Make it ! The Granny Bunny !!!

You know, this picture from my Instagram feed has collected more than 900 likes ...

... and a colourful crocheter named Karin @woolfieber, made her own version just looking at my pic (you can find her work HERE ) !!!!

My idea, since the beginning , was to prepare a photo tutorial for you, but do you really need one ? These Granny Bunnies are so easy to crochet, believe me !!!!

YOU NEED :

• some colourful mercerised cotton
• a 3,5 mm hook
• a pair of scissors
• a tapestry needle
• beads for embellishments (optional)

Please note that I follow the US crochet terminology, thank you !

Each bunny measures 13 cm in height and it can be used for different purposes : bunting, hanging decorations, appliques, brooches, on napkin rings and more !!!! The sky's the limit !!!

You can use this pattern even with different yarns and, consequently, hook sizes !!! ;oD

Abbreviations :

DC = double crochet

ch = chain

SC = single crochet

2SCtog = 2 single crochets worked together to decrease

THE BODIES : GRANNY TRIANGLE and GRANNY CIRCLE

Granny Triangle :

make a slip knot on your hook with the chosen colour. Chain 4 and slip stitch in first chain to form a ring.

1st round : chain 2, [3 DCs into ring + ch 2] 3 times. Slip stitch in top of first DC and in following 2 DCs and corner. Cut yarn and fasten off.

2nd round : join new colour in corner and chain 2, then [3 DCS, ch 2, 3 DCS in same corner + ch 1] 3 times. Slip stitch in top of first DC and following 2 DCs and corner. Cut yarn and fasten off.

3rd round : join new colour in corner and chain 2, then [(3 DCs, ch 2, 3 DCs in same corner + ch 1) + (3 DCs + ch 1)] 3 times. Slip stitch in top of first DC, cut yarn and fasten off.

Weave in all ends.

Granny Circle :

make a slip knot on your hook with the chosen colour. Chain 4 and slip stitch in first chain to form a ring.

1st round : chain 2 and work 12 DCs into ring. Slip stitch in top of first DC, cut yarn and fasten off. (12 stitches)

2nd round : join new colour in any space between 2 DCs and chain 2. Work [2 DCS + ch 1] in each space. Slip stitch in top of first DC, cut yarn and fasten off. (24 DCs and 12 chain-1 spaces)

3rd round : join new colour in any chain-1 space and chain 2. In each chain-1 space work [3 DCs +ch 1]. Slip stitch in top of first DC, cut yarn and fasten off. (36 DCs and 12 chain-1 spaces)

Weave in all ends.

LEGS and ARMS

Let's start with the legs !

You need to work in the two chain-1 spaces located along the triangle side. (choose your side and remember that they are all equal ! ;oD)

Choose any colour for your bunny, as it can be any hue you prefer, ok ?

Make a slip knot on your hook and insert the tip in the first chain-1 space on the right.

1st row : work 2 SCs , chain 1 and turn

2nd and 3rd rows : work 2 SCs, chain 1 and turn

4th row : decrease with 2 SCtog. Cut yarn, fasten off

Repeat the same pattern for the other leg in next chain-1 space !!! 

Weave in all ends.

Now we can add the arms !!!

This time you have to work into the chain-1 spaces close to the top corner of the triangle and repeat the pattern used for the legs, but with an extra row !

With the same colour, make a slip knot on your hook and insert the tip in one of the chain-1 spaces (right or left).

1st row :  work 2 SCs , chain 1 and turn

2nd, 3rd and 4th rows : work 2 SCs, chain 1 and turn

5th row : decrease with 2 SCtog. Cut yarn, fasten off

Repeat the same pattern for the other arm in opposite chain-1 space !!! 

Weave in all ends.

IMPORTANT : 

You have to repeat the above patterns even for the bunny with the "granny circle body".

The only difference between the two bodies is which chain-1 space to consider to crochet in arms and legs.

