As it is already Easter this week, I figured I shouldn't hold this back - in case you're still looking for presents. I came across bunny egg cosies quite often during the last weeks to but never really found a tutorial that matched with my yarn and my idea of how it should look like. So I made up my own bunny cosy pattern (especially the ears are different from other patterns).
And I'm sharing it with you as my first "real" tutorial, yay!
I used a leight weight cotton crochet yarn and a crochet hook size 4mm (Europe) which means you need size 6 in the US and size 8 (4ply) in the UK as far as I can trust my needle size converter. I used green yarn here because I think it's better to see on the photos (I've already made a brown bunny too).
Besides you need a tapestry needle and – if you want to give your bunny a face – some embroidery thread (in the colour you like).
Start with a magic ring which I do as shown in the pictures.
Hold the yarn like you see in the left picture. Then put the hook through the loop on your thumb, gather the thread between your thumb and index finger and pull it through the loop. Gather the yarn a second time and chain one. Now you should have a loop with one chain stitch as you can see in the picture below. (Of course you can use every other way you know to create a magic ring).
1st round: Single crochet 4 into the ring (keeping the loose thread in between) and tie up the ring.
2nd round: Single crochet 2 into each of the 4 stitches around the ring which makes 8 stitches.
3rd round: Single crochet 2 into every second stitch (one into every other stitch) which makes 12 stitches.
4th round: Single crochet 2 into every third stitch (one into the other stitches) which makes 16 stitches.
5th round: Single crochet one whole round (16 stitches).
6th round: Single crochet 2 in every fourth stitch (one into the other stitches) which makes 20 stitches.
7th to 10th round: Single crochet (20 stitches each round) until your egg cosy is long enough (mine was long enough after 4 rounds).
Slip stitch one (into the first stitch of the round) cut the thread and pull it through the slip stitch. Weave in the ends with the tapestry needle.
Always count stitches while crocheting that the edge becomes straight. Turn your cosy inside out if this hasn't already happened while working (it always happens when I'm making it).
So now you've already got a nice egg cosy but as it is Easter our cosy should become a bunny and we have to make some ears. Here's how I've made those:
Chain 8, then single crochet 6 (you normally leave 2 out when turning). Be careful to use only the backloops for the sc as you can see in the left picture below. Chain one at the end of the sc row (middle picture). Then turn the piece NOT from front to backside as you're used to BUT UPSIDE DOWN (see the right picture).
Now it comes to the difficult part: Crochet together the 2 rows you've just made. You have to put your needle through both stitches (from the second and first row) and through both loops from each row (4 loops in total) and then single crochet. Do this with all 6 stitches and it will look like shown in the right picture below (from the front) and the middle picture (from the back).
Don't worry if you can't get all 4 loops on your hook for some stitches (especially the last one can get hard) you won't see it afterwards.
Add to more single crochets on the left end (still looking at the piece from the front). The whole where to put them is in the middle – don't worry, you'll find it (see the left picture below).
Turn the piece upside down again. Now there are holes on this side too. Slip stitch into these holes until you come to the left end of the piece (it should be 5 slip stitches). Then cut you thread and pull it through as shown in the right picture. Work the second ear equally.
Once you've finished the ears, just sew them onto the egg cosy with the lose threads and weave in all threads with the tapestry needle. If you like, you can add a face (though they already look nice without I think).
Now I hope, you enjoy crocheting easter bunny egg cosies. Please let me now what you think of my tutorial, if it's easy to understand and feel free to ask questions if anything's not clear.
I'm gonna make some more bunnies now (I already made some) in different colours, so we can have a very colourful breakfast table at Easter!
Here's my 10th project - yay! I've been working on this scarf for some weeks because I didn't have much time with Easter and everything else. Now it's finally finished and I think it's just right for spring - not too warm but perfect for a chilly spring day. I got this pretty easy pattern from Bits & Bobbles (nice blog btw). However I twisted the scarf once before sewing it together so I got a moebius scarf.
