Spring is on its way and we are ready to soak up the sunshine! Spring brings one of my favorite times of the year – Easter! If you need a quick and easy Easter basket stuffer, I’ve got the perfect pattern for you with this free crochet bunny! The Bitty Bunny Buddy is a quick and easy work-up that makes a great little rattle or teething toy!

This free crochet bunny is the smaller counterpart to the Snuggle Bunny Bobble Buddy, who is one of my most popular patterns! The Snuggle Bunny was the very first bobble buddy designed and holds a very special place in my heart!

Follow along with the free crochet bunny pattern below or check out the ad-free pdf pattern available here. For a limited time you can also grab this bundle featuring both the bitty bunny and the bitty bear pattern! Visual learner? Scroll to the bottom for links to the YouTube tutorial for this bunny pattern!

I’d love to have you share your project with me on Instagram or Facebook. Make sure to tag @_stuckonyoucrochet_ on Instagram or Stuck on You Crochet on Facebook if you’d like to share your project!

On to the details!

Bitty Bunny is a bitty buddy pattern designed by me. As a reminder or if you are new here, bitty buddies are a tiny-sized version of my bobble buddy patterns, which are a cross between a blanket and favorite stuffed animal. The bitties are teeny and sweet and make great rattles or teether toys. If you want to get your hands on a PDF copy of bitty bunny, or any other buddies, you can find the pattern listed on Etsy or Ravelry!

There are a variety of options for making the bitty bunny. I love to use size 4 cotton yarn for bitty buddy teethers but other worsted weight yarns can also be used. For a plush, snuggly version, try out a bulky sized yarn like Premier Parfait Chunky or Big Twist Baby Bear. In size 4 yarns, the bitties end up about 7 inches tall. In bulky plush yarn, they finish at about 10 inches tall. You can use the same pattern for either size! For added fun, sneak a rattle insert into the head or crinkle paper into the body of your little buddy!

For this feature, I had the opportunity to test out some cotton yarn from WeCrochet and let me tell you – I love it!! My go-to cotton has always been I Love This Cotton Yarn from Hobby Lobby. Cotton yarn can be really stiff and rough feeling but I have always loved the soft and vibrant color choices of I Love This Cotton Yarn. WeCrochet offered to have me test out a few of their yarns and let’s just say now I have a whole new pool to work from! I tested three different types with this pattern – Comfy, Comfy Bulky and Dishie.

Comfy is an incredibly soft and delicate cotton. It is a cotton blend of 75% Pima Cotton and 25% acrylic. It works up easily with no pilling or splitting of the yarns. I love that comfy comes in TWO sizes. The standard comfy is a size 4 cotton yarn although it is on the thinner side of size 4. Compared to I Love This Cotton Yarn, I’d say it is pretty similar in size and just as soft! Comfy Bulky is just a little bit bigger than the standard comfy. I used Comfy Bulky for the sweet cream bunny pictured below and you can see that is works up just a little bit bigger. I would not say this is a true size 5 bulky yarn. If you are looking for a true bulky, this works up thinner. However, it’s tough to find a thicker yet soft cotton yarn and this Comfy Bulky fits the bill for that!

For the gray bunny, I used Dishie yarn which is a 100% cotton yarn. It is just a little bit stiffer than Comfy but feels really soft and sturdy! The fibers are tightly woven and the color choices are gorgeous. The stitches are well defined and the bobbles really POP! I think Dishie yarn will be a great choice for bitty buddies and will hold up to the test of baby play! Read on to make your own free crochet bunny, like the gray bunny featured below!

Please note: This post contains affiliate links which means that if you purchase through the link, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my small business!

MATERIALS:

Materials needed for this little friend will vary based on the type of yarn you choose. If you choose a size 4 yarn, you will need smaller hooks and slightly less yardage of yarn whereas if you use a size 5 or 6 yarn, you will need larger hooks and slightly more yardage of yarn. A quick note about bulkier yarns – these patterns can work well with size 5 bulky yarn or with size 6 Parfait Chunky, but it is a very thin “size 6” yarn. I do not recommend using this pattern with Bernat Blanket Yarn as I feel that it just comes out far too bulky! I think a size 5 yarn works best if you want to make the chunky version.

Materials Needed Include:

HOOK(S): [My all-time favorite hooks are Clover Amour hooks]

• For Size 4 Cotton/Acrylic Yarn:
  2.75 mm • US size C // 4.0 mm • US size G
• For Bulkier Yarn (Parfait Chunky):
  4.0 mm • US size G // 5.0 mm • US size H

YARN: [I’ve used WeCrochet Comfy or Dishie//Hobby Lobby ILTY Cotton and Big Twist Baby Bear//Premier Parfait Chunky for this project]

Weight : Worsted
WeCrochet Comfy or Dishie
~ 80 yds in Main Color

Weight : Bulky
WeCrochet Comfy Bulky
Premier Parfait Chunky
~ 100 yds in Main Color

NOTIONS

• Darning Needle
• Embroidery Thread
• Measuring Tape
• Polyfil Stuffing
• Rattle Insert (if desired)
• Scissors
• Stitch Marker (if desired)

GAUGE
Exact gauge is not necessary for this project

FINAL HEIGHT
~7.5 // 10 inches from top to bottom

OK, Let’s Get Started!

