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.

Chick a Hop

Last Easter I made crochet projects but for a variety of reasons never got around to posting them. As summer approached I realized in future years I'd want information about these projects as I'd likely make at least some of them again. With that in mind I started preposting Easter posts to arrive in a more timely fashion for the following Easter that would trace the projects I'd made in 2022.

My husband saw the Chickadee Friends Herrschners Kit in a catalog I had left on the table and it arrived as a Christmas present. I've been decorating his home office with holiday ami's to brighten his day and he dubbed this one Chick a Hop. As of my preposting this the kit was still available at Herrschners here.

Notes:

I used a D hook for this project. I wanted a smaller ami for my purposes.

To get the stitch counts to match I found myself changing directions in rows 4-7 of the body to keep the counts correct. I haven't seen a correction on the site but this was my experience.

Free Easter Egg Dishcloth Potholder Pattern

I have looked at Easter dishcloth patterns in books and free patterns online. I had not seen an egg pattern that was practical as well as decorative until I located this free potholder Easter egg pattern.

The pattern was simple and quick to make. If you can handle single crochet and single crochet decreases, you can manage this project. The pattern is for a potholder that requires making two eggs and sewing them together for the potholder. I made only one. As I did with the shamrock for St. Patrick's Day, this will be my shaped dishcloth.

If you are looking for simple gifts to make dishcloths can be a great way to give people practical holiday decorations. There are many free patterns available for those who crochet and knit. With the variety of colors available in cotton yarn, it is easy to match colors to desired choices.

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

Easter Comes Late

I have been working on creating holiday packages and most have fixed dates. Easter is always an interesting challenge as it floats between March and April making planning a challenge. An additional challenge is there are two birthdays that fall around the Easter date in April and May that I have to work around the Easter package that is mailed. Over the last few weeks, I have been working on Easter and St. Patrick's Day projects. Yesterday I checked the calendar and was pleasantly surprised to discover that Easter does not fall until April 24th this year.

This means I have extra time to work on Easter, two kids birthdays, and even put time into planning my husband's Easter and birthday gifts.

Sometimes the small things provide us with gratitude and relief.

Barbie Crochet Easter Outfit

While I did lose a number of digital photographs, with help from the child getting the presents, I was able to take some additional photographs of some of the items I made for Easter. This was an Easter, spring outfit crocheted for a couple of Easter Baskets. Next year I think I would add a hat.

The skirt pattern is from a 1986 Annie's Pattern Club book Fashion Doll Quick and Easy. Joyce Bishop was the designer. The top is actually adapted from the top of another dress pattern found in the book. As I was working on how to make the dress, I started by making some doll tops from the dress pattern to wear with other outfits.

I have learned to check the sizes of the dolls when working with older patterns. Even among current dolls, not all the clothes fit the same and I do have to adapt the patterns to make sure they fit the doll measurements.




Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Carrot Rattle

With a new baby nephew I needed something to put in his Easter basket. I combined two bib patterns from the Daily Crochet Calendar and free Duck Bib pattern found in the free Easter Links to make one of the items I needed. I wanted something else. When I looked at the carrot rattle it just seemed cute and fun to make. This free pattern link can also be located in the crochet section of the Easter Links on this blog.

Oddly the most challenging problem was finding carrot colored yarn right after Christmas. The shade I used was not the ideal color I wanted, however, orange was not a popular post Christmas color in the stores I shopped at when I was ready to make this item. As many of us know, sometimes you use what you can find. The pattern was easy to follow and the directions were clear. The pattern did not include directions for creating a “rattle” noise, so I followed directions I had from other books about making child safe crochet rattles.






Pictures may not be used without my written permission.

Easter Ducks and Chicks

Along with bunnies I wanted to find a crochet version of chicks and ducks to put in the Easter baskets this year. This first pattern I found and made is a free pattern that can be found under Duck in the Easter links for those who would like to try it. It was a great practice project in working in Amigurumi. The round pattern of the foundation was simple to follow and there was little that needed to be sewn on after completion. This would be a great project for teaching Amigurumi to children. It also makes a great year round toy. Ducks and chickens are not limited to Easter. Kids could make a farm yard of animals.




The chick pattern was a mini ami pattern from Amigurumi World. I missed this pattern when originally looking for Easter patterns. I was taken by the mini bunnies, but did not appreciate the mini chicks as potential Easter toys. The pattern was more complicated than the Lion Brand free one above, but it was still easy and created a very cute finished product. I will definitely be making more of these for next year's baskets.






These pictures may not be used without my written permission.

Easter Bunnies Amigurumi Style

I needed an Easter bunny pattern for my Easter baskets this year. My hope was to find a fun bunny pattern to try that the kids would love as much as the stuffed bunnies in the stores. These were a big hit this year.

The bunny pattern in Amigurumi World provided a great foundation for my efforts. I am not a huge fan of felt when working on crochet projects. I have a problem with ripping it while sewing and I hate gluing for fear of it falling off. Therefore, I try to avoid using felt when possible. As a result, I do find myself adapting some of the patterns in this book to avoid the use of felt. In making these bunnies I wanted to create the two colored ears without adding felt. I also wanted facial features that required no use of felt.

