Crochet Adventures - Swirly Bunny Rugs

There are three swirly bunny rugs that I haven't told you about, I just use my own pattern when I do these. I didn't make these for anyone in particular, I just make them for something to do. So I have these bunny rugs in my stash, serving no purpose whatsoever!

For this pink swirly bunny rug, I used a 3.5mm hook and 4 ply luxury wool from Bendigo Woollen Mills.

pink swirly bunny rug

Here is the start of the pink swirly bunny rug, it took me 2 months from April 2021 to June 2021.

the start of a pink swirly bunny rug

This blue bunny rug was made using 4 ply bluebell Patons yarn, I had this in my stash and wanted to use it for a long time. My records show I made this one up really quickly, but I just don't believe it! These rugs usually take me so long to do! This one is from April 2021

blue swirly bunny rug with Patons bluebell yarn

this swirly bunny rug is a small one for a new born

Patons Bluebell yarn, a vintage yarn in my stash

Here is the start of another swirly bunny rug, this time I am using Patons Big Baby 3ply in a rainbow colourway. I started this one in December 2021.

the start of the rainbow swirly bunny rug

And here is the completed bunny rug, it took me over 6 months to complete, finishing in July 2022.

rainbow bunny rug using Paton Big Baby 3 ply

Crochet adventures- Hooked on Sunshine

I apologise for neglecting this blog! I thought I should bring you up to date with some things I've been doing since I've been away. One thing I've done is I purchased two patterns from Hooked on Sunshine, the Briar Rose and the Whatchamacallit!

I tried the Briar Rose first as it seemed to be the easiest one, and it was pretty easy! I completed this small rug in May 2021 using cotton yarn from Bendigo Woollen Mills.

My first Hooked on Sunshine pattern, the Briar Rose!

I thought long and hard about which pattern to do next. I had these colours left over from previous projects and wanted to use up what I had before purchasing more yarn, which I usually get from Bendigo Woollen Mills.

A selection of left over cotton yarn from Bendigo Woollen Mills

These colours were left over from different projects and I wouldn't normally put them all together, but I took a chance and purchased the Whatchamacallit pattern from Hooked on Sunshine. The photo of this project turned out to be a very popular post on Facebook, with lots of people liking it and commenting. I just wouldn't have thought these colours would go together and people would like it so much. I started this rug in November 2021 and completed it in February 2022.

day one of this Whatchamacallit

day two of this whatchamacallit

Whatchamacallit, with cotton yarn from Bendigo Woollen Mills

I still have a lot of yarn left in my stash, including this silky acrylic that was given to me by my mother many years ago. I have made other things with it, like a pair of hats for my sister in law and niece, but I still have a lot left. So I started another whatchamacallit in February 2022 using this pink yarn, its all just the one colour. I've been having a lot of trouble with motivation so haven't done much. I am no longer gaming at all, gaming all just feels "finished" and a waste of time. But what I now fill my time with is another dilemma! I think I might work on this rug and try and get it finished!

work in progress,a single colour Whatchmacallit!

Blue and Round Bunny Rug

I just don't remember when I made this, but it must have been months ago, maybe even last year. I've just sewn in the ends this morning and took some photos! I used a 3.5mm hook and 4ply acrylic yarn. I didn't make it for anyone in particular, just did it for fun!

Crochet spiral bunny rug in leaf, stone and lavender

Well this year is almost over and I haven't written here since January! Where has the year gone?? I just finished this spiral bunny rug that I have been working on for years. It doesn't lay flat because I think I may have changed size hook midway. I was sure I used a 3.5mm hook, but maybe the beginning was done with a 3mm hook? The yarn I used was 4 ply luxury wool from the Bendigo Woollen Mills. Its just a pattern I made up and I can't remember where I found the edge pattern. I don't know what I will do with this bunny rug, its imperfections make it unsuitable to sell. I guess I will just hang on to it in case I ever meet a baby that needs a woollen bunny rug!

Crochet spiral bunny rug in leaf, stone and lavender.

A close up of the crochet spiral.

