Corn Marigold Sunny-Field Bunny – Knitting

This sweet spring bunny is designed as a collectible knitted doll with a soft farm-garden mood and a carefully styled outfit. The finished set includes the bunny, bonnet, cardigan, pleated skirt, little shoes, basket, wheat stems, round glasses, tiny bird, and a daffodil bouquet. It makes a charming handmade bunny doll for nursery decor, Easter display, seasonal shelf styling, baby shower gifting, and heirloom toy lovers searching for a knitted rabbit, cottagecore bunny, artisan doll, or spring gift set to buy.

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

Materials

• Main bunny yarn: light fingering or heavy lace weight in warm oatmeal-beige for head, body, arms, legs, and ears.
• Bonnet yarn: cream.
• Petal trim yarn: marigold yellow.
• Cardigan yarn: soft sage green.
• Skirt yarn: golden mustard.
• Shoe yarn: muted terracotta-orange.
• Basket yarn: straw beige.
• Bird yarn: taupe, walnut brown, cream, and a tiny amount of blue-gray for the beak.
• Flower yarn: bright yellow, daffodil yellow-orange, and leaf green.
• Daisy trim yarn: white, yellow, and sage green embroidery thread or very fine yarn.
• Needles: double-pointed needles or magic loop needles sized to create a firm fabric. For most yarns, 2.25 mm to 2.75 mm works well.
• Tapestry needle for sewing and embroidery.
• Stuffing: firm polyester fiberfill.
• Light floral wire for bouquet stems and glasses.
• Optional thin craft felt in warm brown for the bird wings if you want the exact layered look from the image.
• Black embroidery thread for eyes and mouth details.
• A tiny amount of pink-beige pencil or blush if you like gentle shading.

Finished Size

Using fine yarn and a tight gauge, the bunny stands about 10 to 11 inches tall from the sole of the shoe to the top of the bonnet. The body is compact and softly weighted, while the ears extend down beside the cardigan and finish near the upper arm line.

Gauge

Gauge is not the most important element for this doll, but firmness matters. The stitches should be dense enough that stuffing does not show. Knit tighter than you normally would for garments.

Abbreviations

• CO – cast on
• K – knit
• P – purl
• St st – stockinette stitch
• G st – garter stitch
• Kfb – knit into front and back of stitch
• M1L – make one left
• M1R – make one right
• K2tog – knit two together
• SSK – slip, slip, knit
• BO – bind off
• RS – right side
• WS – wrong side
• Rep – repeat
• Rnd – round

Construction Notes

This bunny is made in separate pieces and then assembled. The legs are knitted first, then joined into the lower body. The torso narrows softly at the waist and widens again at the chest. The head is a separate sphere with a gentle muzzle shaping created by embroidery and light sculpting.

The ears are long, flat, and softly rounded, with just enough stuffing at the base to keep them from collapsing too sharply. The bonnet frames the face in a thick cream ring and is edged with yellow petal points and a white ruffle crown.

The cardigan is slightly cropped and boxy, with a pebbled texture that resembles seed stitch worked firmly. The front bands are decorated with little embroidered daisies. The skirt is deeply pleated with narrow vertical knit ribs and finishes with a floral garland border.

Read through the whole piece before beginning. Many details are small, and keeping the proportions neat is the key to matching the photo closely.

Bunny Legs

Make 2 in oatmeal-beige. Start at the foot opening and work upward. The visible lower legs in the image are slim, straight, and only lightly stuffed because the skirt covers the upper section.

1. CO 12 stitches. Divide for working in the round.
2. Work 2 rounds in K1, P1 rib.
3. Knit 14 rounds in St st.
4. On the next round, increase evenly by 2 stitches. You have 14 stitches.
5. Knit 12 more rounds.
6. Lightly stuff the lower portion only.
7. Place stitches on hold and make the second leg the same way.

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The leg length should look slightly longer than typical toy proportions because the skirt hem sits above the ankles, letting the striped lower legs and the orange shoes remain visible.

