I was intending to update my Retro Owl Rug pattern for quite a few years, and I am so happy that the time has finally come. Since my dear friend is expecting a baby, I thought it would be great to make an owl rug for their owl-themed nursery….and it’s a perfect reason to improve the original design along the way.

Here is a short WIP video that features some of the special stitches and techniques I used in the pattern – Popcorn and Beginning Popcorn stitches, working with 3 strands from 1 ball of yarn, adding a new ball of yarn, and sewing. You can also check out this BLOG POST for additional explanations on using 3 strands of yarn.

What’s new in my 2021 pattern update:

• Recommended yarn has changed to Starlette by Mary Maxim (affiliate link). For the rug featured in the pattern I used the following colors: Cottonwood (2.5 balls), Light Grey (4 balls), Medium Grey (2 balls), Aqua (3.5 balls), Teal (2 balls).
• Improved text and diagrams with indicated color changes.
• Revised construction of the beak, eyes, and body.
• Retro Doily Rug is no longer a part of this pattern, since it’s been published as an individual design.
• Retro Owl Rug pattern is now 11 pages long and is 3.25 MB.

The fun part about this design is that you can use any colors you like to create your own unique look. Check out some of the finished projects by our testing team members: Cynthia Fuller, Katie Bailey, Courtney Knorr, and Helen Hamilton. I can’t wait to see yours.

Thanks for Shopping Mary Maxim yarns through my affiliate link below.