Nothing difficult at all ! In my specific case, I was trying to be more symmetrical as I can be, but you can choose any space for your bunny's legs and arms, just to give it more personality!!! ;oD

HEAD and EARS

With the same colour used for the limbs, make a slip knot on your hook, chain 4 and slip stitch in first chain to form a ring.

1st round : chain 2 and work 10 DCs into ring. Slip stitch in top of first DC. (10 stitches)

2nd round : chain 2 and in same stitch work 2 DCs. Crochet 2 DCs in each stitch. Slip stitch in top of first DC. (20 stitches)

3rd round : chain 16, slip stitch in first chain made, then slip stitch in next stitch of the round, chain 16, slip stitch in first chain, slip stitch in next stitch of the round, cut yarn and fasten off.

Weave in all ends.

With the help of few stitches, stitch the head on the top of the body/bodies !!!

front

back

You have to crochet loads of bunnies, just to play with shapes and colours !!!

If you like you can add a pompom tail on the back, too !!!!

What I did, instead, was to add a velvety bead as a nose ...

... well, I'm curious to see your bunnies, now !!!

Happy Weekend, xxxx Alessandra

If you like to play with more patterns and photo tutorials, just have a look at this PAGE !!!!

Make it! Granny "fringe-rless'" gloves !!!

I know spring is approaching, so I was thinking of a pair of light fingerless gloves with a small old far west lure ...

What do you think, are you in, too ?

The construction is very simple : you need to crochet 2 basic granny squares and then embellish them with some colourful fringes !!!

I crocheted them in just one afternoon !!!!

WHAT YOU NEED

I've been working with :

• a 4 mm hook
• a 50 g acrylic yarn ball from Filatura Cervinia CAPRICE shade denim blue (gloves)
• small amount of Sirdar COUNTRY STYLE wool blend DK shade 397 periwinkle ( for top/bottom/thumb borders)
• small amount of TIGER garn/yarn (plied), Sirdar Wash'n'Wear Double Crepe DK shade Original Denim, CHARITY Double Knit Pullskein shade 011 silver grey and Filati Cervinia CAPRICE shade orange (fringes)
• a pair of scissors
• a yarn needle

Please remember that I follow the US crochet termilogy, thank you !

You need to know how to crochet a traditional granny square and the "join-as-you-go" method !!!

Any DK acrylic yarn is suitable for this project !!! ;oD

Well, let's start the crochet fun !!!

BASIC GRANNY SQUARE pattern

The "chain 2" at the beginning of each round is my turning chain and it's never considered as a proper stitch.

From round 2 on, you always start to work into the first corner of your square and you end your round in this same corner!

Each shell is made of 3 DCs.

Make a slip knot on your hook, chain 4, slip stitch in first stitch to form a ring.

round 1 : chain 2, work [3 DCs + chain 2] 4 times. Slip stitch in top of first DC to complete the round. Slip stitch even in next 2 DCs of same shell and in following corner.

round 2 : chain 2, work [3 DCs + chain 2 + 3 DCs and chain 1] 4 times, in each corner.  Slip stitch in top of first DC to complete the round. Slip stitch even in next 2 DCS of same shell and in following corner.

round 3 : chain 2, work [(3 DCs + chain 2 + 3 DCs + chain 1 ) in each corner and (3 DCs + chain 1) in each chain-1 space] 4 times. Slip stitch in top of first DC to complete the round. Slip stitch even in next 2 DCs of same shell and in following corner.

round 4 : chain 2, work [(3 DCs + chain 2 + 3 DCs + chain 1) in each corner and (3 DCs + chain 1) in following 2 chain-1 spaces)] 4 times. Slip stitch in top of first DC to complete the round. Slip stitch even in next 2 DCs of same shell and in following corner.

rounds 5, 6, 7 and 8 : are worked as the 4th round, just remembering to increase (one shell + chain-1 space) along each side of the square 4 times, each round !!!

round 9 : chain 2, work [(3 DCS + chain 2 + 3 DCs + chain 1) in each corner and (3 DCs + chain-1) in following 7 chain-1 spaces)] 3 times.

The fourth side of the granny is worked with the "join-as-you-go" method to trasform your granny into a fingerless glove , so :

fold your square in half (back sides facing) and align the side to complete over the second side you have been crocheting.

Now, continue with your crocheting as follow : 

work 3 DCs + chain 1 in fourth corner, then insert the tip of your hook in the space of 3rd corner from the front to the back and make a slip stitch (just started your joining!) and work the other 3 DCs to complete the 4th corner of your granny. Work another slip stitch in chain-1 space next to 3rd corner. Crochet a new shell (= 3 DCs) in chain-1 space next 4th corner and slip stitch in second chain-1 space of the above side. Crochet another shell in 2nd chain-1 space of 4th side and slip stitch in above corresponding chain-1 space. 

We have to leave an open space to let pass your thumb, so crochet (3 DCs + chain 1) twice in next 2 chain-1 spaces of your 9th round. Work another shell in next chain-1 space and slip stitch (joining starts again) in the above matching chain-1 space. Crochet a shell in next chain-1 space, slip stitch in above chain-1 space. Work your last shell in last chain-1 space and slip stitch in the above last chain-1 space, plus another slip stitch in top of first DC made at the beginning of round 9. 

Cut yarn and fasten off. Weave in all ends.

You will notice a mini slit at the bottom of your fingerless glove : I think this is a nice detail! ;oD

Please note : it could be that you need more or less rounds for your glove. To check which granny fits you best, I suggest you to measure the circumference of your hand at palm (that is the widest part of your hand) and regularly look at it at the end of each round (almost). 

Remember to work this same pattern twice, as you need two grannies to have a pair of gloves ! ;oD

FINISHING TOUCHES

Once you have weaved in all the tails, you can decide to wear your gloves the way they actually are, but I prefer to add some simple embellishments to give them a nicer look !!!

We can start with the top edge, adding a simple border of single crochets (=SC) :

Pick up a contrasting colour and make a slip knot on your hook. Insert the tip in the top corner at the left of the joining side and work your first SC. Then crochet 3 SCs in top of every shell and 1 SC in each chain-1 space. Your last SC is made in the last corn to the right of the joining side. Slip stitch in 2nd stitch made. Cut yarn and fasten off. Weave in ends.

Now the bottom edge : make another slip knot on your hook using the same yarn (or maybe not!) and insert the tip in the top of first DC along the slit (looking at the above picture, you start to work in top of first shell on the right side!) and work your first SC. Crochet other 2 SCs in same shell and then work 2 SCs into the turning corner. Apply the usual pattern : 3 SCs in top of each shell and 1 SC in every chain-1 space. When you reach the second turning corner, remember to crochet 2 SCs into it. Then work your last 3 SCs in top of last shell. Cut yarn, fasten off and weave ends in.

Thumb hole : make a slip knot on your hook and insert the tip in the top of first DC of first shell on the back of the glove. Work, as usual, 3 SCs in each shell top and 1 SC in every chain-1 space. When you have worked the last SC in last shell, slip stitch in 2nd stitch to end the border. Cut yarn, fasten off and weave ends in.


FRINGES (the old far west touch!)

I've added some fringes on the external side of each glove. You need to find the centre of your granny square. Once found, you have to consider 5 shells : the first one is part of the granny centre (the one at the bottom), while the other four are the ones under the first one . Imagine them all as lined up along a vertical line ... look at the dots in below picture ...

You will attach each fringe at the DC in the middle of each shell !

Cut 4 lenghts of yarn, more or less about 40 cm each. Fold them in half and with the help of the hook, pull them under the DC in the middle of the shell ...

then pass the free strands into the loop on the left and voila' the first fringe is done ...

Repeat the same procedure for the other 4 fringes, from top to bottom ...

You will have something like the following ...

Trim the fringes to the lenght you prefer (I did use a book as a guide.... Ha! Ha! Ha!) ...

... and soon I was ready to wear my first pair of "fringe-rless gloves" ...