Body

Join the legs to form the body. The bunny in the image has a rounded lower torso, a soft waist, and a narrower upper chest so the cardigan sits neatly without bulk.

1. With the first leg, knit across 14 stitches. CO 4 stitches. Knit across the second leg. CO 4 stitches to close the round. You have 36 stitches.
2. Knit 6 rounds even.
3. On the next round, K8, K2tog, K16, K2tog, K8. You have 34 stitches.
4. Knit 3 rounds.
5. Decrease 2 stitches every 4th round twice more until 30 stitches remain.
6. Knit 6 rounds for the waist section.
7. Increase 1 stitch after every 5 stitches around. You have 36 stitches.
8. Knit 8 rounds.
9. Decrease evenly to 30 stitches.
10. Knit 4 rounds.
11. Stuff firmly, shaping the tummy rounded but not overly wide.
12. Decrease every 4 stitches around to 24 stitches.
13. Knit 2 rounds.
14. Decrease every 3 stitches around to 18 stitches.
15. BO or leave a long tail for sewing to the head, depending on your preferred assembly method.

The finished body should be pear-shaped without looking heavy. From the front, it should appear slightly narrower than the cardigan width. From the side, the tummy should project just a little.

Arms

Make 2 in oatmeal-beige. The arms are short and lightly curved, ending in simple mitten-like paws that extend just beyond the cardigan sleeves.

1. CO 10 stitches and work in the round.
2. Knit 4 rounds.
3. Increase evenly to 12 stitches.
4. Knit 14 rounds.
5. For the upper arm, increase 2 stitches evenly. You have 14 stitches.
6. Knit 8 rounds.
7. Stuff lightly, mainly at the hand and upper arm base.
8. Flatten the top and close with three-needle bind off or draw the stitches closed.

Do not overstuff. The sleeves in the photo look softly padded, so the arms need enough flexibility to rest close to the body once sewn in place.

Head

The head is a rounded ball with a gentle lower-face taper. The face is simple and sweet, with tiny black stitched eyes spaced moderately apart and a narrow stitched nose-mouth detail.

1. CO 8 stitches using your preferred method for knitting a small closed circle.
2. Increase evenly in each round until you have 48 stitches.
3. Knit 18 rounds even.
4. On the next round, place markers to divide the face visually into center front and sides. This helps with embroidery later.
5. Knit 4 more rounds.
6. Begin decreasing evenly every other round until 24 stitches remain.
7. Stuff very firmly, especially the cheeks and forehead.
8. Decrease to 12 stitches and close tightly.

Before closing completely, shape the face with your fingers so the front is smooth and not pointed. The cheeks should be softly full, while the chin area should be neat and slightly narrower than the forehead.

Face Sculpting and Embroidery Placement

Use matching yarn or strong thread to make a tiny inward pull from the lower center face to create the subtle muzzle indentation. Keep it light. The image shows a smooth face with very delicate shaping rather than dramatic sculpting.

• Eyes: place them about 7 to 8 stitches apart, slightly above the face centerline.
• Nose: embroider a tiny inverted Y shape.
• Mouth: extend a short vertical line from the nose split.
• Optional shading: very soft blush may be added low on the cheeks.

The eyes should remain tiny and oval, not large safety eyes. This small scale is one of the most important details for matching the gentle expression in the photo.

Ears

Make 2 in oatmeal-beige. These ears are long, floppy, and narrow with a soft inner fold. They begin at the bonnet line and fall straight down to shoulder height.

1. CO 8 stitches.
2. Work in St st flat.
3. Row 1: Kfb, K6, Kfb. You have 10 stitches.
4. Row 2: P.
5. Row 3: Kfb, K8, Kfb. You have 12 stitches.
6. Continue in St st for 26 rows.
7. Shape the tip: K1, SSK, knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1.
8. Purl back.
9. Repeat the decrease row every RS row until 6 stitches remain.
10. Knit 1 row, then K2tog three times. Break yarn and draw through.

