Bunny Puppets

This is the last of my 2022 Easter projects I'm preposting in June so I don't lose track of my projects.

This pattern is no longer available but if it returns I will post a link to it.

I had never used Velvet yarn prior to this project. I understand the attraction to this yarn as it has the feel of a traditional stuffed animal. While I love amis the yarn versions are not nearly as snuggly as traditional stuffed animals. The Velvet yarn brings a softer feel to projects.

There is a trade off to working with the velvet yarn however in that it sheds and wears as you crochet with it. You don't tend to have this challenge working with traditional yarn. I found it was rather unforgiving when I had to pull out a section to redo something. I often found I could get one redo if I was lucky and that was it as the yarn was then to worn to use again. It had lost its plushy feel.

Bonnie Bunny

Bonnie is the second bunny I made from the Cottontails Pattern I received when I purchased the kit from Mary Maxim here. Bonnie is made from worsted weight yarn and a g hook and as you can see from the picture below came out significantly bigger than Robbie.

I chose to continue in similar branded yarns for the clothes. I had to go up to an I hook to get the dress to fit in the back. However the shoes fit with a g hook. I also used a g for the bow. The eyes came with the kit and the nose from CRC Crafts.

I shortened the neck line and altered the body to avoid the bobble head issue I had with Robbie.

Crochet Easter Basket

I looked at a number of free patterns and even made one that I hope to post later that turned out to be a very small basket before finding this free pattern here. I chose this pattern for several reasons, but the most important I will say was the size. I wanted something that would hold the half dozen crochet Easter Eggs I made for my Easter box. While there were several cute options, many of them were small and I wanted the eggs to be able to hang out for the holidays in a container so they wouldn't get in the way.

While the pattern called for DK weight, I used acrylic worsted weight for this project and I liked the heavier weight for the basket, I thought it made it sturdier and able to handle the work of an Easter basket. The challenge I had was the handle. I think the double yarn for the worsted weight was too bulky. If I make this again, I might find a lighter sport or DK weight in a complimentary color to make the handle. That being said it is a tough little handle and since I sewed it on pretty tight it should last a while.

Another thing that drew me to this pattern was the basket weave stitch. While crocheting with 2 strands doing the front post and back post stitches was hard on my already worn hands, I loved the texture and look of the basket when it was completed. It had a nice classic look to it.

As always I'd like to thank those who donate their patterns as these patterns do make my gifting dollars go farther.

Easter Lovey

I finished this up last week. The free pattern can be found here.

The pattern calls for DK yarn. For best results I would suggest DK or sport yarn. I only had worsted on hand and while fine for the chicken it was a little heavy for the blanket. I used Knit Picks cotton sport yarn for the chicken's details. Worsted yarn would have been a little heavy based on the directions given for the beak, feet, and coxcomb. I did use the white worsted for his wings. This is a fun cute project and would be a great Easter gift to keep a little one comforted and entertained during Easter celebrations.

I only need one more lovey and my year long project will be complete. I'm thinking of adapting one of the projects from Snuggle and Play Crochet: 40 Amigurumi Patterns for Lovey Security Blankets and Matching Toys that my DH bought me for Valentine's Day. The last one will be a Patriotic themed one for the July 4th holiday. I've already located some great board books for the set. I haven't decided on the rest of the set. When I start up again in for Halloween I'll be making mostly ami's and eventually perhaps doll clothes.

Crochet Eggster Bunny

It is wonderful to be part of a supportive online crochet group. When I started posting about my Easter projects a good friend posted a link to the free Crochet Eggster Bunny pattern which you too can find here. I already had another pattern in mind to make for the last ami for the Easter box. However, once I saw the Eggster Bunny there was no going back. It was definitely the choice for the last ami project.

You will clearly notice differences between my bunny and the pattern authors. First I am determined to finish off my stash yarn, so when I discovered I didn't have appropriate off white yarn, I went with white. I also wasn't crazy about the yolk colored accents, so I went with traditional pink. I had this ball of purple yarn I've been dying to finish off so it seemed like an ideal project to use it on and while it isn't finished I made a good dent. I chose not to stuff the feet. I found the balance was better with flat feet. It's always a choice you make when you create amis. Lastly, for the nose and the buttons I used size 10 crochet thread.

My egg just came out wider than I'd expected, but I loved it. The designer has a more rounded egg look, but I fell in love with my egg bunny. At some point I really want one for myself.

A thank you to the designer for her pattern. I was so impressed with the level of detail and the pictures included. I learned some new tricks, especially about embroidering the nose. I also appreciated the pictures about where to join and the up close pictures that let me count holes to make sure I knew where her pieces were located. It made putting the bunny together much easier.

