So I used my webcam to take pictures of something else I've been working on - the Bunny Blanket Buddy, which can be found here. I was inspired by my favorite childhood toy, the Fisher Price Security Bunny:
My bunny looks nothing like this now, she's all tattered and her satin is dull, the blanket is threadbare and her face is coming off. But I love her dearly.
One can find these wonderful bunnies on eBay, but they are very expensive (upwards of 45 dollars - one was for more than $200!). So I found a knitting pattern on ravelry and modified it VERY heavily. Here is how it turned out:
Here are my modifications, for anyone who would like to make your own Securty Blanket Bunny:
First, you will need this pattern: Lion Brand's Bunny Blanket Buddy.
I used the same needles as directed in the pattern, but I used Schoeller Stahl Grazie, the same yarn I used for two baby blankets and a baby sweater. The bunny took just over one ball of yarn; I think if one made the ears first, she could just reajust the body to be one ball (i.e. stop knitting the head when you run out of yarn!).
I cast on two stitches, and then worked the body as follows: k1, yo, knit to end. I did this every row until I had 40 stitches.
I worked the arms as written in the pattern.
After I bound off for the arms, I worked the upper body thusly: k2tog, yo, k2tog, knit to end. I did this until I had 24 stitches.
Then I knit 2, then knit 2 together until the last two stitches, then knit two (so I had 14 stitches on the needles).
I then knit the head as directed, beginning with Row 63 of the pattern. When I was finished with knitting the head, I gathered it at the top and bottom to make it round.
I changed the ears completely, inspired by these bunnies' ears: Using smaller needles, cast on 11 stitches, leaving a long cast-on tail to secure ears to head. Work 5 rows in seed stitch. Working in seed stitch, decrease one stitch at each end every fourth row until you have three stitches left; decrease one stitch each row until you have one stitch left, pull yarn through and secure. Fold ears in half. Beginning with the front, sew ears to head. I flattened the back of the ear, forming a slight t-shape, to open the ear up as I stitched it down.
Knot the arms to form hands. Finished!
And in the spirit of all the bunny love, look what made the trip all the way from New York to Jerusalem:
This is my knitting bag, a huge Timbuk2 messenger that I purchased to use as a laptop bag but it killed my shoulder... luckily yarn is much lighter than my cheapo Dell Inspiron. But look closely...
