Long before I started dressmaking, I knitted. In fact, barely a day would pass without me taking a little time out to knit up at least a few rows of whatever was on the needles. These days, I rarely take on a huge knitting project; it’s more novelty items or snoods. For Christmas, I knitted up a few cosy pairs of slippers for friends. With Easter just around the corner, though, I couldn’t resist revisiting this one: Sirdar’s Snuggly Snowflake Bunny. It’s like a rite of passage in my family for all the kids to get one and, since there has been a new addition this year, I thought I had better get a move on.
Flopsy stands about 18.5 inches tall, making him or her the perfect size for cuddles. The main part of Flopsy is knitted in the delightfully soft and fluffy Sirdar Snuggly Snowflake DK in Milky (630), which contrasts beautifully with all the other shades available for the ears, toes and paws – I personally prefer the soft Blue (660) or Pink Crush (661) shades to the Pink (644) shown in the pattern, but that’s just a matter of personal choice. I’ve used most of the shades – creamy (631) and beige (642) are also nice alternatives to the white.
I had almost forgotten (as caught up as I’ve been in sewing since Christmas) how utterly meditative knitting is! I mean, I *know* that research shows that knitting has a neuro-chemical effect on the brain – that knitting changes brain chemistry for the better, decreases stress hormones and increases the production serotonin and dopamine – but I had almost forgotten how good it feels.
Bonus: I don’t feel guilty sitting in front of the TV watching Jamie Fraser get his top off when I’m being productive and making something – you need to watch for dropped stitches, though, when that Jamie is about! Have a gratuitous crush moment:
