Penguin in a red scarf

This round penguin is an easy Christmas cross stitch pattern that still looks right after the holidays, through to the end of winter. White B5200 takes 547 of the 1387 stitches, navy 939 takes 309 and black 310 takes 301. Red 347 is the scarf, and orange 741 is the beak and feet, with only 73 stitches in all.

Start with the red scarf

The centre of the chart falls on the scarf, in the middle of the band across the chest, so red is the natural first colour. Stitch the band outward from the centre, then the knot on the left and the two ends hanging from it. Next add the black lines around the scarf and carry on around the body, flippers and feet. All outlines are full cross stitches, and there is no backstitch to add at the end.

What order of colours keeps the white clean?

Stitch the white face and belly before the navy. Dark threads shed, and white stitched after them can pick up the fluff. A bit of sticky tape lifts any black fibres that land on it. The navy back and flippers go in next, and the orange beak and feet last.

The eyes are the fiddly part. Each is a small black block with an extra stitch on the inner side, and the two mirror each other, so count the second eye from the first. The space between the two ends of the scarf is also tight, with a black line running through the red. The belly and back are simple blocks of colour, good for an evening with a film on.

Which fabric, and how to finish it?

The blue around the penguin in the drawing is the fabric, because the background stays unstitched. On pale blue Aida the white belly shows up clearly, and light grey works too. On white fabric the belly blends into the cloth and the navy sides give it its shape. Dark fabric loses both the navy and the black outline.

At 8 by 8.5 cm on Aida 14 the design is close to square and sits neatly in a small round hoop. It is also a good size for a felt-backed tree ornament or a Christmas card with a cut-out window. Allow about 14 hours.