A closeup of the crochet edge.

Pink Swirl Bunny Rug

I have finally gotten around to finishing the pink swirl bunny rug a friend asked me to do for a new baby. Its taken me a couple of months, I found it really hard to pick up. But now I'm really glad its finished! I used 4ply luxury Australian wool from the Bendigo Woollen Mill and a 3.5mm hook, and the result is just over 80cm wide. Yippeee!

a pretty pink swirl bunny rug for a baby girl

Pink and White Square Baby Rug

I made this lovely square baby rug a year or two ago and never wove in the ends until today. I was wary that I would change my mind and want the yarn for something else. But this rug really is so lovely, made with luxury yarn from the Bendigo Woollen Mill. I hope it finds its way to a nice home one day!

this baby rug is simply a large granny square with a scallop edge

the pink and white baby rug folded on a chair

a close up of the pink and white baby rug

Green and White Granny Square Rug

This rug is half the size I originally planned it to be, but I've decided to stop it here. The purpose of making this blanket was to use up some excess acrylic that was given to me, but I've been unhappy with how I arranged the colours. I joined the squares as I went along to make this a quick project, so there's little chance of me unravelling the squares to rearrange them!

the squares were joined as they went along to make for a quick project

This is just the right size to put in Tom's day-care bag for his nap time. Thomas started day-care yesterday, he had a great day, much better than me! I didn't spend much time on this project, but its been a work in progress for a long time, I only just finally got around to finishing yesterday when I finally had some time to myself. I used 8 ply acrylic yarn and a 4mm hook.

Rectangle Dolly Blanket

My niece has requested another dolly blanket, so this is what I came up with quickly in one afternoon while my son had his nap. I saw a picture of a granny rectangle which links to the pattern, I didn't follow the pattern, just used the picture as a guide. I did one lareg rectangle this time instead of lots of little squares like last time as I think there is less chance of it coming undone. I used brightly coloured acrylic so its easier to wash if it needs it, and a 4mm hook. I couldn't resist a fun fluffy white edge!

pink haired Barbie poses with the new dolly blanket

Here is my favourite pink haired Barbie posing with the blanket, no wonder she needs a blanket she's wearing a bathing suit, and in this weather! lol

brightly coloured rectangle doll's blanket with white edge

Pink Round Bunny Rug

I only just finished this one the other day, its been languishing in my project basket for months. I'm glad to have finally finished it, adding a delicate white edge. The pattern for the white edge was (sk 1 3 sc sk 1 sl st) repeated which made for smaller scallops. I used 5 ply pure wool my mum gave me, the same wool I used for the pink home shrug, and a 3.5mm hook.

pink round bunny rug with a white edge

detail of the swirling centre

detail of the delicate white edge

Fawn Round Rug

I finished this round lap rug months ago, but only just realised I haven't blogged about it yet. I must have finished it during the period of time I was without a camera! This is made from the left over 8 ply in fawn that I also used for another round rug that has sky blue stripes. Its the same pattern I use for my round rugs, and this one is a good size for a lap rug, not too big and not too small. For this I used my favourite hook, a size 4mm.

detail of the centre of the round rug

a round lap rug in fawn

the round lap rug folded up

Fawn & Sky Bunny Rug

I've been meaning to do a bunny rug using these yarns for a while, but it was something that kept getting postponed. Then a few weeks ago in a flurry of activity I did most of it in one very long day!

making this fawn and sky bunny rug was very relaxing

The fawn and sky blue colour combination is an interesting one, but quite lovely I think, I matched them because they were both 8 ply pure new wool and I had a lot of it. I have even more of the fawn colour left so have already started on another rug to use it up. It will be a swirling circular rug like this one. This fawn and sky bunny rug is currently for sale in my online store at madeit.com.au

my round rugs have swirling chain spaces to mark the increases

I wasn't as happy with how I started the rounds on this one, as it shows slightly even after blocking. And blocking a large rug like this is quite tricky to get it symmetrical while damp. Photographing it was also tricky, and I spent a whole day on that. After a frustrating day I posted on the facebook page for a sellers group on madeit. I got some feedback and advice, which made it worthwhile. I brightened the contrast in a photo shop type app, I think its just called 'paint'. Its simple enough for me to use, anyway!