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Block lightly so the ears lie flat. Fold the lower edge slightly before sewing to the head. The sewn angle should send the ears downward rather than outward.

Joining Head and Body

Sew the head to the body securely. The neck should be almost hidden. Add extra stuffing at the top of the body if needed before closing, because the doll in the image has a stable upright stance and a full chest under the cardigan.

Sew the arms at the side of the upper torso. They should sit low enough that the cardigan sleeves cover the shoulder seam. Attach the ears to the head a little behind the face centerline so the bonnet can frame them naturally.

Bonnet Base

This bonnet is one of the signature features of the set. It has a softly gathered white back, a thick cream face ring, and a neat tie under the chin. The front opening is almost circular.

Begin with the white crown piece.

1. CO 50 stitches in cream-white and work flat.
2. Work 10 rows in G st.
3. Change to St st and work 8 rows.
4. On the next RS row, decrease evenly across to 36 stitches.
5. Work 6 more rows in G st.
6. Thread yarn through the live stitches and draw up gently to form the back of the bonnet.

Now work the face ring separately in cream.

1. CO 14 stitches.
2. Work in G st until the strip fits around the bonnet opening and frames the face with a thick padded look. This usually takes 48 to 54 rows, depending on gauge.
3. BO.
4. Sew the strip around the face opening, easing smoothly.

To recreate the thick rounded edge in the photo, lightly stuff the ring with a narrow strand of fiberfill or fold it lengthwise before sewing so it stands proud around the face.

Bonnet Petal Trim

The sunny marigold edging appears as small pointed petals peeking around the face ring. Make 12 to 14 petals in yellow, depending on your gauge and desired fullness.

1. For each petal, CO 3 stitches.
2. Row 1: K.
3. Row 2: Kfb, K1, Kfb. You have 5 stitches.
4. Row 3: K.
5. Row 4: K1, Kfb, K1, Kfb, K1. You have 7 stitches.
6. Rows 5 to 7: Knit.
7. Row 8: SSK, K3, K2tog. You have 5 stitches.
8. Row 9: Knit.
9. Row 10: SSK, K1, K2tog. You have 3 stitches.
10. Row 11: Knit.
11. Row 12: K3tog. Fasten off.

Sew the petals evenly around the outside of the cream face ring so the points fan outward like a marigold halo. Keep the petals tucked slightly behind the ring, not on top of it.

Bonnet Ties

For the chin ties, make two narrow i-cords in cream. Each should be long enough to form a soft bow under the chin.

1. CO 3 stitches.
2. Work i-cord for about 7 inches.
3. BO and make a second tie.
4. Sew one to each lower side of the bonnet.

The finished bow in the image is small and centered, with short tails.

Cardigan

This cardigan is a soft sage green with a gently boxy shape, slight drop shoulders, and a nubby texture. Seed stitch gives the closest look.

Work flat from the lower body edge upward in one piece to the armholes.

1. CO 48 stitches.
2. Work 4 rows in G st.
3. Continue in seed stitch for 24 rows.
4. Divide for fronts and back: 12 stitches left front, 24 stitches back, 12 stitches right front.
5. Work each section separately to the shoulders, keeping the same texture.
6. At the neckline, shape each front by binding off 2 stitches once, then 1 stitch once.
7. Work shoulders straight for 4 more rows and BO.

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Sleeves are worked separately and sewn in.

1. CO 18 stitches.
2. Work 4 rows in G st.
3. Continue in seed stitch, increasing 1 stitch each side every 8th row twice. You have 22 stitches.
4. Work until sleeve length reaches the wrist point seen in the photo, about 22 rows total from the cuff.
5. BO loosely.

Sew shoulder seams first, then attach sleeves, then sew side and sleeve seams. The cardigan should sit open at the center front with the skirt and a hint of the beige body visible underneath.

Daisy Front Bands

The cardigan has narrow cream edge bands, each decorated with embroidered white daisies and tiny yellow centers. A green vine-like outline sits just inside the edge.

