Daily Knitting Tutorial: The Toadstool Forager Bunny – Free Knitting Pattern

There is something quietly magical about a knitted bunny that carries a little basket, wears a mushroom cap, and looks like it just wandered out of a forest clearing on a dewy autumn morning. The Toadstool Forager Bunny is exactly that kind of project — the sort that makes people stop scrolling and say, “I need to make that.” Today I am sharing the full free pattern, tutorial notes, and all the tips you need to knit your own from start to finish.

Whether you are an intermediate knitter looking for a weekend project or a confident beginner ready to push into new territory, this pattern is designed to be approachable, clear, and genuinely enjoyable to work through. Grab your needles, pick out your favourite earthy yarn colours, and let’s get started.

About This Pattern

The Toadstool Forager Bunny stands approximately 28 cm (11 inches) tall from the base of her feet to the tips of her ears. She is knitted mostly in the round using double-pointed needles or a short circular needle, then stuffed and assembled. Her signature mushroom cap hat is knitted separately and sits snugly on her head. Her little foraging basket is made from a simple twisted cord and a base circle, but I will walk you through every step.

This pattern uses basic shaping techniques: increases, decreases, and short rows. If you have knitted a simple toy or amigurumi-style project before, you will feel right at home. If this is your first toy knit, take it slowly and use the tutorial notes alongside each section — they are there to help.

Materials You Will Need

Yarn:
The bunny body works best in a soft DK weight yarn in a warm neutral — think oat, sand, warm grey, or a dusty blush. You will need approximately 120 g for the body and head. For the mushroom hat, choose a deep terracotta, burnt orange, or forest red for the cap, and a creamy white or pale ivory for the underside and stem. Each colour requires only about 25–30 g. The basket calls for a small amount of a natural brown or tan yarn, and a tiny bit of green for any decorative leaves.

Needles: 3.25 mm double-pointed needles (set of four or five) or a 3.25 mm short circular needle (23–40 cm / 9–16 inch)

Other supplies: Stitch markers, yarn needle, toy stuffing (polyester fiberfill works well), two small black buttons or black safety eyes (9–12 mm), embroidery thread in black or dark brown for the nose and mouth, sewing needle and thread to secure buttons, and a few pins for assembling pieces before sewing.

Gauge: 24 stitches and 32 rows = 10 cm (4 inches) in stocking stitch. Gauge is not critical for a toy pattern, but a tighter gauge will give you a firmer fabric that hides the stuffing better, which is generally what you want.

Abbreviations Used in This Pattern

k — knit
p — purl
st(s) — stitch(es)
CO — cast on
BO — bind off
kfb — knit front and back (increase)
k2tog — knit two together (decrease)
ssk — slip, slip, knit (decrease)
pm — place marker
sm — slip marker
MR — magic ring (also called magic loop cast-on)
RS — right side
WS — wrong side
rnd — round

Part One: The Body

The body is knitted from the bottom up, worked in the round.

Using your DK body yarn, cast on 10 stitches using the magic ring method. If you are not familiar with the magic ring, you can alternatively cast on 10 stitches and join to work in the round, leaving a yarn tail long enough to close the gap at the bottom later.

Rnd 1: Knit all sts.
Rnd 2: (kfb) repeat to end — 20 sts.
Rnd 3: Knit.
Rnd 4: (k1, kfb) repeat to end — 30 sts.
Rnd 5: Knit.
Rnd 6: (k2, kfb) repeat to end — 40 sts.
Rnds 7–10: Knit 4 rounds even.
Rnd 11: (k3, kfb) repeat to end — 50 sts.
Rnds 12–30: Knit 19 rounds even. This is the main body tube and takes a little time, but it is wonderfully meditative knitting.

Now begin the shaping for the neck.

Rnd 31: (k3, k2tog) repeat to end — 40 sts.
Rnd 32: Knit.
Rnd 33: (k2, k2tog) repeat to end — 30 sts.
Rnd 34: Knit.
Rnd 35: (k1, k2tog) repeat to end — 20 sts.
Rnd 36: Knit.

