Knit a Rabbit Video Tutorial & Free Pattern — From Britain with Love
There is something wonderfully timeless about a hand-knitted rabbit. Whether you are making one for a new baby, a beloved child, or simply as a satisfying creative project for yourself, the knitted bunny holds a special place in the world of handmade toys. In this post, you will find everything you need to bring your own rabbit to life — a free knitting pattern, step-by-step guidance, and a full video tutorial to keep you company as you work through every stage. This is British knitting at its most heartfelt, and we hope it becomes a project you return to again and again.
Why Knit a Rabbit?
Knitted toys have been made by hand in Britain for well over a century. Long before mass-produced plastic toys filled the shelves, grandmothers and mothers sat by the fireside crafting small animals from oddments of yarn — little creatures that became treasured companions, handed down through generations and still sitting on bedroom shelves decades later.
A rabbit is one of the most satisfying toys to knit for several reasons. The shape is relatively simple, which makes it accessible even if you are not a highly experienced knitter. The ears are fun to make, the body is quick to work up, and the finishing — sewing the pieces together and adding those little details like embroidered eyes and a tiny pompom tail — feels genuinely rewarding. The finished result is something that looks polished and professional but was made with your own two hands.
Knitted rabbits also make wonderful gifts. They are appropriate for any age, any occasion, and any time of year — though naturally they are especially popular around Easter and at the arrival of a new baby. Using soft, baby-safe yarn means you can create something that a newborn can safely cuddle from day one.
What You Will Need
Before you cast on, gather your materials. One of the joys of this pattern is that it requires very little — a small amount of yarn, a pair of needles, and some basic notions you probably already have in your knitting bag.
Yarn: You will need approximately 100g of double knit (DK) weight yarn in your main colour. A soft, smooth yarn works beautifully and gives clean stitch definition that makes the toy easy to sew up. For a classic British look, a pale grey, warm cream, or soft brown works wonderfully. You might also want a small amount of a contrast colour for details such as the inner ears or a little jacket, though this is entirely optional.
For a rabbit that will be given to a baby or very young child, choose a yarn that is machine washable and has been tested to meet toy safety standards. Many British yarn brands produce excellent DK yarns in baby-safe fibres — merino wool blends and cotton mixes are both lovely choices.
Needles: A pair of 3.25mm (UK size 10) knitting needles. If you find your knitting tends to be loose, go down to 3mm. The fabric should be quite tight so that the toy stuffing does not show through.
Toy stuffing: You will need a small bag of polyester toy filling. Look for one that is CE marked and meets the relevant safety standards, particularly if the rabbit is intended for a child.
Notions: A blunt-ended tapestry needle for sewing up, a pair of small black safety eyes (9mm is a good size for this pattern) or black embroidery thread if you prefer to embroider the eyes for younger babies, and a small amount of pink embroidery thread for the nose.
Optional extras: A small amount of ribbon to tie in a bow around the neck, scraps of contrast yarn for the inner ear, and a small pompom maker if you want to create a fluffy tail rather than a sewn one.
Watch the Video Tutorial First
Before you begin knitting, we highly recommend watching the full video tutorial from start to finish, even if you plan to pause and work alongside it. Watching all the way through gives you a sense of the whole project — how the pieces are shaped, how the sewing up works, and what the finished rabbit should look like at each stage.
The video tutorial covers every step of this pattern in real time. You will see the cast on, the shaping rows for the body, the construction of the head and ears, and the full finishing process including sewing up, stuffing, attaching the eyes, and embroidering the face. There are close-up shots of the trickier moments, and the pace is relaxed and easy to follow whether you are a beginner or a more experienced knitter looking for a new toy pattern.
The video is designed to be watched on any device — you can prop your phone up on the table beside you as you knit, or work from a tablet. Many knitters find it helpful to set the video at a slightly slower speed when working through the sewing up stage, as there are a few fiddly moments that are easier to follow frame by frame.