1. Pick up stitches along each front edge with cream yarn.
2. Work 3 rows in G st.
3. BO.

Using white yarn, embroider evenly spaced daisy petals down both bands. Add yellow French knots or tiny satin centers. With fine sage thread, add a narrow line beside the daisies to imitate the green edging visible in the image.

Keep the daisies petite. The trim should look refined, not oversized. This detail gives the cardigan its meadow character and is very noticeable in the finished piece.

Skirt

The skirt is golden mustard with narrow vertical lines, a gentle flare, and a decorated hem. It looks like a lightly pleated knitted skirt attached at the waist and falling to mid-calf.

Work from the waist downward.

1. CO 60 stitches.
2. Join for working in the round.
3. Work 4 rounds in K1, P1 rib.
4. Begin skirt texture: K2, P1 around.
5. Every 6th round, increase 1 stitch in each knit section every fourth repeat around. Spread increases gradually over 4 increase rounds total.
6. After all increase rounds, you should have about 76 to 80 stitches.
7. Continue in pattern until the skirt reaches just below the knees of the doll.
8. Finish with 4 rounds of K all around for a clean lower edge.
9. BO loosely.

Steam lightly to let the pleats drop. The skirt should not be stiff. It should hang in rounded columns, echoing the soft gathered look in the photo.

Skirt Garland Hem

This trim is formed from a twisted green stem, little yellow bobbles, and tiny flowers. It sits a little above the hem rather than directly on the edge.

• Stem: make a slender green i-cord long enough to circle the skirt front and sides.
• Buds: make 8 to 10 tiny yellow knots or bobbles.
• Flowers: make 3 to 5 tiny yellow flowers.

For each flower, create a tiny center and five small petals. Sew the green stem in a shallow swag across the skirt hemline. Attach the buds along it, then place the flowers slightly heavier toward one side, matching the casual clustered look in the image.

Shoes

The shoes are burnt orange Mary Jane flats with a rounded toe and a top strap opening effect. They cover the feet but leave a little opening at the upper front.

Make 2.

1. CO 12 stitches in terracotta-orange.
2. Work 4 rows in G st.
3. Pick up stitches around the sides if you prefer a slipper construction, or continue with a flat sole-and-upper build.
4. Shape the toe by increasing to 16 stitches across the front section.
5. Work short rows or decreases at the sides to create a rounded shoe cup.
6. Leave a central opening on the instep by binding off 3 stitches at center front and casting them back on after 2 rows.
7. Work 3 more rows and sew the back seam.

Add a narrow ankle edge in the same yarn. The shoes should be snug and slightly shallow, with the lower leg still visible above them.

Tiny Basket

The basket is a small straw-beige market basket with a rounded rectangular body and two short handles. It sits beside the bunny and should reach only about ankle height.

1. CO 12 stitches in straw beige.
2. Work a flat oval or rectangle base about 1.5 inches wide.
3. Pick up stitches around the edge and knit upward in G st or seed stitch for 10 to 12 rounds.
4. BO neatly.
5. For the handles, make two short i-cords and sew to opposite sides.

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Lightly stuff the basket base or add a cardboard insert if you want it to stand crisp and upright.

Wheat Stems

The wheat bundle contains three pale golden stems tied together loosely. Each stem is slender with a thicker grain head at the top.

1. Make three thin i-cords in pale wheat beige over floral wire cores.
2. For each grain head, wrap yarn repeatedly around the top inch of the wire and tack it in place with stitches.
3. Add tiny angled stitches down both sides of the head to imitate grain texture.
4. Bind the three stems together at the lower third with matching yarn.

Keep them rustic and simple. The bundle should look handmade and soft rather than botanically precise.

Round Glasses

The glasses are very small and delicate. In the image they appear as thin round spectacles placed in front of the bunny. Knitting alone will not give a neat miniature result, so craft wire is the best choice here.

1. Use thin dark wire for the outer frame and bridge.
2. Wrap two small circles of equal size for the lenses.
3. Join with a narrow bridge.
4. Create short side arms and bend them gently outward.
5. If desired, stitch a tiny neutral thread around the circles to soften the shine.

