Inspired by early American folk toys, this charming rabbit can be made in a variety of colours – take care to make the ears nice and long so that you can whisper secrets to her.
25g green merino roving
2 × size 40 triangular needles, for shaping
1–2 × size 42 triangular needles, for surface finishing
25g beige merino roving
Small amount of pink merino roving
2 × 4mm black glass eyes or seed beads
Thick black cotton thread
1 heart-shaped button
1 small round bead, to match the collar
Finished size: 9cm from base to head, not including the ears
1 Take two lengths of green roving, one measuring 30 × 4cm, the other measuring 10 × 4cm. Tease out the longer length a little, then fold it over twice so that it is roughly 10cm long. Fluff up the shorter length into a ball and insert it into one side so that you have a fatter end.
2 Pull the sides of the outer wool around to enclose the filling and shape it into a long flat-based cone, using two size 40 needles. It should be about 7 × 4cm at the final stage.
3 Cover the body with a thin layer of wool, to create a smooth surface. Two or even one size 42 needles are best for a fine finish. Where possible, make sure the covering fibres follow the same direction as the body fibres.
4 Measure out 8 × 4cm lengths of the beige roving. Fluff it into a loose ball and begin needling it directly onto the top of the body, shaping it into a nut-shaped head. It should be firm but still have some softness, so that you can fix the ears in later.
5 Add a little tail, two arms and two feet, using small pinches of wool. Shape them on the felting mat before fixing them to the body and then covering with thin wisps of wool, as you did with the body. One size 40 needle is best for this.
6 To make the ears, take two skinny lengths of wool measuring 10 × 2cm. Fold each one in half and work each into a long ear. Start off with two size 40 needles, then go down to one for detail. This needs careful, precise needling; you should pinch the wool to hold it in place so that you get really solid ears. Leave the joining ends soft and loose, though, so you can attach them to the head.
7 Cover each ear with a thin layer of wool and line the ears with pink wisps of wool before needling them to the head – I find that one size 42 needle works well here. When the ears are positioned well, cover the head and the joins with more surface wool. By the time you have finished, the ears should be about 6cm long.
8 Sew in the eyes using the sideways method and stitch a woffly nose with the black thread (see here). Decorate the body with the button, if using, and add a little collar around the neck using the pink roving. This not only looks sweet but also hides the join between the neck and the body. A tiny bead in the middle of the collar adds the final pretty touch.