A bunny rattle is a 6 cm stuffed head with two long ears, sewn to a fabric sleeve that wraps a 6 cm wooden teether ring. A rattle ball goes inside the head before it closes, so the whole thing is a baby toy with no loose parts: the ring is wood, the head is cotton, and everything is sewn down twice.
It is an advanced beginner pattern: the head is a plain 48-stitch sphere, and the only part that needs attention is the sleeve for the ring, which has to hug the wood exactly. If your ring is a different diameter, work more or fewer than nine rows until the strip wraps it without a gap.
Every round is written out below.
What you need
- Yarn: YarnArt Jeans in cream, about 90 yards, plus 5 yards in any colour for the flower
- Hook: 2 mm
- Hardware: one 6 cm wooden teether ring, one 24 mm rattle ball
- Notions: fibre fill, sewing needle, pins, scissors
Abbreviations
MR magic ring, sc single crochet, hdc half double crochet, dc double crochet, tr treble, ch chain, slst slip stitch, inc increase, dec decrease, BLO back loop only.
Head
Worked in a spiral. Gauge: 24 stitches and 25 rows = 10 cm.
- R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
- R2: 6 inc (12)
- R3: (sc, inc) x6 (18)
- R4: (2 sc, inc) x6 (24)
- R5: (3 sc, inc) x6 (30)
- R6: (4 sc, inc) x6 (36)
- R7: (5 sc, inc) x6 (42)
- R8: (6 sc, inc) x6 (48)
- R9–15: 48 sc — 7 rounds
- R16: (6 sc, dec) x6 (42)
- R17: (5 sc, dec) x6 (36)
- R18: (4 sc, dec) x6 (30)
- R19: (3 sc, dec) x6 (24)
Stuff the head firmly and push the rattle ball in before the next round — once R20 is closed you cannot add it.
- R20: (2 sc, dec) x6 (18)
- R21: (sc, dec) x6 (12)
- R22: 6 sc (6)
Cut the yarn with a long tail and close the opening.
Ears (make 2)
- R1: 6 sc in MR (6)
- R2: 6 inc (12)
- R3: (2 sc, inc) x4 (16)
- R4–11: 16 sc — 8 rounds
- R12: (6 sc, dec) x2 (14)
- R13: 14 sc (14)
- R14: (4 sc, dec) x2 (12)
- R15: 12 sc (12)
- R16: (4 sc, dec) x2 (10)
Leave a 15 cm tail. The ears are not stuffed: they stay flat so a baby can grab them.
Body: the ring sleeve
Worked in rows, not in the round.
- Foundation: ch 25
- Rows 1–9: 24 sc, ch 1, turn
Cut the yarn with a long tail, wrap the strip around the wooden ring and sew along the join. The sleeve must cover the ring completely — adjust the number of rows to your ring.
Collar
Brown, worked in rows.
- Foundation: ch 20
- Row 1: ch 2, dc in the 20th chain, then 2 dc in every stitch to the end, turn
- Row 2: ch 2, 2 dc in every stitch to the end
Leave a long tail for sewing.
Assembly
- Sew the head to the middle of the sleeve, firmly enough that it does not move when the rattle shakes.
- Fold each ear in half lengthwise so a dimple forms at the base, then sew them between R4 and R5 of the head, using pins to place them first.
- Slide the collar between the body and the head, sew its ends into a ring, then tack it to the head in several places so it does not dangle.
- Embroider the nose between R11 and R12: a horizontal line four stitches wide, then a vertical line two rows down from its middle.
- Embroider the eyes two stitches out from each end of the nose line.
Flower
Optional, and it is what gives the rattle its colour. Ch 10.
- Row 1: ch 1, 4 sc in one chain, slst; 4 hdc in one chain, slst; 4 dc in one chain, slst; change colour; (hdc, 2 dc, 2 tr, 2 dc, hdc) in one chain, slst; repeat once more
Cut the yarn, roll the strip up and shape it into a flower, then sew it tightly to the collar.
Notes
This is a toy for a baby, so sew every piece twice and check that the rattle ball cannot work its way out: it must be inside the stuffing, not loose in the head. Wash by hand; the wooden ring should not soak.
More baby makes: Cat Rattle is the other rattle in the collection, Baby Sunflower is the flower with legs, and Purple Zombie Bunny is the plush rabbit. Everything is on the patterns page.
Pattern source: Bunny baby rattle with teether ring, Anna Ushakova.
Another palm-sized baby toy is 2 in 1 Frog: two 60-stitch discs crocheted together at the rim.
A small toy with a removable accessory: Baby Alien and its folded scarf.
If you like pieces that sit up on their own, Three Little Kittens gets its stance from a flat 16-stitch paw.
1 comment