Here she is! Tizzy bunny is made from an unusual, but inexpensive yarn, bernat tizzy. You will find it soft, with a million squiggly fingers. You cannot see the knit stitches AT ALL, and my friends needed to be told several times that, yes, it is a knitting project.
Tizzy Bunny
This cute plushy is SO fast to knit, I started and finished
it in about 5 hours (and yes, I am a quick knitter, but still, that was a quick
knit!!). Not for beginners, but still
simple enough for knitters that know stocking stitch, increases, decreases, and
never drop stitches (this yarn is difficult to see the stitches for pickup!). It is worked on straight needles and seamed,
so you also need to know sewing seams, and hand or machine sewing for the ear
lining (felt), and nose, eyes and mouth.
I do not know if it would look as cool in ANY other yarn, so beware
switching yarns.
She stands 15" toe to tip of ears.
Yarn: One ball of Bernat Tizzy, white.
Needles: 6mm, (US 8)
Gauge: 9 sts = 4
inches on 6mm needles. Note this yarn
suggests 10 mm (US 15), but by using a smaller needle, you will end up with
tighter gauge that will not allow the stuffing to “peak through”.
Other stuff: poly
stuffing, bits of pink fabric, and blue fabric (tee shirt knits work great),
white felt for ear lining, and rose yarn for mouth. Ribbon for neck decoration.
Body and Head:
(working from bottom of bunny)
Cast on 20 sts. Wrong side: Knit
this row, increasing 4 evenly across.
Work in Reverse Stocking Stitch (purl right side, knit wrong
side) for 3 “, ending with purl row.
Next row (wrong side) knit row – decreasing 4 evenly across
(this in the neck decrease)
Purl next row, then knit next row, decreasing 4 more evenly across. Purl one more row. (16 sts on needle)
Increase for head:
Knit 3, Knit front and back (increase), knit 3, knit front and back,
knit front and back, knit 3, knit front and back, knit 3. (20 sts on needle)
Purl one row.
Knit 9, knit front and back, knit front and back, knit
9. (22 on needles)
Work 3 rows.
Knit 10, knit front and back, knit front and back, knit
10 (24 on needles) – this is the point
of the nose-
Purl row
Knit row, decreasing 4 evenly across the row.
Purl row
Knit row, decreasing 4 evenly across the row. (16 on needle)
Purl row
Knit row, decreasing 4 evenly across row. (12 on needles)
Cast of all stitches.
Legs: Cast on 10 sts,
work 4 “ in reverse stocking stitch,
cast off all sts. (make 2)
Arms: Cast on 8, work 3”, cast off all sts.
Ears: Cast on 6 sts. Work
2.5 “. Decrease 1 sts each side on the
right side rows, until 2 sts left, then knit 2 together and slip yarn through
loop to finish. (should make a bit of a point)
Tail: Cast on 4. Purl
row. Knit row, increasing 2 in row. Purl
row. Knit row, decrease 2. Purl row.
Cast off.
Now comes the sewing.
I found that using the Tizzy yarn to sew seams looks great but is super
difficult, due to the million fingers catching in the needle. You could use a matching sport weight yarn
that is smooth, to sew up to ease this part.
Sew back seam of body head, leaving opening at the top and
bottom. Stuff lightly the body and
head, and sew the bottom seam. Sew arm
and leg seams, closing one end, and lightly stiff the other end (do not stuff
too firmly, not as cuddly that way!).
Sew legs and arms to body.
Fold tail into a cute bump, sew around this to the back side
of bunny.
Ears: cut felt lining to a size smaller than the ear, and
sew in place by machine or hand. Fold
bottom edges to meet in center (see close up of bunny face) and sew ears to the
top opening, closing the head opening and securing ears in upright
position. The felt will help hold ears
up.
Nose. I used a bit of
pink tee shirt scrap and made a folded rectangle (edges tucked under) and sewed
in place with regular thread and needle.
With darning needle and rose sock yarn scrap, I sewed the mouth
detail.
The eyes… you could use buttons
if not for a baby or toddler, but mine is for a baby, so I cut a half inch
strip of peacock tee shirt fabric, about 15 inches long. Using a large eyed
darning needle, I made french knots in the eye position. To reinforce these eyes, I also used regular
needle and thread and sewed them more securedly in place.
Ribbon at neck and you are done!
Close up of the face, embroider mouth, fabric nose, french knot eyes.
