Poppy Picnic Bunny – Knitting

A sweet handmade bunny like this makes a charming collectible for a nursery shelf, spring décor display, Easter gift, or heirloom toy. The soft neutral rabbit, poppy-trimmed dress, rosy cardigan, scarlet beret, little handbag, flower bouquet, picnic basket, and tiny robin give it the look of a premium handmade knitted doll that knitters and gift buyers often search for as a knitted bunny doll, handmade nursery rabbit, spring bunny decor, and collectible stuffed rabbit.

Please note: I strive for accuracy in every pattern, but occasional errors can happen. Thank you for understanding and for enjoying my designs.

Materials

• DK weight yarn in warm cream for the bunny body, head, ears, arms, and legs
• DK weight yarn in deep poppy red for the beret, dress hem, neckline trim, poppy petals, bag accents, bouquet wrap accents, shoe trim, and small decorative touches
• DK weight yarn in dusty rose for the cardigan and bow
• DK weight yarn in olive green for flower stems, leaves, and beret leaves
• Small amount of black yarn for flower centers and tiny details
• Small amount of tan, straw, beige, rust, gray-blue, and brown for the basket and robin
• 2.75 mm knitting needles for most pieces
• 2.5 mm knitting needles for smaller accessories if you prefer firmer fabric
• Toy stuffing
• Tapestry needle
• Stitch markers
• Waste yarn or stitch holders
• Thin cardboard for the basket base if desired
• Optional lightweight floral wire for shaping the bouquet stems and beret leaf if you want firmer structure

Finished Size and Overall Proportions

The finished bunny should stand about 11 to 12 inches tall from the soles of the shoes to the top of the head, not including the beret. With the beret in place, the full height will be slightly taller.

The head is large and softly rounded, taking up a little under one third of the total visible height. The torso is short and slightly barrel-shaped. The skirt begins high on the body and falls to just below the knee area, creating the sweet, old-fashioned silhouette shown in the image.

The ears are long, narrow, and softly flattened. They begin near the upper side areas of the head and fall straight down, ending near the lower skirt line. The arms are slim and lightly tapered. The legs are sturdy, short, and slightly separated so the bunny can stand with support.

The beret is generously slouched and wider than the head. The cardigan sits just above the waistline and does not close at the bottom. The dress is the visual center of the set, with a cream base, poppy motifs, green stems, red hem, and a dotted lower border.

Gauge and Fabric Notes

Use a firm gauge so the stuffing does not show through the stitches. Aim for a smooth stockinette fabric with very little stretch between stitches. The body fabric in the image is neat, dense, and even, so tighter knitting gives the best result.

Exact gauge is less important than proportion. If your bunny grows larger, keep the dress, cardigan, beret, shoes, and accessories scaled to the same body. Check often by placing finished pieces against one another before seaming.

Abbreviations

• CO = cast on
• K = knit
• P = purl
• St st = stockinette stitch
• Garter = knit every row
• kfb = knit into front and back of same stitch
• ssk = slip, slip, knit
• k2tog = knit 2 stitches together
• pm = place marker
• sm = slip marker
• rep = repeat
• RS = right side
• WS = wrong side

Construction Overview

The bunny is made in separate sections: legs, body, arms, head, ears, shoes, dress, cardigan, beret, handbag, bouquet, picnic basket, and robin. Sewing is important here because the image has a polished, posed finish rather than a loosely assembled toy look.

Work the body pieces in a clean, classic style. Keep shaping soft and rounded. Avoid sharp corners or overly long limbs. The charm of this design comes from gentle curves, small details, and balanced proportions.

Legs

Make 2 in cream.

1. CO 16 stitches.
2. Work 6 rows in St st, beginning with a knit row.
3. Increase on the next row: K1, kfb, knit to last 2 stitches, kfb, K1. 18 stitches.
4. Work 8 rows even.
5. Shape the upper leg: K1, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, K1. Repeat this decrease row every 4th row 3 more times. 10 stitches.
6. Work 10 rows even.
7. Do not bind off. Place stitches on a holder.

