Penguin with a red scarf cross stitch pattern

About this design

The penguin is a round DMC 310 Black body with a White face and a white tummy. Two black eyes, a 740 Tangerine beak and two orange feet give it its character. A 321 Red scarf wraps around its neck, shaded with darker 498 at both ends. The flippers stick out at each side, which makes the penguin look like it is about to waddle off the page.

How to work it

Stitch the black first, leaving gaps for the face and tummy, then fill those in White. Add the scarf in two reds and finish with the beak and feet. On white Aida you can leave the white areas unstitched, but stitching them gives a cleaner, brighter finish.

Finishing ideas

At 19 × 16 stitches the design is about 1.4 × 1.1 inches (3.4 × 2.9 cm) on 14-count Aida and 1.1 × 0.9 inches on 18-count. It makes a quick Christmas card, a tree ornament with felt backing, or a winter decoration in a 3-inch hoop.

Colour plan

DMC 310 Black does the most work, 50% of the 222 stitches, followed by DMC BLANC White at 27%. DMC 498 Red Dark (6) is used only a little: small details worth marking on the chart so you don't miss them. 27% of the grid is left empty.

Working notes

9 squares stand alone in their colour, with no same-coloured neighbour along a side; stitch those as you pass rather than starting a new thread for each. The busiest row changes colour 8 times.