Before closing the neck, stuff the body firmly with toy stuffing. You want it plump but not stretched to the point where the fabric strains — aim for a firm, round shape that sits solidly on a flat surface.

Rnd 37: (k2tog) repeat to end — 10 sts.

Cut yarn, thread through remaining stitches, and pull snug. Weave in the end securely on the inside.

Part Two: The Head

The head is knitted from the top down, also in the round.

Using your DK body yarn, cast on 8 sts using the magic ring.

Rnd 1: (kfb) repeat to end — 16 sts.
Rnd 2: Knit.
Rnd 3: (k1, kfb) repeat to end — 24 sts.
Rnd 4: Knit.
Rnd 5: (k2, kfb) repeat to end — 32 sts.
Rnd 6: Knit.
Rnd 7: (k3, kfb) repeat to end — 40 sts.
Rnds 8–22: Knit 15 rounds even.

Now begin decreasing for the neck edge.

Rnd 23: (k3, k2tog) repeat to end — 32 sts.
Rnd 24: Knit.
Rnd 25: (k2, k2tog) repeat to end — 24 sts.
Rnd 26: Knit.

Before fully closing, stuff the head firmly, shaping it into a round, slightly chubby ball. Leave the bottom open at 24 stitches for now — you will sew the head to the body after adding the face.

Place the eyes now, before stuffing is complete and while you can still reach inside comfortably. Position safety eyes or buttons approximately at round 15, spaced about 8–10 stitches apart, centred on the front of the face. Use a marker or pin to test placement before committing, because the position of the eyes does more than anything else to give your bunny its personality.

For the nose, use a few stitches of black or dark brown embroidery thread to create a small Y-shaped nose just below and between the eyes. A tiny upward curve on each side of the Y gives the impression of a gentle smile.

Once you are happy with the face, finish stuffing and continue decreasing to close.

Rnd 27: (k1, k2tog) repeat to end — 16 sts.
Rnd 28: (k2tog) repeat to end — 8 sts.

Cut yarn, thread through remaining stitches, pull snug, and weave in.

Part Three: The Ears

The ears are knitted flat and then folded and seamed slightly at the base to give them a natural, rounded shape. Make two.

Cast on 7 stitches.

Row 1 (RS): Knit.
Row 2 (WS): Purl.
Row 3: kfb, k to last st, kfb — 9 sts.
Row 4: Purl.
Row 5: kfb, k to last st, kfb — 11 sts.
Rows 6–18: Work in stocking stitch (knit RS, purl WS), 13 rows even.
Row 19: k1, ssk, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1 — 9 sts.
Row 20: Purl.
Row 21: k1, ssk, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1 — 7 sts.
Row 22: Purl.
Row 23: k1, ssk, k1, k2tog, k1 — 5 sts.
Row 24: Purl.
Row 25: ssk, k1, k2tog — 3 sts.
Row 26: Purl.
Row 27: sl1, k2tog, psso — 1 st.

Fasten off. Fold the cast-on edge slightly to bring the two bottom corners together, creating a gentle cup shape at the base of the ear. Sew through both layers to hold this shape. This little pinch is what gives the ears that perfect, slightly forward-tilted bunny look.

Part Four: The Arms and Legs

Arms (make two):

Cast on 6 sts using the magic ring.

Rnd 1: (kfb) repeat — 12 sts.
Rnds 2–4: Knit 3 rounds.
Rnd 5: (k2tog) repeat — 6 sts.

This creates the small rounded paw. Continue on these 6 sts:

Rnds 6–20: Knit 15 rounds even.

Stuff lightly — the arms should be flexible enough to pose, so do not overstuff them. Cast off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Legs (make two):

Cast on 8 sts using the magic ring.

Rnd 1: (kfb) repeat — 16 sts.
Rnds 2–5: Knit 4 rounds.
Rnd 6: (k2, k2tog) repeat — 12 sts.
Rnds 7–18: Knit 12 rounds even.

Stuff the foot firmly and the upper leg lightly. Cast off and leave a long tail.

Part Five: The Toadstool Cap Hat

This is the signature feature of the Toadstool Forager Bunny, and it is genuinely very satisfying to knit. The cap is worked from the top down in the round in your terracotta or red yarn, and the underside brim is picked up and knitted in cream or ivory.