... Now is your turn, lovelies !!!! ;oD


xxxx Alessandra


Look for more photo tutorials/free patterns ? Well, then look HERE and have fun !!!

Are you a fingerless gloves fan ? You can find another free pattern HERE !!!!! ;oD

Make it ! The Granny Yarn Chain !!!

ARE YOU READY FOR THIS ????

SURE YOU ARE !!! I now that!!!! ;oD

So during this last week I was showing you via Instagram (see my personal feed) some colourful pictures about my new crochet w.i.p. , which I completed last night ...

... so this morning, before school/office time a couple of boys helped me with the last photos for this blog post ... TA-DAH ...

The beauty of this project resides in the fact that is adaptable to any extent, any kind of yarn and any corner of your home (in or out!) !!!

The inspiration and "creative kick" derives from two other projects I've seen around : The Chain Statement Necklace by my dear friend Miki from Set Free My Gypsy Soul and Peggy's Comfy Indoors Blanket by Pip Lincoln from Meet Me at Mike's !!! Thank you both, girls !!!

It has been a long time since I've been wanting to crochet (or even knit !) a paper chain ... I made some long paper chains for our Christmas tree back in Indonesia but I always thought that something made out of yarn will be more durable, right ?

So here I am with this colourful project, which I'm going to share with you RIGHT NOW !!!

WHAT YOU NEED :

some colourful yarn : I was using some DK acrylics from my personal stash (there is no need to buy new yarn!) and I could do my chain way longer than I did, but other projects are on the way, so...

a 4mm hook

a pair of scissors

a yarn needle 


Please remember that I follow the US crochet terminology, thank you !

Be aware that my turning chain is made of 2 chains and not 3, even though working with double crochets (= DC) ! Notice that this turning chain is never considered as a proper stitch, too !

We are going to crochet a lots of granny rectangles. If you never did one before or your memory is simply a little bit rusty, I suggest you to look at some videos on YouTube, like How to crochet a GRANNY RECTANGLE by Bella Coco or How to crochet a granny rectangle by Yolanda Soto Lopez .... there are a lot more !!!! ;oD


Pattern for the GRANNY RECTANGLE

My chain is made of 24 rectangles or links.

Each rectangle is worked in 3 rounds and every round is crocheted in a different colour.

I prefer to weave in ends all the time one round is completed, to avoid too many tails at the end of the work !!!

The picture above shows you a complete rectangle I'm giving you the pattern to crochet. Useful if you prefer to sew your rectangles together, but ... I prefer to use the join-as-you-go method, so my rectangles, instead, are never totally done, as I complete each of them while joining to the previous link : no worries, I'm going to show you how!!!

first round : choose your first colour and make a slip knot on your hook.

Chain 30+2 (= my turning chain!), wrap yarn around hook and push it in 3rd chain from hook : work your first DC. In the same chain, work other 2 DCs, so that you will have your first shell (in above chart : extreme right, you can see a small horizontal shell with a A .... sorry for the quality of my drawing!). Now chain 2, then work the first shell (1) of the long side and chain 1. Skip two chains and in 3rd chain work the new shell and chain 1. Repeat this pattern until you reach 10 shells ( you are in the second last chain of your foundation chain)! After this shell, chain 2 and work shell B in last chain. Chain 2, s you can start to crochet the second long side of your rectangle, working your 10 shells at the base of the previous shells and remembering to space them with a chain-1 space !
When shell 10 is completed, chain 2 and slip stitch in the top of first DC made. Slip stitch even in the tops of the following 2 DCs and in the corner!
Cut yarn and fasten off.

second round : choose a new colour and, in the same corner you have completed your first round, add the new yarn (insert front to back your hook in corner, pull new yarn from back to front, wrap yarn around hook and pull it trough the loop!), chain 1 and crochet 3 DCS, chain 2, 3 DCs in this first corner. Chain 1, (3 DCs in chain-1 space + chain 1) 9 times. In second and third corner : 3 DCs, chain 2, 3 DCS and chain 1. Along the other long side : (3 DCS in chain-1 space + chain 1) 9 times. In fourth corner : 3 DCs, chain 2, 3 DCs. Chain 1 and slip stitch in top of first DC made. Slip stitch even in the tops of the following 2 DCs and in the first corner!
Cut yarn and fasten off.

