled up sleepy ermine, about 2.5cm diameter (just omit the legs, and dry and sew in shape).
Don't want to knit your own? I've knitting a little herd of ermine brooches to take along to East Neuk Open Studios Winter Market at Bowhouse on 8th & 9th November 2026 and I'll list them on my online shop after that.
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