Knitted Chocolate Easter Bunny Pattern

I knitted this hand-sized bunny with DK yarn on 3mm needles, but that was only because I didn't have any worsted weight in brown. For a bigger bunny, use worsted weight yarn with 4mm needles, or - my favourite - chunky weight (or 2 strands of worsted held together) with 6mm needles. As long as your needle size is slightly smaller than the recommended needle size for the yarn weight, the stuffing won't show through and the tension will stay tight.

The base of bunny is knitted back and forth in garter stitch, then stitches are picked up and bunny is worked in the round. The tip of the ears is grafted at the end. Yes, it's seamless - no sewing up!

kfb = knit into the front of the stitch, then slip through the back of the same stitch, slip stitch off left needle.



Cast on 20 sts.

Knit 10 rows (5 garter stitch ridges).

Place marker D, pick up 5 sts (this is the side), place marker A, pick up 20 sts (this is the front piece), place marker B, pick up 5 sts (this is the other side), place marker C. Knit to marker D (this is the back piece). Knit to marker A.

Always start rounds at marker A. Knit 4 rounds.

Rnd 5: ssk, k to 2 sts before D, k2tog, k to end.

Rnd 6: repeat last round.

Rnds 7-8: k to end.

Rnd 9: kfb, k to 1 st before D, kfb, k to end.

Rnd 10: repeat last round.



Rnd 11: k to end.

Rnd 12: k to 2 sts before B, k2tog, k to C, ssk, k to end.

Rnd 13: k to end.

Rnds 14-17: repeat last 2 rounds 2 more times.

Rnd 18: k to 2 sts before B, k2tog, k to C, ssk, k to end.

Rnds 19-21: repeat last round 3 more times.

Rnd 22: ssk, k to 2 sts before B, k2tog, k to C, ssk, k to 2sts before D, k2tog, k to end.

Rnd 23: k to end.

Rnds 24-25: repeat Rnd 18.

Rnd 26: repeat Rnd 22.

Rnds 27-28: k to end.

Rnd 29: kfb, k to 1 st before D, kfb, k to end.

Rnd 30: k to end.

Rnds 31-32: repeat last 2 rounds.

Rnd 33: k to 1 st before B, kfb, k to C, kfb, k to end.

Rnd 34: k to end.

Rnds 35-38: repeat last 2 rounds 2 more times.

Rnd 39: ssk, k to 1 st before B, kfb, k to C, kfb, k to 2 sts before D, k2tog, k to end.

Rnds 40-41: repeat Rnd 39.

Rnd 42: k to end.

Stuff toy.

Rnd 43: ssk, k to 2 sts before D, k2tog, k to end.

Remaining rnds: repeat Rnd 43 until 0 sts left between A and B, 5 sts between B and C, 0 sts between C and D, and 5 sts between D and A.

Stuff ears, and graft the 10 side stitches together. Embroider eyes.



Added April 7, 2008:
This is the pattern knitted up with 5.0 mm needles and two strands of DK held together. It took less than one 50g skein of yarn (separated into 2 balls).

Blog Defunct, Using Ravelry Instead

As you've figured out by now, I've stopped blogging here. Instead, I've been using Ravelry to record my knitting projects (I'm user ax174). I will post patterns here occasionally, but they will be linked in Ravelry as well. See you there!

My Father Passed Away...

... suddenly and unexpectedly, I'm afraid. The obituary will run in the Toronto Star and Sudbury Star. Can't say when, if ever, I'll be able to blog again, so this may be goodbye.

New Scarf, New Books

I didn't want to start any new projects until the crochet book I ordered came in, but I had to do something while riding the subway to various out-of-office meetings all week. This crocheted medallion scarf from a free Lionbrand pattern (registration is required for downloading, so grab an anonymous login at BugMeNot) looked interesting to make, and it was quick project.


It was quick enough that I'll probably re-use the pattern for making gifts. There are 7 medallions in the scarf (I wanted 8 but ran out of yarn), and each medallion took about 20 minutes to crochet and join, including weaving in the ends. Plus it shore is purty.

The timing was good 'cause my book arrived today. It's the one on the right, Knit Room by Tomoko Fujita (ISBN 4861912016). The book on the left, instructions for making sock and glove toys (ISBN 4579110617), was ordered because I needed to buy a certain amount to get free shipping from Yes Asia, and the shipping would've been only slightly less then the second book. I thought maybe the kids would like this one.


I don't read Japanese, but the instructions in Asian craft books are always clear. International knit and crochet symbols are used, and there are lots of step-by-step pictures. For example, these are the instructions for the dog in the sock and glove book.

I like this sock bird. I dig how the beak is a horn-shaped toggle button, and the chest is the sock heel. The wings are the heel and toe of another sock.



These are pictures from Knit Room. You can make a cake tissue box cover,

a taiyaki cell phone holder,

or a pineapple bag.


The pineapple bag will be my first project from this book. Not that I need a pineapple purse, but it looks like fun to make. Actually, that's why my house is cluttered with scarves I never wear, or these novelty paperweights:

I choose projects solely on the basis of how fun they look to make, which means I end up cranking out lots of cheesy tchotchkes. To my sister in England: if you're reading this - uhm - I'll be sending you a pineapple purse soon! Oh, and BTW, mom and dad got back okay - they asked me to tell you that.

Tree Sweater Spotting

What is that pink thing on the tree?


A tree sweater!

Amost Done

These are the two sweaters I've been knitting, modelled by my kids' guitars. On the left is a bulky, drop-shoulder hoodie, and on the right is a sweater that I actually completed a few months ago, except that the neckline stretched out so I'm re-knitting it as a hood.

They are the reason I've had nothing to show for a while. Just a whole lotta stockinette going on.

To break up the serious monotony, I knitted three cupcake paperweights, and this little crocheted purse.

It's really tiny, more like a coin purse.

I simply crocheted a circle for the base, and sc'd the sides. I could've sc'd the icing, but I picked up sts and knitted the top instead, because it's a pain to crochet fluffy yarn. Anyway, no decreases for the top - just bind off when it looks about right. I threaded a silk cord through it, and hid the ends inside crocheted beads.


Okay (deep breath), back to the remaining sweater...

Some Aikido Instructors

For the knitters: yes, I have been knitting, but I don't have much to show for it, hence no pictures. I promised myself that I wouldn't start any new projects until I'd finished all my UFOs, which unfortunately includes a very boring stocking-stitch hoodie sweater, and a plain pair of socks.

For anyone who takes aikido: here are some YouTube videos featuring some of my instructors, pictured in a previous post. The clips were posted by a student who was visiting from the NY dojo of Yamada Sensei.

• Chief Instructor Obata
  
• Yoshi
  
• Adrian