The lions are knit in the round from the bottom up. The arms are knit first and then set aside to be attached later. Next, each leg is knit and then joined together to work the body. The arms are then joined before knitting the shoulders, neck, and head. The stitches for the muzzle are provisionally worked with waste yarn, which is later removed. The live stitches are then picked up and worked in the round to form the muzzle. The ears and tail are knit separately and sewn on. The sample toys used beads for eyes, but you could embroider them if you prefer. You could also substitute safety eyes if you make a toy from worsted or heavier weight yarn. Tips for using them are included in the pattern.

Materials

Yarn
For each lion - 30-35 yds/27-32 m of tan fingering weight yarn.
For mountain lion muzzle - 16”/40 cm of white fingering weight yarn.
For lion mane - 1 yd/1 m of suri alpaca or mohair lace weight yarn and 1 yd/1 m of slubby or textured fingering weight yarn.
For overalls - 20-25 yds/18-23 m of fingering weight yarn.

Needles
For toys and overalls - US size 0/2.0 mm. I recommend using a needle that is 2-3 times smaller than the needle recommended for the yarn you are using. You’ll need two sets of double pointed needles (one set for knitting and one for holding stitches).

Miscellaneous - darning needle for weaving in ends; 1 locking stitch marker for the overalls; a small amount of wool stuffing for each toy (or stuffing of your choice); a scrap of fingering weight yarn or embroidery floss in black and pink for the nose; 3 mm beads for the eyes; sewing needle and black sewing thread to attach the eyes; a scrap of fingering weight yarn to hold stitches for the muzzle (waste yarn); small crochet hook for overall straps; chopstick or similar tool for stuffing.