Hoppy the Bunny

By Kelly Nalley (craftingintx.com)

If you would like the 11 page pdf pattern that has a photo tutorial, please purchase it from Ravelry, http://www.ravelry.com/purchase/kelly-nalley-designs/915886 for $1.00.

Size

11 inches tall (not including ears), ears are 5 inches long, 8 inches around the waist and tail, each leg is 4 inches long

Guage

26 SC and 12 rounds = 4 in square

Materials

Worsted weight yarn (held double) I used Big Twist value yarn from JoAnn. I used 175 yards.

G (4 mm) crochet hook for bunny, 2 mm crochet hook for nose

Stitch markers

Darning needle

Pink DMC embroidery floss for nose. I used all six strands of DMC 604.I just used 1 yard.

Black yarn for eyes, whiskers, eyebrows, eyelashes (I will just have eyes in my model for the pattern. I used Scheepjes Catona cotton, but any black yarn will work. I also used silver DMC embroidery floss for the base of the eyes and then stitched the black on top letting some of the silver show through. You can use white underneath or add accents to the top of the black yarn) I used less than 1 yard each of silver and black.

White fluffy yarn for the tail (I used Lily Sugar n Cream cotton) You could also make a pom pom and sew it to the back of the bunny. 15 yards 

Stitches used (I use American terminology)

MR – magic ring create a loop in the same way you would start a slip knot, but do not tighten. Then chain 1. Then you can crochet into the loop or ring.

Ch – chain

Slip stitch

SC – single crochet

Inc – increase, put 2 SC in same stitch

Dec – decrease – insert hook into the front loops of the next two stitches, yarn over and pull up a loop through both front loops on the hook, yarn over and pull through both loops on the hook.

BLO – back loop only

FLO – front loop only

Double decrease – insert hook into the front loops of the next three stitches, yarn over and pull up a loop through all three front loops, yarn over and pull through both loops on the hook.

HDC – half double crochet

DC – double crochet

Running stitch – using a darning needle and yarn used for bunny, weave the yarn in and out of the SC stitches of the toy in a line (for the cheeks, you will have a running stitch at the top, bottom, and both sides of the increase, decrease section of stitches)

Pick up stitches – for the tail, using the white yarn, insert the hook into the right side of a SC on the back of the bunny and bring it back through the left side of the same SC. This is called surface crochet. 

To form a circle, I picked up 4 stitches, 

then went up a row and picked up one stitch,

then I went up another row turning the bunny upside down and picked up 4 stitches below the previous 4 stitches, 

then I picked up one more stitch between the two rows of 4 stitches. 10 stitches in total

3 DC popcorn – In the same stitch, DC 3 times, drop the loop, pick up the dropped loop under the first DC (I finish with a chain 1)

[ ] – this means to perform the stitches within the brackets a number of times in the round

{ } – this means to perform what is in the brackets once 

Instructions

First make 4 legs. You will be working in the round continuously, so putting a stitch marker in the first stitch might help. After the 4th leg, do not fasten off. 

  1. 1) 6 SC in MR
  2. 2) [Inc] in each stitch (12)
  3. 3-4) [SC] in each stitch (12) (2 rounds)

5) SC in the next 3 stitches, dec in the next 3 stitches, SC in the next 3 stitches (9)

6) SC in the next 4 stitches, dec in the next stitch, SC in the next 3 stitches (8)

7-14) [SC] in each stitch (8) (fasten off for first 3 legs) (8 rounds)

15) After the 4th leg round 14, attach the 3rd leg: ensuring that the decreases for the foot are facing forward, chain 3 and SC around 3rd leg, SC into each of the 3 chains, SC around the 4th leg, SC into each of the 3 chains for a total of 22 SC.

16-23) [SC] in each stitch (22) (8 rounds)

Mark the 4 stitches on each side of the bunny where you want to place the arms. I put them slightly to the front of the bunny.

24) SC to marked stitches, SC the arm to the body through both SCs the bottom 4 stitches of the arm (you will attach the top of the arm on the next round), SC to next marked stitches, SC the second arm to the body, SC to beginning of round (22)

25) SC around attaching the top of the arms to the bottom stitches of the arm as you come to them, SC in sides of arms to close any gaps (25)

26) [SC in next 2 stitches, dec] to last stitch, SC in the next stitch (19)

27) [SC in next stitch, dec] to last stitch, SC in the next stitch (13)

28 a) In this round, you will only use BLO then in part b) you will only use FLO slip stitch around in BLO

28 b) [SC, inc] in FLO (19)

29) {inc in 1st stitch}, SC in next 18 stitches (20)

30) mark the 5 stitches in the middle of the face between the arms, SC to marked stitches, inc in next 5 stitches, SC in rest of stitches in the round (25)

31-32) [SC] in each stitch (2 rounds) Move up the stitch markers on these rounds.

33) SC in each stitch until you get to the 5 inc section, double decrease 3 times in the next 9 stitches, SC in each stitch to the end of the round (19) Place markers in 1st and 3rd double decrease.

34) SC in each stitch until you get to the 3 double decreases, double decrease in the next 3 stitches, SC in each stitch to the end of the round (17)

35-36) [SC] in each stitch (2 rounds)

37) Mark the sides of the head. You will add the ears in the 4 stitches on the back of the round on each side. SC in each stitch to the back side of the head, in next 4 stitches put an ear (see below), SC in next stitch, in next 4 stitches put an ear (see below), SC to the end of the round (17)

Ear – {in FLO, slip stitch into 1st stitch}, chain 16, SC in 2nd chain and in each chain, {in FLO, slip into next stitch on head}, chain 1, turn, SC in next 11 stitches up the ear, HDC in next 2 stitches, DC in next 2 stitches, chain 1, turn, DC in next 2 stitches, going down the ear, HDC in next 2 stitches, SC in next 11 stitches, {in FLO, slip into next stitch on head}, chain 1, turn, SC in next 11 stitches up the ear, HDC in next 2 stitches, DC in next 2 stitches, chain 1, turn, DC in next 2 stitches, going down the ear, HDC in next 2 stitches, SC in next 11 stitches, {in FLO, slip stitch in next stitch on head}

38) [dec] in each stitch to last stitch, SC in the last stitch (9)

39) Slip stitch the front of the head to the back of the head, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Sew the slipped stitches in round 39 to the bottom of the ear. 

Sew a running stitch around the cheek area on the face.

Tail

  1. 1) Pick up 10 stitches on back of bunny for tail using the white yarn. See photos in the “Stitches used” section above.
  2. 2) Working in the round, [inc] in each stitch (20)
  1. 3) Chain 1, work [3 DC popcorn] in every other stitch (30 DCs and 10 chains)
  2. 4) [dec] in the chain stitches (5)

Sew the circle closed

Heart nose

Using the pink DMC floss (do not separate the strands) and a 2 mm hook

Put all stitches in a MR

Ch 2, 2 DC, HDC, SC, chain 1, DC, chain 1, SC, HDC, 2 DC, chain 2, slip stitch

I use a satin stitch for the eyes. I use the silver first and then the black on top, letting the silver show through. I also sewed a vertical line from the bottom of the nose to the bottom of the cheek area. Then I sewed a mouth in an arc, tacking it down in the middle