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Stuff the lower leg lightly before joining to the body. Keep the ankle area narrower than the calf so the shoes will fit the silhouette correctly. The finished legs should look softly tubular, not bulky.

Body

Join the two legs onto one needle.

1. Knit across first leg, CO 4 stitches, knit across second leg. 24 stitches.
2. Work 4 rows even.
3. On the next RS row, increase 1 stitch on each side of the central gap section and 1 stitch at each outer side edge for a total increase of 4 stitches. 28 stitches.
4. Work 8 rows even.
5. Increase again evenly across the row to 32 stitches.
6. Work 12 rows even.
7. Shape upper torso with one decrease row: K2, ssk, knit to last 4 stitches, k2tog, K2. 30 stitches.
8. Work 6 rows even.
9. Repeat decrease row once more. 28 stitches.
10. Work 4 rows even.
11. Bind off 4 stitches at the beginning of the next 2 rows for underarms. 20 stitches.
12. Work 4 rows even.
13. Place stitches on a holder for the neck join if knitting head upward, or bind off if you prefer to sew head separately.

Stuff the body firmly at the lower half and a little more lightly at the chest. This keeps the bunny stable while still allowing the dress to fall smoothly. The tummy should be softly rounded, not prominent.

Arms

Make 2 in cream.

1. CO 12 stitches.
2. Work 18 rows in St st.
3. Decrease row: K1, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, K1. 10 stitches.
4. Work 8 rows even.
5. Repeat decrease row once. 8 stitches.
6. Work 4 rows even.
7. Bind off.

Sew the side seams, stuff lightly, and flatten the top of each arm before attaching. The arms in the image hang naturally with a slight outward angle. They are not tightly posed against the body.

Head

Make 2 in cream or work in the round if you prefer. The image shows a full round face with a soft muzzle area and no sharply defined cheeks, so smooth shaping is more important than complicated contouring.

1. CO 14 stitches.
2. Row 1: Knit.
3. Row 2: Purl.
4. Row 3: K1, kfb across to last stitch, K1. Increase evenly to 24 stitches.
5. Work 5 rows even.
6. Increase evenly to 30 stitches.
7. Work 6 rows even.
8. Increase evenly to 36 stitches.
9. Work 10 rows even.
10. Decrease evenly to 30 stitches.
11. Work 4 rows even.
12. Decrease evenly to 24 stitches.
13. Work 4 rows even.
14. Decrease evenly to 14 stitches.
15. Work 1 WS row.
16. Bind off.

Sew the head seam neatly, leaving a gap for stuffing. Stuff very firmly so the face remains smooth. Shape the muzzle gently with your fingers while filling. Close the opening and attach to the body with a strong ladder stitch.

Ears

Make 2 in cream.

1. CO 8 stitches.
2. Work 10 rows in St st.
3. Increase row: K1, kfb, knit to last 2 stitches, kfb, K1. 10 stitches.
4. Work 18 rows even.
5. Decrease row: K1, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, K1. 8 stitches.
6. Work 6 rows even.
7. Bind off.

Sew each ear into a long flattened shape. Do not stuff. Lightly steam if needed so the ears lie smooth. Attach them slightly behind the head centerline so they fall down the sides just like the image.

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Facial Shaping

The face is simple and delicate. Place the eyes as tiny black embroidered knots or very small safety eyes. They sit wide apart, slightly above the midpoint of the face, and quite low compared to the full head height.

For the nose and mouth, embroider a very small upright nose triangle or short vertical nose line at the center of the muzzle. From that point, form a tidy split mouth with two short downward slants. The expression should remain calm, sweet, and neutral.

Use matching cream yarn for one or two subtle sculpting stitches from the neck area into the muzzle if you want a slightly raised snout. Keep it gentle. The bunny in the image has soft shaping, not a sharply pinched snout.

