 If you like your toys to have a familiar, lived-in look then the Syd Rabbit Pattern could be the one for you. Syd is slightly wonky and full of character which makes him even more loveable. I wanted him to feel like your old faithful side kick who was ever present in your childhood and was perhaps repaired and restitched a few times, lending a slightly well-worn and mismatched feel as a result.  Syd came to life in the early 2000’s when I was Loop London’s first ever Loopette, while at the same making cute creatures from old felted jumpers and upcycled fabrics. The original upcycled rabbit who inspired this pattern must have been made by me circa 2005 from a lemon yellow wool jumper. He sat on the shelf next to the till in the original Loop store at 41 Cross Street, Islington and was an old faithful friend to the staff and customers alike.  People often asked how to make the rabbit, so when Susan wrote her first crochet book, Vintage Crochet, she asked me to replicate it for the book, using yarns from the store. And so, Syd the crochet rabbit was born.  Almost 20 years later, here he is again, the pattern updated for modern crochet techniques and reimagined using some of the more contemporary, but just as beautiful, yarns available now in the larger store just down the road on Camden Passage. The sample bunny in the images uses beautiful De Rerum Natura Ulysse, available from Loop, but any sport weight to DK yarn will work just as well, as you can see from these gorgeous versions made by Jane from Moorland Cottage Crochet. Jane’s versions of Syd the Rabbit.  If you want to make your very own version of Syd Rabbit, you can find the downloadable pattern on Ravelry or Lovecrafts. Syd may have got a shiny new coat, but he is still the same, slightly dishevelled, definitely lopsided, totally lovable rabbit.   
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 Crochet Easter egg Pattern Adorable little critters to keep your boiled (or chocolate!) egg warm on Easter morning. A simple pattern, perfect for beginners. Please note that you can find the patterns for the knitted cosies shown in the images here ABBREVIATIONS Ch = chain Dc = double crochet (US sc) Pm = place marker Rnd = round St = stitch  MATERIALS Any scraps of dk weight yarn 3.5mm hook Yarn needle Felt Assorted buttons TENSION Exact Tension is not essential. SIZE To fit regular hens eggs or roughly the size of a confectionery egg such as a Cadbury’s Creme Egg  Cosy Confectionary egg Pattern With 3mm hook, work 2ch Rnd 1: 6 dc in 2nd ch from hook do not join rnd, pm and start to work in spirals. (6dc) Rnd 2: 2 dc in each dc around. (12 dc). Rnd 3: [2 dc in next st, 1 dc] around. (18 dc) Rnd 4: [2 dc in next st, 1 dc in each of next 2 sts] around. (24 dc) Rnds 5-12: 1 dc in each st around Fasten off yarn  Hen’s egg Pattern With 3mm hook, work 2ch Rnd 1: 6 dc in 2nd ch from hook do not join rnd, pm and start to work in spirals. (6dc) Rnd 2: 2 dc in each dc around. (12 dc). Rnd 3: [2 dc in next st, 1 dc] around. (18 dc) Rnd 4: [2 dc in next st, 1 dc in each of next 2 sts] around. (24 dc) Rnd 5: 1 dc in each st around Rnd 6: [2 dc in next st, 3 dc] around. (30 dc) Rnds 7-14: 1 dc in each st around Fasten off yarn Weave in all ends neatly.  FINISHING Use buttons or googly eyes for eyes and felt shapes for ears and beaks. Use oddments of yarn for hair, faces, eyelashes. Add cosy to your egg to keep it warm this Easter morning or pop it into a confectionary egg to gift! Enjoy!   Knitted Easter egg Cosies Adorable little critters to keep your boiled (or chocolate!) egg warm on Easter morning. A simple knitting pattern, perfect for beginners. You can find the pattern for the crochet chick shown above here Abbreviations K = knit K2tog = knit two together P = purl Psso = pass slipped stitch over Sl = slip St = stitch St st = stocking stitch  MATERIALS Any scraps of dk weight yarn 3.5mm needles Yarn needle Felt Assorted buttons TENSION Exact Tension is not essential. SIZE To fit regular hens eggs or roughly the size of a confectionary egg such as a Cadbury’s Creme Egg  COSY Garter stitch pattern With 4mm needles, cast on 24(30) sts and knit every row for 5(6) cm, knitting in 2 row stripes of two colours if you wish. Next row: (K2(3), k2tog) 6 times. 18(24) sts Next row: knit Cut yarn, leaving a long tail to sew up seam. Thread needle through all stitches and pull up into a round. Sew up seam and fasten off yarn. Weave in all ends neatly.  Stocking Stitch Pattern With 4mm needles, cast on 24(30) sts and knit every row for 4 rows for a garter stitch edge or work in k1, p1 rib for 4 rows for a ribbed edge. Change to stocking stitch and work for 3(4)cm, ending with a purl row. You can knit in stripes of 2 rows of two colours if you wish. Next row: (K2(3), k2tog) 6 times. 18(24) sts Next row: Purl Next row: (K1(2), k2tog) 6 times. 12(18)sts Next row: Purl Next row: (K0(1), k2tog) 6 times. 6(12) sts Next row: Purl Cut yarn, leaving a long tail to sew up seam. Thread needle through all stitches and pull up into a round. Sew up seam and fasten off yarn. Weave in all ends neatly.  Rabbit Ears These are worked in garter st, but you could do them in stocking st, or in a mixture of stitches. With 4mm needles, cast on 7sts. Work two rows garter st Next row: inc one stitch at both ends of next row - 9 sts Work a further 4 rows in garter or st st. Next row: Dec one stitch at both ends of next row - 7 sts Work a further 4 rows garter or st st Next row: Dec one stitch at both ends of next row - 5 sts Knit one further row Next row: Dec one stitch at both end of next row - 3sts Knit one further row Next row: Sl 1, k2tog, psso. Fasten off yarn. Attach finished ears to the top of the cosy. Weave in all ends neatly.  FINISHING Use buttons or googly eyes for eyes and felt shapes for beaks. Use oddments of yarn for hair, faces, eyelashes. Add cosy to your egg to keep it warm this Easter morning, or pop it onto a confectionary egg to gift! Enjoy!  Welcome to my blog, which I am hoping will become the go-to place to catch up on my news and new releases find free patterns and to be inspired!  Today is a quick post to tell you about a lovely children's knitting workshop I have just booked at The Wool Gallery St Neots for the Easter hols. The class is on April the 9th from 10-11am and is totally beginner friendly knitting. Try your hand at the basic stitches and make and decorate a cute easter egg cosy at the same time! All materials included and each child will get a little egg to fit inside their cosy, too!  Email, call or pop into the Wool Gallery to book your space.
Next up on the blog, I shall also be sharing the knit and crochet patterns for these cosies for those of you who won't be able to make the class. Claire x The Wool Gallery |
AuthorClaire Montgomerie is a textile designer specialising in knitting and crochet. She is a craft stylist, author and editor who has authored and edited many craft books and publications. She has been teaching knitting and crochet for many years, enjoying sharing her love of knit and crochet. ArchivesCategories |
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