third round : choose the last colour and join it as done for the second round !
After the joining, chain 1 and crochet 3 DCS, chain 2, 3 DCS in this first corner. Chain 1, (3 DCs in chain-1 space + chain 1) 10 times. In second corner : 3 DCs, chain 2, 3 DCs and chain 1. Work 1 shell in next chain-1 space and chain 1. In third corner : 3 DCs. chain 2, 3 DCS and chain 1. Along the other long side : (3 DCs in chain-1 space + chain 1) 10 times. In fourth corner : 3 DCs, chain 2, 3 DCs and chain 1. In next chain-1 space crochet a shell + chain 1. Slip stitch in top of first DC made. Slip stitch even in the tops of the following 2 DCs and into the first corner !
Cut yarn and fasten off.

This is the full pattern of a granny rectangle made of 3 rounds.

Honestly, I stop mine (see above picture) when half fourth corner (3 DCs + chain 1) is done ...

In this way I can use the join-as-you-go method to join the short sides of my rectangle (s) to form a link (s) for my granny yarn chain !

Wanna see how ?


The JOIN-AS-YOU-GO METHOD to make links

We need to have links for our chain, right ?

Nice, right ???

But how to do that???

Very simply !!!

When you have a rectangle almost done (just started half fourth corner of third round), you need to fold it in half (back sides facing each other) and make pass the short side completed, from bottom to top, inside a previous link already joined ...

... and be sure to have the rectangle and the link in the right position, as follows ...

... with the completed side of your rectangle at the top and the uncompleted side at the bottom !

Let's start the joining !!!

Insert the tip of your hook in the corner at the top (see above picture, left), wrap yarn and and pull it to the front, through the loop formed by last chain 1 : slip stitch done (joining officially started!)!

You can complete the 4th corner of your rectangle ...

... by working 3 DCs in that corner, as usual (see above pic) !

Then ...

... slip stitch in above chain-1 space (it replaces the chain 1) (see above pic) and work a new shell in next chain-1 space (see below pic) ...

.... and, again, slip stitch in the above chain-1 space, as did previously ...

Now : slip stitch in top of first DC made at the beginning of round 3 of your rectangle ...

... and slip stitch in tops of following 2 DCs and in corner, too !! Hope you can see this in the below pic ...

To complete the joining, just slip stitch in the top corner ...

Joining done !!!!!

DON'T CUT ANY YARN !!!!

We have to finish off the link properly ! In order to do that, simply turn your work from left to right of 90 degrees ...

... and work a single crochet (= SC) in the first corner at the left of the joining line.

You have to work 3 SCs into the tops of each shell and 1 SC in each chain-1 space and corner!

When the round is completed (last SC in corner adjacent joining line), slip stitch in first SC done, cut yarn, fasten off and weave in ends.

If you look closely at the above picture, you can notice how much neater looks the bottom line in comparison with the top one, not yet "single crocheted" !!!! ;oD

So, repeat the same procedure even for the bottom of your link : make a slip knot on your hook, insert it in the top corner at the left of the joined line and work your first SC.

Crochet the same pattern, but this time, when ending the round, slip stitch in the 2nd SC you made !!!

Cut yarn, fasten off and weave in all the ends !!!

LINK DONE !!!!! Go on the same way for all the other ones !!!! ;oD

PLEASE, NOTE that even your absolute first link is joined in the same way !!! The only difference is that you don't have to connect it to any link! It will be, instead, the first link to insert in the second one you will make !!!!

Nothing difficult and really addictive !!!

... and some more ...

.... Maybe with a softer yarn and a couple of tassels it would be nice as a scarf, too ....

Have a lovely weekend !!!!

xxxx Alessandra

... if you like more photo tutorials/patterns to try, just click HERE and ... have a lot of fun !!!