Dress

The dress is cream with a wide red hem, red neckline trim, green stems, red poppies, and tiny red dots near the lower edge. It is sleeveless under the cardigan and has a rounded, slightly flared skirt.

You can knit the skirt and bodice as one piece from the hem upward. The embroidery is added afterward. This gives the cleanest result and allows you to match the flower placement more accurately.

Dress Skirt and Bodice

1. Using red, CO 72 stitches.
2. Work 4 rows in garter for the lower hem band.
3. Change to cream.
4. Work 20 rows in St st.
5. Decrease round or row evenly to 64 stitches.
6. Work 8 rows even.
7. Decrease evenly to 56 stitches.
8. Work 8 rows even.
9. Decrease evenly to 48 stitches.
10. Work 6 rows even.
11. Divide for front and back if working flat from here, or continue with shaping as preferred.

For a flat version, work the front and back separately for 12 rows, shaping a shallow square neckline. The dress in the image shows a cream inset with a narrow red trim line near the neckline, visible above the cardigan opening.

Create short shoulder straps or seams that sit close to the neck. The dress should fit neatly over the body without excessive looseness. It is full at the hem but still tailored through the upper bodice.

Neckline Trim

Pick up stitches around the neckline using red and work 2 rows in garter or 1 narrow i-cord style edge. This trim should be visible above the cardigan and should frame the cream bib area clearly.

Poppy Embroidery Placement

The dress has five visible poppy motifs around the lower front and side area. One appears near the left side, two are centered across the front, and two more continue toward the right side. The flowers are placed above the dotted border, not directly on the hem.

Each poppy has rounded red petals and a dark center. Beneath each flower, embroider narrow olive stems rising upward from the lower section, with tiny leaf shapes extending diagonally. Keep the flowers evenly spaced but not perfectly symmetrical.

Embroider the red dotted border as small vertical seed-like stitches or French-knot style knots if you are mixing knit with embroidery. Scatter them in a single line above the hem band, leaving enough empty cream space to keep the design airy.

Dress Assembly Notes

• The skirt should flare softly and stop above the ankle
• The red hem band should be bold and clearly wider than the dotted border
• The flower line should wrap slightly onto the sides for the same visual balance as the image
• The neckline must remain visible above the cardigan

Cardigan

The cardigan is dusty rose, cropped, and open at the front. It has long sleeves, a softly rounded neckline, textured front edges, and a tied bow at chest level. The body is simple, but the neat finish is essential.

Back

1. CO 26 stitches in dusty rose.
2. Work 4 rows in garter.
3. Continue in St st with 2 garter stitches at each side edge for stability.
4. Work 18 rows even.
5. Bind off 3 stitches at the beginning of the next 2 rows for armholes.
6. Work 12 rows even.
7. Shape shoulders by binding off 6 stitches at the beginning of the next 2 rows.
8. Bind off remaining center stitches.

Left Front

1. CO 16 stitches.
2. Work 4 rows in garter.
3. Continue in St st, keeping 4 stitches at the front opening edge in garter for the textured band.
4. Work 18 rows even.
5. Shape armhole on outer edge to match back.
6. At the same time, shape neckline gradually by decreasing 1 stitch at the neck edge every 4th row 4 times.
7. When length matches back, bind off shoulder stitches.

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Make the right front to mirror.

Sleeves

1. CO 18 stitches.
2. Work 4 rows garter.
3. Continue in St st, increasing 1 stitch at each side every 8th row 3 times. 24 stitches.
4. Work until sleeve length reaches the wrist-to-upper-arm proportion shown in the image. The sleeve ends just above the bunny hand.
5. Bind off 3 stitches at the beginning of the next 2 rows.
6. Decrease 1 stitch at each side every RS row 4 times.
7. Bind off remaining stitches.

Finishing the Cardigan

Sew shoulder seams. Set in sleeves. Sew side and sleeve seams. Make a narrow dusty rose cord and tie it into a small bow at the upper chest. Stitch the bow securely so it sits flat and centered.