If you prefer the ad-free printable version, you can find it on Etsy or Ravelry. Use code BITTY to save on any of the bitty buddy patterns!

Here’s a quick note! Most of my patterns use the bobble stitch. This is a unique stitch that creates bobbles which pop up off of the work to add to the texture and overall look of the project. For infants and children, this unique texture creates interest and great sensory input in their toy! I work my bobbles in the round by pushing them towards me rather than away from me so they end up on the outside of the work in the round. If you need help with this technique, see this stitch tutorial and check out this video which gives directions on how to work the bobble stitch in the round. The pattern featured in this video is the free pineapple plush, but the technique used is the same. On to the free crochet bunny pattern!

STITCH ABBREVIATIONS:

SPECIAL STITCHES:

BOBBLE STITCH (bobble): See this tutorial here!

To make a bobble stitch you will work multiple double crochets into the same stitch.

To begin, yarn over and insert hook into the stitch. Yarn over and draw up a loop. This leaves three loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull through the first two loops (two loops left on hook).

Yarn over, insert hook into the stitch. Yarn over and draw up a loop, leaving four loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull through the first two loops (three loops left on hook).

Yarn over, insert hook into the stitch. Yarn over and draw up a loop, leaving five loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull through the first two loops (four loops left on hook).

Yarn over, insert hook into the stitch. Yarn over and draw up a loop, leaving six loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull through the first two loops (five loops left on hook).

Yarn over and pull through the five loops on the hook. Pull stitch tightly and it will create a bobble. You can choose to make the bobbles on the right or the wrong side of your project, just make sure they are on the outside of the body when finished

DECREASE STITCHES (dec): To decrease stitches, you will sc or hdc 2 stitches together.

INCREASE STITCHES (inc): To increase stitches, you will sc or hdc 2 stitches into the same spot.

PATTERN:

MAKING THE EARS: (Make Two)

You will use a 2.75 mm hook for size 4 yarn or a 4.0 mm hook for bulkier yarn. Make TWO ears.

Round 1: To begin, make a magic circle. Place 6 sc in the magic circle. [6] Do not join. You will continue to work in the round.

Round 2: Place 2 sts in each st around [12]

Rounds 3-5: sc x 12 around. [12] (36 total stitches)

Round 6: [dec, sc x 2] x 3 [9]

Rounds 7-16: sc x 9 [9] (90 total stitches)

Round 17: dec, sc x 7 [8]

Round 18: Leave the ears unstuffed. Pinch the top of the ear together and place 4 sc through each side in order to close off the ear. Leaving a long tail, cut yarn and tie off. You will use the tail to sew the ear to the bunny head. Set aside until assembly.

MAKING THE ARMS: (Make Two)

You will use a 4.00 mm hook for size 4 yarn or a 5.0 mm hook for bulkier yarn. Make TWO arms.

Round 1: To begin, make a magic circle. Place 6 sc in the magic circle. [6] Do not join. You will continue to work in the round.

Rounds 2-11: sc x 6 around [6] (60 total stitches)

Round 12: You will leave the arms unstuffed. Pinch the top of the arm together and place 3 sc through each side in order to close off the arm. Cut yarn, tie off and weave in ends. You will use the crochet the arms into the body.

MAKING THE HEAD

Next you will make the head of the bunny. You will use a 4.0 mm hook for size 4 yarn or a 5.0 mm hook for size 5/6 yarn. If you crochet loosely, you may wish to size down slightly for the head of the bunny so that you don’t have holes in your work that allow the stuffing to show through. The eyes of the bunny will be embroidered so the pattern does NOT note to stop and add safety eyes. If you prefer to use safety eyes, you will need to add facial features before closing the head.

Round 1: To begin, make a magic circle. Place 6 sc in the magic circle. [6] Do not join. You will continue to work in the round.

Round 2: [inc] x 6 around. [12]

Round 3: [inc, sc] x 6 around. [18]

Round 4: [inc, sc x 2] x 6 around. [24]

Round 5: [inc, sc x 3] x 6 around. [30]

Rounds 6-11: sc x 30 around. [30]

Round 12: [dec, sc x 3] x 6 around. [24]

*Stop here and begin stuffing head firmly.

Round 13: [dec, sc x 2] x 6 around. [18]

Round 14: [dec, sc] x 6 around. [12]

Round 15: [dec] in each st around. [6]

Leaving a bit of a tail, cut yarn and tie off. Thread a needle and sew under the front loop of each remaining stitch. Cinch tightly together to close the head. Tie off and weave in the ends.

MAKING THE BODY:

You will use a 4.0 mm hook for size 4 yarn or a 5.0 mm hook for size 5 yarn. If you use a bulkier weight yarn, you will want to size up to an even larger hook. I don’t recommend super bulky yarn as the bobbles end up kind of bulky and close together, but you may find something that works with a large hook size!

