By Cross Stitch Library · September 20, 2026
A hedgehog bundled in a chunky knit beanie and sweater, holding a warm mug and a maple leaf — a cozy autumn design with soft, detailed shading.
Your pattern is at the end of this page, right after the stitching guide below.
A hedgehog bundles up in a teal cable-knit beanie and a chunky brown sweater, one paw wrapped around a steaming mug and the other holding up a bright orange maple leaf. Every quill on its back is individually shaded, giving real dimension to what could otherwise be a flat silhouette.
“Sweater weather” animal pieces are a reliable seasonal favorite, and this one leans fully into the cozy-autumn mood — good for a kitchen or reading nook display each fall, or as a gift for anyone who counts down to sweater season. It’s a natural match for our Red Fox Curled in Autumn Leaves and Baby Fox in a Winter Beanie patterns if you want a full set of cozy, cold-weather woodland animals.
DMC 939 (Navy Blue - Very Dark) and 433 (Brown - Medium) cover 7,686 of the 17,925 total stitches, forming the beanie shadow and sweater base. The hedgehog’s quills are the section that takes the most care: they alternate between 951 (Tawny - Light) and 3864 (Mocha Beige - Light) in short, closely packed strokes, so keeping a steady count there matters more than it does across the larger, more forgiving sweater fill.
Stitch the quills in short diagonal passes following their natural direction rather than working straight horizontal rows across them — since each quill stroke is only a few stitches long, working with the grain of the design instead of against it makes the alternating tawny/beige shading look like directional fur instead of a random speckle. See our choosing your first fabric guide if you’re new to detail-heavy shading like this, or browse more cozy autumn patterns to round out a fall-themed collection.
Choose your paper size and color or black & white, then download the Hedgehog in a Knit Sweater PDF chart and thread list — free, no sign-up.