The cardigan hem should curve slightly outward because of the open fronts. The image shows gentle textured bands at each front edge, so keep the garter or seed-stitch edging visible and tidy.

Beret

The beret is a rich poppy red and oversized. It sits low on the bunny head, slightly tilted, and features two olive leaves and one small poppy decoration on the front right side.

1. Using red, CO 60 stitches.
2. Work 6 rounds or rows of K1, P1 rib for the headband.
3. Increase evenly to 90 stitches.
4. Work 12 rounds or rows in St st.
5. Increase evenly again to 102 stitches for a soft slouch.
6. Work 10 rounds or rows even.
7. Begin crown shaping: divide into 6 sections and decrease 1 stitch in each section every other round until 12 stitches remain.
8. Thread yarn through remaining stitches and close.

Shape the beret with steam and hand pressure so the top collapses softly toward one side. It should not sit like a tight cap. The visual effect depends on generous width.

Beret Embellishment

Knit or embroider two olive leaves, each small and rounded with gentle points. Add one tiny poppy with red petals and a dark center. Stitch the leaves first, then attach the flower slightly overlapping them.

Place the embellishment at the front right side of the beret as worn by the bunny. This detail is small but important because it balances the dress flowers and links the color story together.

Shoes

The shoes are cream Mary Jane style with a fine red edge near the sole and a strap across the top. They are soft decorative covers that sit over the knitted feet rather than structured footwear.

1. CO 14 stitches in cream.
2. Work 4 rows garter.
3. Work 8 rows in St st.
4. Shape toe with one decrease row at each side.
5. Work 4 rows even.
6. Bind off.

Sew each shoe into a shallow slipper shape. Add a narrow strap across the instep. Embroider a thin red line around the lower edge to mimic the trim shown in the image. Stitch shoes directly to the feet.

Handbag

The handbag is small, rounded, and color-blocked with cream upper sections and deep red lower panels. It has two red handles and a softly boxy base.

1. CO 20 stitches in red.
2. Work 10 rows in St st.
3. Change to cream and work 8 rows.
4. Bind off.

Make 2 identical pieces. Sew side seams and a flat base seam. Lightly stuff or insert a folded felt rectangle if you want the bag to hold shape. Knit or crochet two thin red handles and attach them firmly to the top edges.

The bag should reach about one third of the bunny leg height. Keep it compact and upright. In the image, the bag sits beside the bunny and looks slightly structured, not limp.

Poppy Bouquet

The bouquet contains several red poppies with black centers and green stems bundled together. The petals are soft and ruffled rather than flat geometric flowers.

Make 5 flowers.

1. For each flower, CO 24 stitches in red.
2. Work 1 row knit, 1 row purl.
3. Increase lightly across the next row to create a frill.
4. Work 2 more rows.
5. Bind off loosely.

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Roll or pleat each strip into a loose blossom and stitch at the base. Add a black center with embroidery or a tiny knitted knot. Create green stems as i-cords or tightly twisted yarn cords. Wrap the stems together and stitch the bundle.

The bouquet should feel generous but still miniature beside the bunny. Let the flower heads tilt in slightly different directions so the group looks natural.

Picnic Basket

The basket is straw-colored, low, and round with a fitted lid and curved handle. A small checked cloth peeks out from the side opening, giving it the picnic look seen in the image.

Basket Base and Wall

1. Using tan or straw yarn, CO 12 stitches.
2. Increase evenly over several rounds or short rows until you form a flat circle or oval base about 2 inches wide.
3. Work without increasing to create the side wall.
4. Bind off when the basket reaches a low bowl shape.

Lid

1. Make a second slightly domed circle just wider than the opening.
2. Work a few short rows at the edge if you want the lid to curve gently downward.
3. Attach on one side so it appears partly open.

Handle and Cloth

Form the handle with a firm cord in tan. Stitch one side securely to each side of the basket. For the checked cloth, knit a tiny square in cream, brown, and muted red checks if possible, or embroider the grid afterward.