Free Knitting Pattern: The Britain with Love Rabbit
Tension: 26 stitches and 34 rows to 10cm over stocking stitch on 3.25mm needles. Tension is not critical for a toy, but a tighter fabric gives a neater finish and prevents stuffing from showing through.
Abbreviations used in this pattern:
K — knit, P — purl, st(s) — stitch(es), st st — stocking stitch (knit one row, purl one row), K2tog — knit two stitches together, M1 — make one stitch (increase), sl1 — slip one stitch, psso — pass slipped stitch over, RS — right side, WS — wrong side, rep — repeat, rem — remaining.
Body (make one)
Cast on 10 sts.
Row 1 (RS): K across.
Row 2: P across.
Row 3: K1, M1, K to last st, M1, K1. (12 sts)
Row 4: P across.
Row 5: K1, M1, K to last st, M1, K1. (14 sts)
Row 6: P across.
Continue in this manner, increasing one stitch at each end of every knit row, until you have 30 sts. Work straight in st st for 20 rows without shaping.
Next row (RS): K1, K2tog, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1. (28 sts)
Next row: P across.
Repeat these two rows until 14 sts remain. Cast off.
Make a second piece the same. These form the front and back of the body.
Head (make one)
Cast on 8 sts.
Row 1 (RS): K across.
Row 2: P across.
Row 3: K1, M1, K to last st, M1, K1. (10 sts)
Row 4: P across.
Continue increasing as set on every RS row until you have 26 sts. Work straight for 14 rows.
Next row (RS): K1, K2tog, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1. (24 sts)
Next row: P.
Repeat these two rows until 10 sts remain. Cast off.
Make a second piece the same.
Ears (make two pairs)
Cast on 6 sts.
Work in st st for 20 rows without shaping.
Row 21 (RS): K1, K2tog, K2tog, K1. (4 sts)
Row 22: P across.
Row 23: K2tog, K2tog. (2 sts)
Row 24: P2tog. (1 st)
Break yarn and thread through remaining stitch.
If you are making contrast inner ears, work a second pair of ear pieces on 4 sts for 16 rows, then decrease in the same manner. These are sewn to the front of the main ear before assembling.
Arms (make two)
Cast on 8 sts.
Work in st st for 18 rows.
Row 19 (RS): K1, K2tog, K2, K2tog, K1. (6 sts)
Row 20: P across.
Row 21: K2tog, K2, K2tog. (4 sts)
Row 22: P2tog, P2tog. (2 sts)
Break yarn and thread through remaining stitches.
Make a second piece the same. Fold each arm in half lengthways, sew along the side and across the rounded top, leaving the cast on edge open for stuffing.
Legs (make two)
Cast on 12 sts.
Row 1: K across.
Row 2: P across.
Row 3: K1, M1, K to last st, M1, K1. (14 sts)
Row 4: P across.
Row 5: K1, M1, K to last st, M1, K1. (16 sts)
Row 6: P across.
Work straight in st st for 10 rows.
Next row (RS): K1, K2tog, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1. (14 sts)
Next row: P.
Repeat these two rows until 8 sts remain. Cast off.
Make a second piece the same. Fold and sew as for the arms, stuffing firmly before closing.
Tail
You can either make a small pompom from your main yarn (a 4cm pompom maker gives a good size) or cast on 12 sts, work 6 rows in st st, then gather the edges together and stuff lightly to form a small round bobble. Sew closed and attach to the back of the body.
Making Up
This is where your rabbit really comes to life, and it is the part the video tutorial covers in the most detail. Take your time here — careful sewing up makes the difference between a rabbit that looks homemade in the best possible sense and one that looks a little wobbly around the edges.
Body: Place the two body pieces together with right sides facing. Using your tapestry needle and a length of matching yarn, sew around the edges using mattress stitch or backstitch, leaving a gap of about 5cm along one side. Turn right side out, stuff firmly, and close the gap with neat stitches.
