And the winner of the cutest cavy competition goes to... Gordon the guinea pig! Measuring 18cm/7in from his little pink nose to his big brown bottom, Gordon is the handsome hunk that your hutch has been hankering for. His head and ears are knitted using the intarsia technique but only for a few rows at a time, making him the ideal project for more adventurous knitters. And, just like a real guinea pig, Gordon enjoys nibbling scraps so you’ll only need small amounts of yarn to make your own ravishing rodent!

All pieces are knitted flat on straight needles. They're then seamed and attached using mattress stitch. If you’ve never tried intarsia before, there are lots of helpful videos and tutorials online. Alternatively, Gordon would look just as cute knitted in a single colour or using a fluffy yarn.

The boring bit... This pattern is intended for personal use so it’s fine to print it out for personal use but please don’t sell it, share it on the internet or make multiple copies. What you can sell (more money for yarn – YAY!) is finished items made from this pattern so long as you’ve made them yourself and it’s not on a commercial basis. Please remember to credit me as the designer!

And finally... I’d love to see your finished guinea pig so please share him or her on Instagram and Ravelry!