Using your cap colour, cast on 6 sts using the magic ring.

Rnd 1: (kfb) repeat — 12 sts.
Rnd 2: Knit.
Rnd 3: (k1, kfb) repeat — 18 sts.
Rnd 4: Knit.
Rnd 5: (k2, kfb) repeat — 24 sts.
Rnd 6: Knit.
Rnd 7: (k3, kfb) repeat — 30 sts.
Rnd 8: Knit.
Rnd 9: (k4, kfb) repeat — 36 sts.
Rnds 10–14: Knit 5 rounds even.

Now shape the brim edge. Pick up and join a round of cream/ivory yarn at the edge of the cap.

Rnd 15 (Cream): (k5, kfb) repeat — 42 sts.
Rnd 16: Purl (this creates a turning ridge for the brim underside).
Rnd 17: (k6, kfb) repeat — 48 sts.
Rnd 18: Knit.
Rnd 19: Knit.

Bind off loosely. The brim will naturally curl under slightly, which is exactly what you want for that mushroom effect.

For the white spots, use a yarn needle and a length of cream or white yarn to embroider small French knots across the top of the cap. Space them irregularly — toadstools are not tidy, and neither are forest mushrooms. Aim for six to eight spots of varying sizes.

Part Six: The Little Foraging Basket

The basket is worked flat in a natural brown yarn.

Base circle: Cast on 4 stitches. Working in stocking stitch, increase one stitch each end of every RS row until you have 12 stitches, then work even for 6 rows, then decrease back to 4 stitches. Cast off. This creates a small oval base.

Sides: Pick up approximately 30 stitches evenly around the edge of the base. Work 8 rounds in the round in knit. For a woven texture, try alternating: one round knit, one round (k1, sl1 wyif). Bind off.

Handle: Make a twisted cord from two strands of the brown yarn, each cut to approximately 40 cm. Fold in half, attach at one end to a doorknob or ask someone to hold it, then twist tightly until the cord begins to double back on itself. Fold in half and let it twist around itself. Tie both ends together and attach to opposite sides of the basket rim.

You can tuck tiny green yarn loops into the basket to represent foraged herbs, or cut tiny felt leaves in forest green for added charm.

Assembly

Lay all your pieces out before you begin sewing. It helps to pin everything in place first and step back to look at the overall composition before committing to any stitches.

Sew the head to the body, aligning the neck edges and adding a small amount of extra stuffing to the neck area before fully closing the seam. The head should sit upright and slightly forward — not too far back, or your bunny will look like it is gazing at the ceiling.

Attach the ears to the top of the head. Placing them slightly toward the back and angling them forward gives the bunny an alert, curious expression. Sew through several rows of the head to make sure they are secure.

Sew the arms to the sides of the body at approximately round 28 from the base, angling them slightly forward and downward. Position the basket in one or both paws — you may want to tack the basket to the paw with a few invisible stitches so it does not droop.

Attach the legs to the base of the body, either pointing straight down for a standing bunny or angling forward for a seated pose. For a seated bunny, sew the legs further forward and angle the feet outward slightly.

Finally, place the mushroom cap hat on the head and stitch it in place around the inside brim with a few invisible stitches in matching yarn.

Tips and Variations

If you want to make this pattern a gift for a baby or toddler, replace the button eyes with firmly embroidered satin stitch eyes in dark yarn instead of safety eyes or buttons, which can present a choking hazard for very young children.

For a seasonal variation, try knitting the body in a soft heathered grey or dusty lavender for a more whimsical forest spirit look. An autumnal version in warm cinnamon tones with a deep purple or plum hat makes a stunning Halloween or harvest decoration.

You can add a tiny knitted or crocheted flower to the hat or the ear for a spring version. A small embroidered fern pattern along the base of the body adds beautiful detail if you enjoy surface embroidery.

If you have yarn scraps from other projects, the arms, legs, and basket are perfect for using them up — this is a wonderful stash-buster project overall.

A Few Final Thoughts

The Toadstool Forager Bunny is one of those patterns that rewards