Stitch counts are included at the end of each round. Bobble rows include [total # stitches, # bobble stitches]. You will not join at the end of each row. You will continue to work in the round.

For rounds with increases and decreases, they will always be done with a hdc stitch, not a sc stitch. sc stitch will only be used on rounds that also have bobbles.

Round 1: To begin, make a magic circle. Place 6 hdc stitches in the magic circle. [6]

Do not join. You will continue to work in the round.

Round 2: [inc] x 6 around. [12]

Round 3: [inc, hdc] around. [18]

Round 4: [sc x 2, bobble] x 6. [18, 6 bobbles]

Round 5: [inc, hdc x 2] around. [24]

Round 6: sc x 2, bobble, [sc x 3, bobble] x 5, sc. [24, 6 bobbles]

Round 7: hdc x 24 around. [24]

Round 8: sc, [bobble, sc x 3] x 5, bobble, sc x 2. [24, 6 bobbles]

Round 9: hdc x 24 around. [24]

Round 10: [bobble, sc x 3] x 6. [24, 6 bobbles]

Round 11: hdc x 24 around. [24]

Round 12: [sc x 3, bobble] x 6. [24, 6 bobbles]

Round 13: hdc x 24 around. [24]

Round 14: sc x 2, bobble, [sc x 3, bobble] x 5, sc. [24, 6 bobbles]

Round 15: [hdc x 2, dec] x 6. [18]

Round 16: sc, [bobble, sc x 2] x 5, bobble, sc. [18, 6 bobbles]

Round 17: hdc x 18 around. [18]

Round 18: [hdc, dec] x 6. [12]

At this point, you will add the arms to your bunny to avoid having to sew them in later. The arms should be closed (as written in Part One) with three stitches across. Add in arms as below:

Round 19: sc x 3. For the next three stitches, place your first arm on the outside of the body and sc x 3 through both the arm and the stitches of the neck. This will attach your first arm.

sc x 2. For the next three stitches, place your second arm on the outside of the body and sc x 3 through both the arm and the stitches of the neck. This will attach your second arm. sc x 1 to finish the round.

Round 20: [dec, sc x 2] x 3. [9]

Slip stitch to first stitch and then, leaving a long tail, cut yarn and tie off. You will use this tail to attach the head to your body, so be sure to leave a long enough tail.

ASSEMBLY

You should now have the head finished and body with two attached arms. Next, we’ll attach the body to the head. I highly recommend using pins to make sure the head is sewn on straight and centered to the body. In a circular fashion, pin the opening of the body around the bottom of the head. There are nine stitches around the top of the body. Aim to pin the top of the body between rounds 14-15 on the bottom of the head. Carefully stitch through the body and head to attach. I prefer starting from the back of the body/head and moving around the front. I like to stitch around the head twice to make sure it is securely fashioned.

If you need help with attaching the head, check out the YouTube tutorial here.

ADDING THE FEATURES

Now that the head and body are attached, we will go back to add the features to the head. If preferred, you can add these features before assembling. Adding after assembly makes it easier to make sure the features are centered. If you are using safety eyes, you will need to add the features before assembly so that you are able to close up the head. Follow the same embroidery instructions below for placement of the safety eyes.

Embroider the eyes at row 7 from the top of the head. I like to make a simple V stitch across the row and leave 4-5 stitches in between the eyes. You can also use black and white embroidery thread to embroider true-looking eyes for your bunny.Add the ears on either side at the top of the head. Place the ear about 2 rows down from the top of the head.

To add the nose, thread an embroidery needle with colored embroidery thread. You will be using the needle and yarn to make a “v” shape that will be filled in to make the nose.

Push your needle up through a stitch at the bottom of row 9, centered between the eyes. Working at a diagonal, go up 1-2 rows and place your needle back through the head. Pull straight across the top leaving three stitches between and push your needle back up. Now, pull across diagonally back to the spot you first came through and place your needle back through the center. This should create a “v” shape.

If desired, you can fill in the “v” stitching in an up and down motion to fill in the space across the top. You can also just leave it as a simple v-stitch if you’d like!

Need more help? Check out my You Tube video for instruction on adding the facial features here.

Once you have finished the features and assembly, that’s it for our sweet bunny! The pdf pattern has some additional options for adding a teething ring to your buddy or turning it into a “binky buddy,” so check those out if you are interested! I hope you have enjoyed this free bitty buddy pattern!

If you are a visual learner and want to follow along with me as I make a bitty bunny, you can find the part one video tutorial here and the part two video tutorial here. Please note: these videos were filmed as part of an earlier crochet-a-long so are broken into parts one and two!

If you enjoyed the bitty buddies, you can check out the other animal options available on Etsy and Ravelry. Let me know what buddies you would like to see in a future crochet-a-long. Thanks for joining this one!

Please Note!
This pattern and the pictures are the property of Allison Wasserman and may not be copied, shared, reproduced or sold in part or in whole. The pattern may not be altered or rewritten in any way for resale. You may not use any photos without consent. You are permitted to sell the finished product in small quantities, but please credit the designer by linking to the shop or pattern in your online description.