Free Pattern: Tiny Rabbit Amigurumi

Here's a simple little pattern to crochet a tiny rabbit, about 2" long. You crochet the ears and the feet as you go along, so the only sewing is for the features and the tail.

Tiny Rabbit Amigurumi

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
st = stitch or stitches
ss = slipstitch
sc = single crochet (US), double crochet (UK)

dc = double crochet (US), treble crochet (UK)

tog = together

sc2tog = decrease by working two sc together
FO = fasten off

General instructions:

Work in rounds unless otherwise stated and do not join rounds unless told to. Use a stitch marker to mark the start of a round - a small piece of different coloured yarn placed under the stitch at the start of the round will do. To start a round, you can use the magic ring method, but I prefer (ch2, work 6 sc into 1st ch). If you work the 6 sc over the tail of yarn as well you can use that to pull the hole tight.

Work through both loops of stitches unless otherwise indicated.

You will need:

Small amount of light brown yarn.
Small amount of white yarn.

Black yarn for features.

Small amount of stuffing.
3.5mm (E) hook.

Special stitch instructions:
4 dc pop: popcorn stitch for legs. Work 4 dc into 1 st, take hook out leaving loop, put hook through 1st dc & pull loop through.

Body:
Start at nose using light brown yarn.
Round 1: Ch2, work 6 sc into 1st ch - 6 st.
Round 2: [2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 st] 2 times – 8 st.
Round 3: Sc in each st around - 8 st.
Round 4: [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 4 times – 12 st.
Round 5: Sc in next 4 st, [ear: ss in next st, ch 6, sc into 2nd ch from hook, dc in next 3 ch, sc in next ch, ss back into original st], sc in next 2 st, [ear: as before], sc in next 4 st – 12 st.
Round 6: Sc in each st around (work into the first ss of the ears, not the second) - 12 st.
Round 7: Sc in next 4 st, [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 3 times, sc in next 2 st – 15 st.
Round 8: Sc in next 4 st, [2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 st] 3 times, sc in next 2 st – 18 st.
Round 9: 4 dc pop in next st, sc in next st, 4 dc pop in next st, sc in next 15 st – 18 st.
Round 10 - 11: (2 rounds) Sc in each st around - 18 st.
Round 12: Sc in next 17 st, 4 dc pop in next st – 18 st.
Round 13: Sc in next 4 st, 4 dc pop in next st, sc in next 13 st – 18 st.
Round 14: Sc in each st around - 18 st.
Round 15: [Sc2tog, sc in next st] 6 times – 12 st.

Round 16: [Sc2tog] 6 times – 6 st.

FO, leaving a length of yarn.

Use black yarn to sew eyes, nose and mouth, stuff and use length of light brown yarn to sew up hole at bottom.

Tail:

Using white yarn.

Ch 3, work 6 dc into 1st ch, join to first dc with ss. FO leaving a length of yarn and sew to bottom. Use the length of white yarn to sew front teeth if you wish.

Witches and Wizards

Fantasy has always been my favourite genre of books and films, so I thought I'd design some cute lttle amigurumis of various classic fantasy characters. Given that it's nearly halloween it seemed like a good idea to start with witches and wizards.

There are lots of great books featuring witches and wizards - Terry Pratchett's Discworld books have brilliant witches like the formidable Granny Weatherwax and the young but powerful Tiffany Aching, and Unseen University is home to a wonderful collection of  bickering wizards. One of the great things about the Harry Potter books is the fun J K Rowling has with all the eccentric characters in their amazing outfits and Tolkien, of course, created a classic and iconic character with Gandalf, the archetypal old, wise wizard.

One of my favourite books when I was little was The Witch Family by Eleanor Estes (if you've never heard of it you can take a look at some of it here: http://tiny.cc/wpl9p). It has lovely line drawings by Edward Ardizzone of a little witch girl, and the most adorable witch baby, which were definitely an inspiration for my designs.

My pattern is now for sale in my Etsy shop - http://www.etsy.com/listing/59426451/pattern-for-witch-or-wizard-mini - and with it there are instructions for all the variations to make a mini witch or  wizard (just 4.5" tall) with several different looks.

What Matters in the End

In Wednesday's New York Times, there was a story about a small pocket of Switzerland where Romansh is spoken. The number of Romansh speakers peaked in the early 19th century, but the peak amounted to about 2.2 percent of the total Swiss population.

Bookseller Elisabeth Maranta owns a store in that small pocket of Switzerland. When she was asked why most of the books in Romansh she sells are poetry, she said, "When a patient is dying, he writes only poetry."