A sloth’s hair is quite long, so this pattern is best knitted with a fur or eyelash yarn. The length of the eyelash varies a lot between different yarns, and the longer the eyelash, the more difficult the knitting becomes. Any errors will be extremely difficult to repair as you cannot see the stitches. Also, many eyelash yarns are quite bulky in weight and result in a much larger sloth.

Most fur yarn is quite thick because of the nature of the yarn, however there are a few options available.

• DK weight fur yarn for the body and fingering weight yarn for the face 120yds (110m)
• Worsted/Bulky weight fur yarn for the body and sport weight yarn for the face 163yds (149m)
• Lightweight eyelash yarn held together with a strand of fingering weight for the body and fingering weight yarn for the face.

Gauge is not important at all, as long as you use a needle size to give a tight weave, so that the stuffing does not show through.

Although an adventurous intermediate knitter should be fine with the techniques in this pattern, because it is knitted with a fur yarn, it becomes an experienced level pattern. The yarn stitch holders used throughout the pattern will work as lifelines should you need to unravel your work.

The sloth is knitted in the round. The legs and arms are knitted first and then the body is knitted on to them. There is no sewing except for the sides of the face at the very end.