A knitted amigurumi bat, made with scraps of double knitting yarn. Just right for Halloween!

But who says bats have to be frightening? This tiny specimen is far more cute than creepy. And in Chinese culture, bats are symbols of joy and blessings, contrasting with the more negative stereotypes in some parts of Europe.

The Hodgson’s bat species (myosotis formosus) is native to China and some other Asian countries, and has distinctive golden fur. But using grey or brown shades of yarn instead can easily turn this bat into a European species. Substituting fuzzy yarn with a “halo” for the oatmeal Bonus DK will create a more furry bat.

The head and body are worked in stocking (stockinette) stitch, and the wings in moss stitch. Less than 6 metres of oatmeal yarn and 3 metres of black yarn are needed. The bat measures about 3cm from top of legs to base of ears.