detail of the center of the circular rug

Festive Spiral Bunny Rug

I made this new spiral bunny rug in Festive colours to help spruce up my banners in time for Christmas. I've also put it up for sale in my online shop, I wonder if anyone would like to buy it?

detail of the festive spiral bunny rug

It measure 66cm across, or 26 inches, and 3mm thick. I used 3 x 50g balls of pure Australian merino wool in 4 ply baby yarn, I bought it on special earlier this year. I used a 3mm hook, and it took me just over a week to complete. Now I know how to do these, this one was considerably quicker than the last spiral bunny rug I did, which was in lavender, leaf and stone. That one took me nearly a month to finish.

festive spiral bunny rug on a chair

As long as I remember the first round is 6 sc in one colour, then split into the 3 colours in the second round which is also sc. Then the third round starts the dc. I also used a lareg saftey pin to secure the two yarns I wasn't working with so there would be no unravelling. And I caught each colour up to the others, so when working with one I could go all the way around, this reduced the amount of time wasted picking up a new colour.

down view of the spiral bunny rug

I had a tiny bit left over, and not wanting to waste any of this precious yarn, I made a few small flowers to sell in my shop. I'll post about those tomorrow!

Turquoise and Apricot Granny Square Laprug

My mum has a compulsion to give a home to homeless things she finds, like stray pets and precious things at garage sales. She came across these 13 apricot coloured granny squares and just had to save them

a lap-rug made of salvaged granny squares

I was helping my mum sort out some yarn a couple of weeks ago, and we came across these squares. She thought to save these granny squares from being thrown away by someone who didn't recognise their value. My mum thought she could join them up for a rug and I said it would be quick! It was quick, but not as quick as I would have liked! We decided some turquoise coloured acrylic from South Africa matched the white flowers in the apricot squares nicely enough. 

I started joining the squares with a chain lattice. I've never done this before and never read a pattern on how to do it, but I have seen a photo of joining lattice on pinterest, so gave it a go. The joining lace is simply (5 ch sk 2 sl st) repeated. When a square comes to sit alongside another that has its lattice, the pattern becomes (2 ch, sc into 5 ch sp on other square, 2 ch, sk 2, sl st). The edge starts with into sl st (dc 1 ch dc) sc into ch sp, repeated, then the 2nd round is (2 dc 1 ch 1 dc) into ch sp, repeated.

a pocket made with the 13th square

I hope this can be put to use somewhere. Maybe it can be donated to charity to cheer up someone's lap. I even put the 13th square on top, into a handy pocket! You never know, maybe someone will like it ...

Cabled Spiral Bunny Rug in lavender, leaf and stone

It might not be the largest of projects, but if anything takes me weeks to make it really drags on and seems to take forever! This swirling cables spiral bunny rug was made for the friend of an in-law who is expecting a baby, they even paid in advance! Thankyous!


swirling spiral bunny rug in 4 ply baby wool

I started this on Tuesday 17th July, and finally finished sewing in the ends on 5th August. Because I used a 3mm hook and 4 ply baby yarn from Bendigo this took a lot longer than a bunny rug in thicker yarn using a larger hook. But the spirals look so effective I had to do it, and I'm a real glutton for punishment! The spiral is not easy to do, the yarns can get tangled if I don't carefully swap them over every time I change colours. One thing I improved this time is, to change colours less often and therefore create less opportunity for them to tangle, I now go with one colour all the way around instead of a quarter. The three colours meet up at the same place, and I don't even them out again until the end.

lavender, leaf and stone are colours suitable for a boy or girl

So I am able to pick up the project where I left off (I always have to take an extra moment to find my place and untangle the yarns), I have to leave an extra large loop. I even started securing the two unused colours with a safety pin to stop my work unravelling.


