KNITTED RABBIT DOLLS (FREE PATTERN)
These fluffy-tailed rabbits, reprinted from Noah's Knits,
can wiggle their tails to communicate with friends and family or thump their hind legs on the ground. Rabbits come in an amazing array of colors—bunny experts estimate there are more than 150 combinations—so you can pretty much choose whatever color you like. While their real-life relatives are known for their reproductive powers, if you want to have more of this particular rabbit breed, you will have to get knitting.
—From Noah’s Knits: The Story of Noah’s Ark with 16 Knitted Projects
by Fiona Goble/Andrews McMeel Publishing
Step 1
Materials (For both rabbits): 1/4 oz./8 g (20 yd./18 m) of caramel DK yarn 1/8 oz./4 g (11 yd./10 m) of black DK yarn 1/8 oz./4 g (9 yd./8 m) of white DK yarn Small amounts of white mohair yarn and beige DK yarn 3/8 oz./10 g of polyester toy filling
Tools: Use size 2/3 (3 mm) knitting needles, except when instructed to use size 2 (2.75 mm) knitting needles
Step 2
She and He rabbits Both rabbits are knitted with the same pattern. The main instructions are for the She Rabbit (caramel). The colors and any different instructions for the He Rabbit (black and white) are given in parentheses within the instructions.
Body The body is knitted from the neck edge to the rear end. Make 1 -- Cast on 18 sts in caramel (black). -- Work 16 rows in St st, beg with a K row. (Work 6 rows in St st in black, 4 rows in white mohair, and 6 rows in black, beg with a K row.) -- Next row: Continuing in caramel (black), K2, k2tog, K10, ssk, K2. [16 sts] -- Next row: p2tog, P12, p2tog. [14 sts] -- Bind off.
Step 3
Head The head pieces are knitted from the top to the lower edge. Front Make 1 -- Cast on 5 sts in caramel (white). -- Work 2 rows in St st, beg with a K row. -- Next row: (K1, m1) twice, K1, (m1, K1) twice. [9 sts] -- Next and every ws row unless stated otherwise: P. -- Next rs row: K1, m1, K7, m1, K1. [11 sts] -- Next rs row: K. -- Next rs row: K5, m1, K1, m1, turn work and P3, turn work again, and K to end. [13 sts] -- Next rs row: K5, s1, k2tog, psso, K5. [11 sts] -- Next row: p2tog, P7, p2tog. [9 sts] -- Next row: K1, k2tog, K3, ssk, K1. [7 sts] -- Next row: P. -- Bind off.
Step 4
Back Make 1 -- Cast on 5 sts in caramel (white). -- Work 2 rows in St st, beg with a K row. -- Next row: (K1, m1) twice, K1, (m1, K1) twice. [9 sts] -- Next row: P. -- Next row: K1, m1, K7, m1, K1. [11 sts] -- Work 6 rows in St st, beg with a P row. -- Next row: p2tog, P7, p2tog. [9 sts] -- Next row: K1, k2tog, K3, ssk, K1. [7 sts] -- Next row: P. -- Bind off.
Step 5
Front legs Make 2 -- Cast on 7 sts in caramel (white). -- Work 10 rows in St st, beg with a K row. -- Bind off.
Back legs The back legs are knitted from the sole of the foot upward. Make 2 -- Cast on 15 sts in caramel (black). -- Work 2 rows in St st, beg with a K row. -- Next row: Bind off 4 sts, K to end. [11 sts] -- Next row: Bind off 4 sts pwise, P to end. [7 sts] -- Work 2 rows in St st, beg with a K row. -- Next row: K2, m1, K to last 2 sts, m1, K2. [9 sts] -- Next row: P. -- Rep last 2 rows once. [11 sts] -- Next row: K2, m1, K7, m1, K2. [13 sts] -- Next row: p2tog, P9, p2tog. [11 sts] -- Bind off.
Step 6
Ears Make 2 -- Cast on 3 sts in caramel (black). -- K 14 rows. -- Next row: s1, k2tog, psso. -- Break yarn and pull it through rem st.
Tail Make 1 -- Using a double strand of white mohair yarn, cast on 5 sts. -- K 4 rows. -- Bind off.
Step 7
Making up Place the two head pieces right sides together and whipstitch around the edge, leaving a gap at the lower edge. Turn the head right side out through this gap, stuff the head, and close the gap. Using mattress stitch, join the lower and back seams of the body piece, leaving the neck end open. Stuff the body. Whipstitch the neck edge to the back of the head, so that the neck forms a circle on the back of the head.
Seam the front legs using mattress stitch and whipstitch them in place. The seams should run up the insides of the legs. Fold the back leg pieces right sides together and whipstitch along the lower edges and the front of the feet. Turn right side out. Seam the rest of the leg pieces using mattress stitch, stuffing as you go. Whipstitch the legs in place. Make a small pleat at the bottom of the ears and sew them in place with a couple of stitches. Fold the tail piece in half lengthwise and whipstitch the seam. Sew the tail in position.
Using black yarn, work two French knots for the eyes. With white yarn (beige yarn for the black-and-white rabbit), work a circle of chain stitches around each French knot. (For the black-and-white rabbit, work another circle of black chain stitches around one eye.) Use a single strand of black yarn to work three straight stitches in a Y shape for the nose and, for the caramel rabbit, use a second strand to work a few straight stitches above each eye for the eyelashes.
