It’s been an out of the ordinary kind of week this time. Two boys off from school and college for the Easter holidays and one back from Uni. How lovely to see a bit more of them for a change, chatting over tea breaks and meal times and enjoying the odd trip to town and the cinema. But equally nice to just know that they’re around and about in the house, doing their own thing and being independent teens. That means that I get my free time too for a spot of crochet or a bit of Easter decorating.

My bunny sketches are transforming into their yarn equivalents very pleasingly. I’ve worked out the basic pattern and now have all the fun of experimenting with colours. I prefer to finalize the details with hook and yarn as I go along, but these finished dolls are going to be a pretty close match to these doodles, more or less – except for the ears, and the collars and the carrot buttons!

The proportions are going to be roughly the same anyway…

I have a lovely work basket full of soft spring pastels to play with for the bunny outfits. I was hoping to have this pattern finished by now, but spending the extra time with the boys was fun and I know that’s not a decision I’ll live to regret. Anyway, bunnies aren’t just for Easter, they’re for life and I’m sure these bunnies will love to be treasured all year round. Well let’s be honest, who wouldn’t?

Lots of buttons and beads to play around with as well. Another part of the design process that I love, though I usually end up keeping it simple, I like to assess all the options and use it as an excuse to have a nosey through my many boxes of notions and nick-nacks.

I really enjoy making double patterns as it gives me more scope to expand my ideas, and I have the added bonus of knowing my creations have a trusty friend to call their own! Boy bunny is looking snazzy all dressed up in blue and lemon but I’ve become a bit obsessed with pink and aqua at the moment so that’s what girl bunny will be wearing. I’ve been happily pinning gorgeous images, devoted exclusively to that colour combo over on Pinterest. Here are just a few of my favorites…

You can find these lovely images (from left to right) on these equally lovely websites:

vintage-home.co.uk    houseofturquoise.com

cocorosetextiles.blogspot.co.uk     ana-rosa.tumblr.com

I’ve been experimenting with putting various hues of pink and aqua together, for fun and inspiration, trying out bits of yarn here and there, to get the shades a picture perfect match to the hues dancing around in my head. Those little Granny Squares in the middle are the very beginning of another big project. This one will be a soft, squishy coverlet for my bed. Just a few more rows to finish on the Mexican blanket and then I can give myself full permission to go tumbling head over heels on this new adventure.

As busy as this week has been there was a little time left over to decorate my Easter tree, so I went about carefully unwrapping my collection of festive eggs and hanging them from these twiggy boughs. With the addition of my recently crocheted micro chicks and eggs (free pattern here) I think it looks just grand. It will have pride of place in the center of the kitchen table for the next few days at least. Although it may turn out to be longer, after all I still have some snowflakes hanging up from Christmas in the bay window!

Just time to tidy up the mess I’ve made and then I’m going to sit down and admire my handiwork.

There’s a chocolate bunny whose been earmarked, or maybe I should say earlopped, to enjoy with a cup of tea. I reckon I’ve earned a treat, and its only a few hours until Easter Day!

Enjoy your weekend folks!

And for those who celebrate, have a Happy Easter.

xxx