starting the spiral in leaf, lavender and stone 4 ply baby wool

Its a tricky pattern, but here is a rough idea of how it starts.
1. main colour, 2 ch, 6 sc into 1st ch, sl st
2. 1 ch 2 sc into same, 2 sc into next, start new colour on next sc, 2 sc in same, 2 sc into next, start 3rd colour on next sc, 2 sc in same, 2 sc into next
3. change hook to 1st colour, 2 dc in next, 2 dc in next, 2 dc in next, 2 dc in next (8 dc), repeat for each colour
4. continue with 3rd colour of previous round, (2 dc into next, fptrb around next) repeat for a total of 4 times, change to next colour and repeat for each colour
5. cont. with last colour, (1 dc in ext, 2 dc in next, fptrb in next) repeat for a total of 4 times, repeat for each colour
From then on, do the increase (2 dc) just before the cable (fptrb), otherwise put 1 dc into every dc, change colours as you come to them. To change colours less often and save time, catch up the colours to each other, then go all the way around, with each colour.

the beginning looks like a shell when all three colours catch up to each other

In a round, cables marking the increases from the centre out can be straight or swirled. I discovered this when making my latest spiral rug when I decided to mark the increases with cables instead of chain spaces. To make the cable straight, a stitch goes into every stitch, the increase occurs in the stitch before the cable. The treble is around the front post of that stitch, the next stitch is in the next stitch. Alternatively, to make the cables swirl, the increase occurs right after the stitch around which the cable will go. If no stitch is skipped then there are no gaps, and the swirl is slight. For a more prominent swirl, the stitch after the cable could be skipped and the increase can go into the stitch the cable goes around, then the cable goes around that same stitch as well. Some small gaps might appear in your work, but the swirl is more pronounced.

blanket edge pattern free from Lion Brand

Finally, after what seemed more like months than mere weeks, I came to the end and decided on an edge I found on pinterest. It turned out to be a free pattern from Lion Brand, just the trick! Although I changed it slightly by doing a dc instead of tr and 2 ch instead of 3 ch.

overview of the special bunny rug

The last thing to do was carefully sew in the ends, I did so that the ends can not be seen by either front or backside. Then I washed the bunny rug flat on my kitchen table, easing it into a 12 sided star shape. Gorgeous!

Delicate Spiral Bunny Rug in Blue with White

I really like the look of spiral crochet, its a far cry from your simple granny square! In fact I've now decided I don't like the look of granny squares!

detail of spiral centre after blocking

I've been trying spirals since April, and I've learned a few things. Firstly, the multiple balls of yarn can easily get tangled, so you need some system to keep them in order. Also, its not a quick project like other rugs, where you can just pick it up and quickly continue from where you left off. Its takes a few moments to find your place and the yarn you are up to.

spiral bunny rug in progress

Another important lesson I learnt from my earliest attempt at a spiral is that the larger the spiral becomes, the more and more tedious the counting of increases become. So from then on I've decided all my spirals will have a chain space or a cable to indicate the increase. This way you don't have to count stitches. One other thing of course is that this is a project impossible to do while Thomas is around, I have to wait until he is asleep. 

delicate spiral bunny rug in blue with white

For this blue with white spiral bunny rug I've made for a friend, I used a 3.5mm hook and Australian made 4 ply acrylic yarn from Patons in blue, white and a variegated white with flecks of blue in it. Because I used the smaller hook and yarn, it took many hours to complete this almost 80cm diameter rug which weighs about 160 grams.

centre of acrylic spiral before steam blocking

Before blocking, this bunny rug had a buckle in the centre where it didn't sit flat. It might have been because of that first round of 6 sc, because to be flat it should start with 12 dc or 6 sc then a 2nd round of 12 sc. I was nervous about steam blocking it, I was worried I would melt the acrylic yarn. But I put my iron on low synthetic heat and ironed it on the back side. It blocked quite nicely, even after a cool wash it held its new shape.

This is one of the few things I've made for a custom order, its very exciting for me. I'm happy with how it turned out. I want to make more of these in different colours, I'm thinking merino wool will be nicer!