Head: Sew the two head pieces together in the same way, leaving a gap at the bottom. Stuff the head firmly — a well-stuffed head holds its shape and gives the rabbit a satisfying, solid feel. Before closing the gap, attach the safety eyes if you are using them. Position them roughly in the centre of the head, spaced about 2cm apart, and fix the washers firmly on the inside. If you are making the rabbit for a baby under three years old, embroider the eyes instead using a few satin stitches in black embroidery thread. Close the gap at the bottom of the head.
Ears: Sew an inner ear piece to the front of each ear if using a contrast colour. Fold the ear slightly so the edges meet at the bottom, and sew the cast on edges together. This gives the ear a gentle, natural curve. Attach the ears to the top of the head, positioning them symmetrically. The video shows exactly where to place them for the most pleasing result.
Assembly: Attach the head to the top of the body with firm, even stitches, making sure it sits centrally and upright. Attach the arms to the sides of the body about one third of the way down from the neck. Attach the legs to the lower sides of the body, angling them very slightly outward so the rabbit sits well. Sew on the tail at the back.
Face: Using pink embroidery thread, work a small Y-shape in satin stitch for the nose and mouth. A few short straight stitches just below the eyes suggest whiskers if you like. The face is the most personal part of the rabbit, and you will find that small adjustments to the placement of the features give your rabbit its own unique character.
Tips for Getting the Best Results
A few things we have learned from making many of these rabbits over the years are worth sharing here.
Stuffing firmly makes a real difference. An under-stuffed rabbit goes floppy and misshapen fairly quickly, especially after a child has given it plenty of love. Really pack the stuffing in, particularly in the head, and do not be shy about using more than you think you need.
If you are knitting the rabbit as a gift for a new baby, wash the yarn before you start — and certainly wash the finished rabbit before you gift it. This pre-shrinks the yarn and softens the fabric wonderfully.
Blocking the knitted pieces before sewing up is not strictly necessary for a toy, but it does make sewing up much easier. A quick press with a damp cloth (check your yarn label first) flattens the pieces and makes the edges easier to work with.
When sewing the head to the body, use a long length of yarn and work around the join twice before fastening off. This gives a strong, durable attachment that will withstand enthusiastic play.
If you want to make the rabbit even more special, you can add a tiny knitted scarf, a little jacket, or even a pair of dungarees. These make the rabbit feel truly bespoke and can be personalised with the recipient’s favourite colours.
Adapting the Pattern
One of the lovely things about a simple pattern like this is how easy it is to adapt. Changing the yarn weight changes the size of the rabbit — using Aran weight yarn on 4.5mm needles gives a larger, more substantial bunny that is wonderful for toddlers. Going up to chunky yarn on 6mm needles gives an extra-large rabbit that makes a brilliant nursery decoration.
You can also change the colour palette entirely. A white rabbit with pink inner ears is classic and sweet. A pale yellow or soft blue rabbit has a storybook quality. A grey rabbit with white inner ears looks particularly sophisticated and grown-up. Multi-coloured rabbits made from yarn scraps have a wonderful folk art quality that feels very traditionally British.
Sharing Your Makes
We would absolutely love to see the rabbits you make using this pattern and tutorial. There is something very moving about seeing a pattern travel out into the world and come back in dozens of different colours and yarns, each rabbit made by different hands with its own little character.
If you share your rabbit on social media, please do tag us — we feature as many makes as we can and celebrate every single one. Whether your rabbit has turned out perfectly symmetrical or has one ear slightly larger than the other, it is a handmade object made with care and intention, and that makes it genuinely wonderful.
A Note on British Knitting
This pattern is offered in the spirit of the great British tradition of passing knitting patterns between friends, family, and communities — freely, generously, and with the wish that the making brings as much pleasure as the finished object. Britain has an extraordinarily rich knitting heritage, from the Shetland islands to the Yorkshire Dales, from Welsh wool traditions to the lace knitters of Honiton. A small knitted rabbit is a modest contribution to that heritage, but it is a genuine one.
We hope this pattern and tutorial gives you many happy hours of knitting, and that the rabbit you make finds its way into the hands of someone who will love it for a very long time.
Happy knitting — from Britain, with love.