Mr. Bluebird

I promised I would get to Crochet Village's Eggheads pattern to include in my Easter box. I finished Mr. Bluebird as a break between Pirate arms. These work up quickly. He was slightly smaller because the scrap yarn I used was not quite as heavy as most of the other worsted weight I have in my collection. I am not sure what weight it is, as it seems a bit heavy for sports weight. I liked the color and a specific size was not an issue. He will work perfectly for an egg or just to go in a basket.

My hope is to finish three birds and three bunnies. I would not mind having a few extras to decorate the house here if I have time. As for my own Easter decorations, I am working on Pricilla, a bunny toilet paper cover to replace the Leprechaun now that St. Patrick's Day has passed.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Easter Granny Square Dishcloth

I have been on a kick lately to make cotton dishcloths for our kitchen. My husband actually asked me yesterday if he could use one of the shamrocks to clean with and I laughed. I like decorative items, but my point in using cotton has been to make them practical, not just pretty. The shamrock has been put to good use.

I have been experimenting with a variety of granny squares. First, they are a fun pattern to play with and can be done in a variety of locations without having to carry many directions. Secondly, they make decorative items. Lastly, they have a scrubbing quality that flat panels have not given me. Those bumps do have a cleaning quality. Even though you lose some cleaning quality with the granny gaps.

The variegated cotton dishcloth yarn makes wonderful granny patterns. Last year, I made knitted and crochet basic square dishcloths. They were not nearly as pretty as the granny versions. I will continue to make both as they all serve different cleaning purposes.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Hello Kitty

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Bunnyzilla or What Happens to Easter Puppets When the Pattern Goes Wrong

Sorry I have no picture folks. It was a frustrating day after working on a pattern from a vintage book to realize the puppet part was not right and it made the bunny look like something from a horror flick. His face was distorted. I considered using it for a Halloween project, but the part for the hand is just not comfortable for use. I have to go back and figure out where I went wrong with the directions. I was upset because I loved the way the arm part worked. I had a pretty pink bunny coming together, but there is something wrong with how I constructed his mouth. Therefore, it is back to the drawing board.

On the upside, I have a few more dishcloths finished and I have started the yearly production of crochet Easter eggs. I will have photographs soon.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Hello Kitty

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Dragon Finger Puppets

I had fun making some unique Easter basket toys for the younger relatives. These crochet Dragon Finger Puppets were easy to make and so cute when finished. They are part of a free pattern offering for a complete castle and fairy tale play set that can be found in the Finger Puppet Links on this site. The pattern was created by Melissa Mall at Crochet Me. The Castle patterns can be found in the Toy Links.






















I did use plastic eyes in my puppets as I really like the way they looked. Providing a backing for the eyes can be challenging, but I thought it was worth the final finished product. You can also choose to embroider the eyes. I do want to attempt the two castles which can also be found in the links. I hope at some point to complete the complete fairy tale set.

The photographs are not to be used without my written permission.

Barbie Fashion Doll Easter

The drive was on to complete Barbie and fashion doll clothing for Easter baskets this year. As I mentioned before not all my digital photographs made the cut. However, I do have a few photographs to share. I will add more if I get the chance.







Mom again came through this better than I. She knitted outfits for the Easter season. I managed to save photographs of one of the Easter baskets I made. The pattern can be found in the freeEaster Links under crochet.

For all my complaints about lost photographs it was fun making finding the vintage pattern books online that use sports yarn. I have not mastered the art of thread crochet and finding books that utilize sports yarn has been a great gift. I managed to complete several dresses, skirts outfits, and short outfits. Even Ken got into the mix with a new pair of shorts. I am still struggling to find sports yarn patterns for him, but have a few I am looking to locate. So even without the pictures to document the efforts, I feel progress has been made.

I retain rights to all pictures. Written permission must be obtained to use pictures.

Easter Eggs

I wanted to crochet Easter eggs this year for my own decorations and to give to family for safe holiday decorations for younger children and pretty decorations for older ones. I looked at several of the free patterns listed in the Easter resources, but most I found were for the Easter egg covers.






















I tried several patterns from the Internet and books and eventually settled on the egg pattern found in Amigurumi World. The pattern was quick and easy to follow. I chose to use up some left over variegated yarn. I had cotton yarn left over from dishcloth projects and worsted weight yarn from winter projects. The pattern in the book uses white worsted yarn. I wanted striped eggs. Those who like single colored eggs might choose yarn in colors that suit their decorative style.



The reaction for those given so far has been positive. I made up a half a dozen to decorate the house here as well mailing or giving close to a dozen. They really work up quickly and it is fun to see how the variegated yarn takes shape in the egg pattern.

These pictures are my property and may not be reused without written permission.