Make the circles slightly oversized in relation to the bird, but much smaller than the bunny face. They are an accent prop and should remain delicate.

Bird

The tiny bird beside the bunny has a rounded body, cream face area, taupe belly, brown wings, and a tied cream bonnet-like hood. It looks cozy and slightly rustic.

Bird Body

1. CO 6 stitches in taupe and increase to 24 stitches.
2. Knit 10 rounds even.
3. Change to a slightly lighter taupe or beige for the lower belly if desired.
4. Decrease gradually to shape a plump oval.
5. Stuff firmly and close.

Bird Face Patch

Embroider or sew a small cream oval onto the upper front of the body. Add one tiny black eye and a blue-gray beak at the side angle shown in the image.

Bird Wings

1. Make 2 small brown wing pieces in G st, almond shaped.
2. CO 3 stitches.
3. Increase to 7 stitches.
4. Knit 4 rows.
5. Decrease back to 3 stitches and fasten off.
6. Sew one wing to each side.

Bird Hood and Ties

Knit a tiny cream semicircle and sew around the bird head like a bonnet. Add two very short ties and knot them under the chin. This small detail is important because it mirrors the bunny bonnet styling.

Daffodil Bouquet

The bouquet contains three bright yellow daffodils with green wrapped stems. Each flower has six outer petals and a deeper yellow-orange center cup.

Outer Petals

1. For each flower, make 6 petals in bright yellow.
2. CO 3 stitches.
3. Increase to 5 stitches.
4. Knit 4 rows.
5. Decrease back to 3 stitches.
6. Fasten off, leaving a sewing tail.

Trumpet Centers

1. CO 12 stitches in darker yellow-orange.
2. Join in the round.
3. Work 3 rounds in K1, P1 rib or tiny textured rounds.
4. BO, leaving a tail.

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Assembly of Daffodils

Sew six petals around the base of one trumpet center. Attach the flower to a green wire stem wrapped with yarn. Repeat for three flowers, then bind the stems together with matching green yarn near the base as shown in the image.

The bouquet should angle slightly to one side rather than stand straight. This relaxed tilt matches the natural arrangement visible on the table.

Final Assembly and Facial Detailing

Dress the bunny first with the skirt, then cardigan, then shoes, and finally the bonnet. Tie the bonnet in a small bow. Check that the ears fall evenly outside the face ring and beneath the bonnet edge.

Embroider the face only after the bonnet is tested in place. This helps you keep the eyes centered inside the opening. Add the smallest possible stitches for the eyes and a narrow nose-mouth shape for a gentle, calm expression.

Arrange the props close to the bunny for display. Place the basket on one side, the bird on the other, and the bouquet, glasses, and wheat in front to recreate the balanced tabletop scene.

Care Notes

• Spot clean whenever possible.
• Handle the glasses and wired flowers gently.
• Store away from direct sunlight to protect the soft spring colors.
• Do not hang the bunny by the ears or bonnet ties.
• If gifting to a child, remove the glasses and other delicate props first.

Quick Checklist Before You Finish

• Are both ears the same length and angle?
• Does the bonnet ring frame the face evenly?
• Are the daisy front bands centered and matching?
• Does the skirt flare softly without twisting?
• Are the shoes snug and even at the toes?
• Is the face expression balanced and gentle?
• Are all props scaled small enough beside the bunny?

Detailed Cleaning and Preservation Guidelines

Use a soft cloth or dry brush for regular dusting. For light marks, dab with cool water and a tiny amount of mild wool-safe soap. Never soak the wired accessories or leave the doll resting on a wet towel.

Dry the bunny flat on a clean cloth and reshape the bonnet, cardigan, and skirt while damp. Keep the piece in a breathable box or on a shelf away from moisture, strong heat, and prolonged sun exposure.

If you are storing the set for a season, wrap the glasses separately, keep the flowers straight, and place acid-free tissue around the bonnet petals so they hold their shape. With gentle care, the full set will remain beautiful for years.