Tuck the cloth under the lid so one corner hangs outward. This small touch matters because it recreates the exact picnic feeling of the image.

Robin

The little robin is round-bodied with a rust-red chest, pale belly, gray-blue wings, dark head bead-like eye, tiny beak, and a miniature poppy hat. It should look plump and charming, about the height of the bunny shoe.

Body

1. Begin with the lower belly in pale cream or light gray. CO 10 stitches.
2. Increase gradually to 22 stitches to form the widest body section.
3. Change to rust red for the chest and lower face area.
4. Add brown at the head and back upper area.
5. Shape into an oval sphere with matching decrease rows.

Stuff firmly. Add a tiny pointed beak in tan or brown. Embroider or use a tiny black bead for the eye. Keep the face simple and slightly forward-facing.

Wings

Make 2 small wings in gray-blue. Each should be a teardrop shape, lightly stuffed or unstuffed. Stitch one to each side, angled slightly backward. The wings in the image are visible and softly layered over the body.

Robin Hat

Make a tiny red flat cap or mini beret. Add one tiny poppy on top or front. This whimsical extra detail is small, but it is clearly visible in the image and should not be skipped.

Color Placement Summary

• Bunny body, ears, legs, arms, head, and shoes are warm cream
• Dress body is cream with red and green floral details
• Cardigan is dusty rose
• Beret is deep red with olive leaves and a small red flower
• Handbag combines cream and deep red
• Bouquet is red, black, and green
• Basket is straw tan with a checked cloth
• Robin uses rust, cream, brown, gray-blue, and red accents

Assembly Order

1. Sew and stuff legs, body, arms, and head
2. Attach head to body securely
3. Attach ears so they fall straight downward
4. Embroider face before dressing the bunny
5. Dress the bunny in the cream poppy dress
6. Add cardigan and stitch the bow neatly at the chest
7. Attach or position shoes
8. Fit and tilt the beret, then stitch in place discreetly
9. Arrange handbag, bouquet, basket, and robin around the bunny

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Styling Notes for an Accurate Finish

The beauty of this piece comes from restraint. Keep the face minimal, the color palette warm, and every accessory neat. Avoid oversized features or heavy embroidery. Nothing should overpower the bunny.

The dress should remain the focal clothing piece. The cardigan must frame it, not cover it. The beret should soften the silhouette from above, and the small props should create the picnic story around the bunny.

Check the overall stance when everything is assembled. The bunny should look centered, calm, and balanced. The accessories should sit close to the body but not crowd the feet.

Final Assembly and Facial Detailing

Attach the head with extra stitching so it remains upright. Sew the ears slightly behind the side line of the face. Place the eyes evenly and keep them small. Embroider the nose and split mouth neatly with short stitches so the expression stays gentle.

Dress the bunny before fixing the cardigan bow and beret permanently. Position the beret at a soft tilt. Arrange the accessories at ground level so the handbag, bouquet, basket, and robin echo the exact storybook layout.

Care Notes

Keep this knitted set for gentle display or careful play. Avoid rough pulling on the flowers, bird hat, handbag handles, and basket lid. Small decorative parts should be checked often if the piece will be handled by children.

Quick Checklist Before You Finish

• Face centered and symmetrical
• Ears long and evenly placed
• Dress hem level and poppies balanced
• Cardigan bow centered
• Beret tilted and flower trim attached
• Shoes matched
• Handbag, bouquet, basket, and robin completed

Detailed Cleaning and Preservation Guidelines

Spot clean gently with a barely damp cloth and mild soap. Do not soak unless every piece is securely stitched and colorfast. Reshape while drying flat on a towel. Keep away from strong sunlight to preserve the red, rose, and olive shades.

For long-term storage, wrap the bunny and accessories in clean tissue and place them in a breathable box. Avoid plastic bags in humid spaces. Store the bouquet, robin, and basket separately if you want every miniature detail to remain crisp.