BUNNY – SHORT OVERVIEW OF THE PIECE
The piece is worked back and forth, top down in GARTER STITCH – read description above.
The ears are worked first, then the head and body.
FIRST EAR
Cast on 5 stitches with needle size 3.5 mm, 1 strand DROPS Alpaca and 1 strand DROPS Kid-Silk (held together) or 1 strand DROPS Brushed Alpaca Silk:
ROW 1: Knit.
ROW 2: Knit 1, 1 yarn over, knit 1, 1 yarn over, knit 1, 1 yarn over, knit 1, 1 yarn over, knit 1 = 9 stitches.
ROW 3: Knit, knit yarn overs twisted to avoid holes.
ROW 4: Knit 1, 1 yarn over, knit 2, 1 yarn over, knit 3, 1 yarn over, knit 2, 1 yarn over, knit 1 = 13 stitches.
ROWS 5- 22: Knit, knit yarn overs twisted to avoid holes (the piece measures approx. 5 cm).
Cut the strand. Leave the stitches on the needle and work the second ear.
SECOND EAR
Cast on and work in the same way as the first ear. Do not cut the strand. Cast on 1 stitch at the end of the last row. REMEMBER THE KNITTING TENSION!
HEAD
Turn, knit the stitches from the second ear, cast on 2 stitches, knit the stitches from the first ear, cast on 1 stitch = 30 stitches.
Work 4 ridges back and forth over all stitches.
NOSE
Increase for the nose as follows:
ROW 1: Knit 13, 1 yarn over, knit 4, 1 yarn over, knit 13 = 32 stitches.
ROW 2: Knit 13, knit the yarn over twisted (no hole), 1 yarn over, knit 4, 1 yarn over, knit the yarn over twisted (no hole), knit13 = 34 stitches.
ROWS 3-5: Knit, yarn overs knitted twisted to avoid holes .
Now decrease as follows:
ROW 1: Knit 13, knit 2 together, knit 4, knit 2 together, knit 13 = 32 stitches.
ROW 2: Knit 12, knit 2 together, knit 4, knit 2 together, knit 12 = 30 stitches.
ROW 3: Knit 11, knit 2 together, knit 4, knit 2 together, knit 11 = 28 stitches.
ROW 4: Knit 10, knit 2 together, knit 4, knit 2 together, knit 10 = 26 stitches.
ROW 5: Knit 9, knit 2 together, knit 4, knit 2 together, knit 9 = 24 stitches.
ROWS 6-10: Knit.
FRONT LEGS
On the next row:
Knit 9 (body), cast on 4 stitches for the first front leg, turn and work garter stitch back and forth over the outermost 8 stitches for 7 cm. Cast off these 8 stitches with knit from the right side, cut the strand, leaving an end of 25 cm (used when assembling). The first front leg is finished.
Knit the next 10 stitches (body), cast on 4 stitches for the second front leg, turn and work garter stitch back and forth over the outermost 8 stitches for 7 cm. Cast off these 8 stitches with knit from the right side, cut the strand, leaving an end of 25 cm (used when assembling). The second front leg is finished.
Knit the last 5 stitches (body). Turn.
BODY
ROW 1 (wrong side): Knit 5 (body), fold the front leg double so you can knit up 1 stitch in each of the 4 cast-on stitches on the front leg, skip the next 4 front-leg stitches, knit 6 (between the legs), fold the second front leg double and knit up 1 stitch in each of the 4 cast-on stitches on the front leg, skip the next 4 front-leg stitches, knit the last 5 stitches (body) = 24 stitches.
Now increase for the tummy:
ROW 2: Knit and increase 8 stitches evenly on the row – increase with yarn overs which are knitted twisted on the next row to avoid holes = 32 stitches.
ROWS 3-7: Knit.
ROW 8: Knit and increase 6 stitches evenly on the row – increase with yarn overs which are knitted twisted on the next row to avoid holes = 38 stitches.
ROWS 9-14: Knit.
ROW 15: Knit and increase 6 stitches evenly on the row – increase with yarn overs which are knitted twisted on the next row to avoid holes = 44 stitches.
ROW 16: Knit.
Continue with garter stitch until the body measures 7 cm (approx. 15 -16 ridges), and the next row is from the wrong side.
Now decrease below the tummy as follows:
ROW 1: Knit 3, knit 2 together, knit 5, knit 2 together, knit 5, knit 2 together, knit 5, knit 2 together, knit 5, knit 2 together, knit 5, knit 2 together, knit 4 = 38 stitches.
ROWS 2-4: Knit.
ROW 5: Knit 3, knit 2 together, knit 4, knit 2 together, knit 4, knit 2 together, knit 4, knit 2 together, knit 4, knit 2 together, knit 4, knit 2 together, knit 3 = 32 stitches.
ROWS 6-8: Knit.
ROW 9: Knit 3, knit 2 together, knit 6, knit 2 together, knit 6 knit 2 together, knit 6, knit 2 together, knit 6, knit 2 together, knit 6, knit 2 together, knit 3 = 28 stitches.
BACK LEGS
The piece is now measured from here!
Work garter stitch for 4 cm (approx. 8-9 ridges) and cast off loosely.
EMBROIDERING
Use left-over colour grey, brown or black. Work 1 French knot for each eye, above the nose - see diagram A. Work the nose with 2 flat stitches (2 cm long) across each nose section - see diagram B; the flat stitches should cross. Work 1 small flat stitch (½ cm) crossing the middle of the other 2 flat stitches.
ASSEMBLY
Sew each ear in the outermost loop of the outermost stitch, filling with wadding as you go. Sew the opening at the top of the head and continue down the back, sewing in the outermost loop of the outermost stitch, filling with wadding as you go.
Sew the cast-off edges together at the bottom, sewing from side to side, making sure the seam meets mid-back. Sew a 4 cm seam along the middle to divide the legs, sewing through both layers and the wadding.
Sew each front leg, sewing in the outermost loop of the outermost stitch, filling with wadding as you go. Tack a strand through the stitches at the bottom of each front leg, tighten and fasten well.
Diagram
= French knot, Pictures 1-4
PICTURE 1: Insert the needle from the wrong side and up to the right side where you would like the French knot to be positioned.
PICTURE 2: Wind the strand around the end of the needle 2 to 4 times – depending on how big you wish the knot to be.
PICTURE 3: Thread the needle down, 0.5-1 stitches away from where the strand came up and pull it out on the wrong side.
PICTURE 4: Pulling the strand through the material fastens the French knot. Fasten the strand on the wrong side.
= Flat stitch, Pictures 1-4
PICTURE 1: Insert the needle from the wrong side to the right side, where you wish the stitch to start.
PICTURE 2: Skip 0.5 - 1 cm and thread the needle down and up again to where you want the next flat stitch to start, pull the strand through.
PICTURE 3: Skip 0.5 - 1 cm and thread the needle down and up again to where you want the next flat stitch to start, pull the strand through.
Continue like this until you have enough stitches. Fasten the strand on the wrong side.
PICTURE 4: Flat stitches of different lengths and in different directions