K2TOG Lovey Bunny Blanket

K2TOG Lovey Bunny Blanket

Designed by Karen King

MATERIALS:

3 balls Crystal Palace Puffin for Main Color (MC);
1 ball Puffin for Contrast Color (CC).
Circular 24” long US 11 needle.
Stitch Marker (optional, to mark RS/WS),
Tapestry needle.
Assorted yarn scraps for embroidering eyes, nose, and mouth. (These should be washable.)
Small amount of washable stuffing for tail. (So little stuffing is needed, you might get away with using scraps of Puffin, if you have enough.)

Slip one stitch with yarn in front (swyif):: With yarn hanging from front, slip one stitch from left to right needle purlwise.
Make one (m1):: Insert left needle tip from front to back into the strand between the stitch on the left needle and the last stitch you knitted on the right needle, and lift the strand up onto the left needle. Now, knit the lifted strand like a stitch through the back loop. One stitch made.
K2TOG:: Knit the next two stitches together as one. One stitch decreased.
SSK:: Slip next to stitches individually, knitwise. Insert left needle into the front of these slipped sts (now on the right needle) and k2tog.
P2tog:: Purl the next two stitches together as one.
P3tog:: Purl the next three stitches together as one.
Wrap & Turn (w&t):: bring yarn between needles to other side of work (to the front if knitting, to the back if purling), slip st purlwise from left to right needle, bring yarn back to original side of work, slip stitch back to left needle, turn work

BODY:

With MC, CO 3 sts.
Swyif, k2.
Swyif, m1, k1, m1, k1.
(RS) Swyif, k to end.
(WS) Swyif, m1, k to last st, m1, k1.
Repeat steps 4 and 5, increasing at each end of every WS row, until you have 90 sts.

End with a RS row.

Piece measures approximately 14” from CO. 7.

BEGIN DECREASING:

Piece measures approximately 25” from CO.

HEAD:

1. With CC, k 2 rows. (This makes a ridge that helps the head to flop into proper position.)

BEGIN SHORT ROWS:

Repeat steps 3 and 4 until 6 sts are “live” in the middle, and 12 sts are wrapped on each side. You should end with a purl row.

BEGIN “LONG ROWS:”

Knit across the 6 live sts to the first wrapped st. To work this st, pick up its wrap and k2tog it with the st. w&t. (There will be 2 wraps on the same stitch).
Purl across to the first wrapped st. Pick up its wrap and p2tog it with the st. w&t (There will be 2 wraps on this stitch). On subsequent “long rows,” you will pick up both wraps from the double-wrapped sts and k3tog or p3tog them together with the st.
Repeat steps 1 and 2 until you have 30 live sts again.
BO all sts.
Using the mattress stitch, sew head almost all the way closed.
Stuff head.
Finish sewing head closed.

MAKE EARS:

INSIDE LAYERS:

1. With CC, and head flopped into position, and with the front of the head facing you, pick up and knit 8 sts from ridge of same color at the head fold beginning approximately 1.5” from edge of head.
2. Work in stockinette st for 11 rows, ending with a p row.
3. K2tog, k to end (7 sts)
4. Purl one row.
5. K2tog, k to end (6 sts)
6. Purl one row.
7. K2tog, k to end (5 sts)
8. Purl one row.
9. K2tog, k3 (4 sts)
10. Purl one row
11. K2tog twice. (2 sts)
12. BO 2 sts in purl. Make another inside layer on the other side of the head, reversing shaping as follows:
13. With CC, and head flopped into position, and with the front of the head facing you, pick up and knit 8 sts from ridge of same color at the head fold beginning approximately 1.5” from edge of head.
14. Work in stockinette st for 11 rows, ending with a p row.
15. k to last two sts, ssk (7 sts)
16. Purl one row.
17. k to last two sts, ssk (6 sts)
18. Purl one row.
19. k to last two sts, ssk (5 sts)
20. Purl one row.
21. k3, ssk (4 sts)
22. Purl one row
23. ssk twice. (2 sts)
24. BO 2 sts in purl.

OUTSIDE LAYER:

1. With MC, and head flopped into position, and with the back of the head facing you, pick up and knit 10 sts from ridge of the same color at the head fold beginning one st before where you started picking up the 8 sts for the inside layer and continuing until one st after the end of the inside layer.
2. Work in stockinette st for 11 rows, ending with a p row.
3. K2tog, k to end (9 sts)
4. Purl one row.
5. K2tog, k to end (8 sts)
6. Purl one row.
7. K2tog, k to end (7 sts)
8. Purl one row.
9. K2tog, k to end (6 sts)
10. Purl one row.
11. K2 tog, k to end (5 sts)
12. Purl one row.
13. K2tog, k3 (4 sts)
14. Purl one row
15. K2tog twice. (2 sts)
16. BO 2 sts in purl. Make another outside layer on the other side of the head, reversing shaping as follows:
17. With MC, and head flopped into position, and with the back of the head facing you, pick up and knit 10 sts from ridge of the same color at the head fold beginning one st before where you started picking up the 8 sts for the inside layer and continuing until one st after the end of the inside layer.
18. Work in stockinette st for 11 rows, ending with a p row.
19. K to last two sts, ssk (9 sts)
20. Purl one row.
21. K to last two sts, ssk (8 sts)
22. Purl one row.
23. K to last two sts, ssk (7 sts)
24. Purl one row.
25. K to last two sts, ssk (6 sts)
26. Purl one row.
27. K to last two sts, ssk (5 sts)
28. Purl one row.
29. k3, ssk (4 sts)
30. Purl one row
31. ssk twice. (2 sts)
32. BO 2 sts in purl.

Sew ear layers together invisibly, by taking yarn (of either color) through purl bumps on the back side of each layer. Embroider eyes, nose, mouth.

TAIL: You’ll need 5 dpns, size US 11.

1. With CC, and RS facing, pick up a 16 st square from the center of the bottom corner of the blanket. To do this, using dpn number 1, pick up 4 sts from the surface of the body going “north” towards the head. Then, using dpn number 2, pick up 4 sts going “east,” or to the right from the last st on dpn 1. Then, using dpn number 3, pick up 4 sts going “south,” or down from the last st on dpn 2. And finally, using dpn number 4, pick up 4 sts going “west,” or to the left from the last st on dpn 3. The last st on dpn number 4 should be right next to the first st on dpn number 1.
2. Using the tail of your yarn to mark the beginning of the round, K one round. (16 sts)
3. On dpn 1, *K1, M1, rep from star to end of dpn, ending with K1. Repeat on dpns 2, 3, and 4 to end of round. (12 sts increased, 28 sts total.)
4. K two rounds.
5. On dpn 1, *K1, k2tog, rep from star to end of dpn, ending with K1. Repeat on dpns 2, 3, and 4 to end of round. (8 sts decreased, 20 sts total.)
6. Stuff tail, using washable stuffing, or perhaps scraps of Puffin if you have enough.
7. On dpn 1, *K1, k2tog, K2. Repeat on dpns 2, 3, and 4 to end of round. (16 sts)
8. On dpn 1, k2tog twice. Repeat on dpns 2, 3, and 4 to end of round. (8 sts)
9. Last chance to add a tiny bit more stuffing if desired!
10. Cut yarn, leaving an 8” tail. Thread yarn onto tapestry needle, and draw yarn through all 8 sts, removing dpns.
11. Cinch up tight. Weave in tails.