To adapt the ear pattern I followed the crochet instructions using a smaller hook for the inside pink of the ear. I made two. I used the suggested hook to make two white outer ears. Then I single crocheted the pink ear to the inside of the white ear as seen in the picture.

I tried making the pink bunny as shown in the book, but I just couldn’t get the same expressions I got with the white yarn bunny face. I had a hard time getting the crochet face to work in the same way the felt worked on the pink bunny in the book. The pink bunny is one of the pictures that did not make the digital cut. If the recipient sends me a photograph I will post it.






These photographs may not be used without my written permission.

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.

Plastic Canvas Easter

Plastic Canvas can make wonderful Easter decorations and basket fillers.

Bunny Bear Tote

Bunny Coasters

Bunny Pin

Easter Egg

Free Patterns

Floppsy the Bunny

Itty Bitty Easter Bunny

Mountain Harmony

Welcome Sign Bunny






Picture Credit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22863752@N06/ / CC BY 2.0

Knit and Crochet Easter Free Patterns

I was amazed how many great Easter knitting and crochet free patterns were available. I started this list while I was researching the Halloween blogs and it continues to grow.

I thought I would add some of my own Easter photographs that have come from this using these links.

The carrot rattle was fun and easy to do.



The Easter basket for Barbie has turned into a requested item. Even Ken had to get one.

























Crochet:

American Girl 18" Doll Patterns:

Adoring Dolls Easter Outfit

American Girl Easter Basket Cobbler's Cabin

Dress with Easter Bunny Ears from Red Heart

Easter Bonnet

Easter Bunny Hat

Barbie Fashion Doll Crochet Patterns:


Barbie Easter Basket

Barbie Easter Bonnet

Barbie Fashion Doll Easter Dress

Easter Dress from Happy Yellow on Ravelry Thread



Crochet Easter Patterns:

Kitchen and Home Patterns:

Bunny Dishcloth

Bunny Filet Afghan

Bunny Towel Ring

Duck Bib

Egg Coaster

Egg Coaster 2

Egg Dishcloth

Egg Hot Pad

Egg Hot Pad

Egg Potholder

Decorations and Toys:

Baskets:

Basket

Easter Basket

Easter Basket

Lion Brand Baby Wool Basket

Lion Brand Springtime Basket


Bunnies:

Ami Bunny

Ami Bunny Heads

Bunnies with Carrot House

Baby Bunny

Bunny

Bunny and Carrot Rattle (not one pictured on this blog)

Bunny, Basket, Eggs, Flowers

Bunny Boo

Bunny Hat

Bunny in a Basket

Carrot the Bunny

Chocolate Bunny

Chocolate Bunnies

Easter Bunny

Easter Bunny

Easter Bunny Floppy Ears

Easter Bunny Candy Holder

Love Bunny

Eggs

Fun Fur Bunny

Hungry Bunny Chocolate Colored Eats Veggies


My First Bunny

Peep Bunny

Wee Rabbit

Chicks and Ducks:

Baby Chick

Chick Cosies Family with Hats

Chicken and Duck Egg Cosies

Chicklett

Duck

Fun Fur Duck

Peep Chick

Eggs:

Art Deco Eggs

Easter Eggs and Basket

Egg

Egg From Bev's Country Cottage

Egg Lion Brand

Mrs. Egghead and her Husband

Pineapple Easter Egg

Red Heart

Stuffed Easter Egg

Vampire Easter Egg

Victorian Easter Egg Ornaments

Other Animals and Toys:

Bear in Bunny Clothes

Doll with Bunny Ears and Basket

Lamb

Lamb 2

Little Lamb

Other Toys and Decorations:

Carrot Rattle

Donna's Crochet

Easter Lily

Tote

Wreath



Knit:

American Girl 18" Doll Patterns:

Easter Dress



Kitchen and Home Patterns:

Bunny Dish Cloth

Easter Basket Dish Cloth

Egg Dish Cloth

Egg Hot Pad

Decorations and Toys:

Baskets:

Basket

Bunnies:

Bunny

Bunny

Bunny Nuggets

Bunny to Duck Duck to Bunny Toy

Chicks and Ducks:

Chicken and Duck Cozies

Chicks

Chicks 2

Chubby Chicks

Duck

Eggs:

Decorated Eggs

Easter Eggs and Basket

Eggs

Eggs

Jean Greenhowe's Eggs

Eggs from self-striping yarn

Other Toys and Decorations:

Finger Puppets

Jean Greenhowe's Easter Treats

Knitting on the Net

Toys That Fit in Easter Eggs

Loom Knitting:

Bitsy Bunnies

Blossom the Hip Hop Flower Bunny

Bunny

Bunny Loom Knitting

Chick Dish Cloth

Easter Eggs

Easter Purse

Life and Crafts

Sewing:

Bunny Speedsters

Check out my Easter Project Blogs:

Amigurumi Easter Bunnies

Amigurumi Ducks and Chicks

Barbie Easter Basket

Carrot Rattle

Crochet Easter Eggs


These pictures may not be used without my written permission.