Mini Highland Cow Keychain

Safety eyes and noses go in before the piece is stuffed and closed (see the pieces above); embroidery is easier before the piece is sewn on.

• Safety eyes with a printed glint 6 mm (on the head ball): in round 14, 8 st apart (count along round 14: about 4 st each side of the centre front line).
• Satin stitch (on the muzzle) (2, symmetric: the toy's left side is described, the right is its mirror image): in rose thread, a oval about 2.4 mm wide and 3.2 mm tall, horizontal stitches; centred in round 3, 2 st from the centre top line, toward the toy's left .
• Fringe (on the head ball): cut 12 pieces of yarn (rust, ginger) about 48 mm long; fold each in half and attach with a lark's head knot (pull through a stitch with the hook) along in round 21, 1 st from the centre front line, toward the toy's right -> between rounds 20 and 21, on the centre front line -> in round 21, 1 st from the centre front line, toward the toy's left, evenly spaced. Trim to about 14 mm. Curl the strands (see the last item of this section).
• Fringe (on the head ball): cut 14 pieces of yarn (rust, ginger) about 46 mm long; fold each in half and attach with a lark's head knot (pull through a stitch with the hook) along between rounds 19 and 20, 3 st from the centre front line, toward the toy's right -> in round 19, on the centre front line -> between rounds 19 and 20, 3 st from the centre front line, toward the toy's left , evenly spaced. Trim to about 13 mm. Curl the strands (see the last item of this section).
• Fringe (on the head ball): cut 11 pieces of yarn (rust, ginger) about 42 mm long; fold each in half and attach with a lark's head knot (pull through a stitch with the hook) along in round 18, 3.5 st from the centre front line, toward the toy's right -> between rounds 17 and 18, on the centre front line -> in round 18, 3.5 st from the centre front line, toward the toy's left , evenly spaced. Trim to about 11 mm. Curl the strands (see the last item of this section).
• Mane (on the head ball): cut 10 pieces of yarn (rust, ginger) about 44 mm long; fold each in half and attach with a lark's head knot (pull through a stitch with the hook) along in round 21, 1.5 st from the centre front line, toward the toy's left -> in round 21, on the centre back line -> in round 21, 1.5 st from the centre front line, toward the toy's right , evenly spaced. Trim to about 12 mm. Curl the strands (see the last item of this section).
• Curling the strands: Curls: before knotting, wrap the pieces tightly in a spiral around a knitting needle or a wooden skewer (3–4 mm), tape the ends, dampen (or steam with an iron held above, not touching) and let them dry completely on the needle; slide them off and they stay curly. For fluffy waves instead, untwist each strand into its plies and brush lightly. Note: instead of knotted strands the fringe can be worked as loop stitches along the rounds — an alternative that is not part of this pattern's stitch counts.