I spent part of this weekend making some egg-shaped easter pals for my nephew. I found the perfect lightweight wools and cashmere in my stash and even wrote up the basic pattern to share with you (scroll to the end of this post to see!).

These came out so  cute, and were fun to make. And you can really go to town striping your eggs with scrap yarns.  I didn’t write color changes into the pattern, but just change colors at the last yarn over of the last stitch of the round before you want to start the new color. You can also decorate these eggs with embroidery, or by adding felt shapes, etc, etc.  Each one took me about an hour to make, and I used an extended single crochet in order to get a lighter, stretchier fabric. You can even use these as egg cozies for your easter brunch (stop crocheting after Round 12, and be sure to use the recommended yarn weight/hook combo).

Believe it or not, I also made that basket that the eggs are hiding in. I took a basket weaving class with a local weaver this weekend, and I really enjoyed it.  At first, the weaving was all fun and games, but then we had to tuck each end of the reed into the basket– that part was a pain. While I don’t forsee pursuing the craft on my own (mainly because I don’t want to store yet another set of supplies!), I hope to take another class from her sometime soon. I felt like putting on a skirt, filling the basket with apples, and skipping around town when I finished it. Fortunately it was about 30 degrees outside so I didn’t indulge–but I will bust it out come farmer’s market season….

…if it’s not busy holding my yarn, that is!

Now, onto the egg/chick/bunny pattern!

Easter Eggs
Designed by Linda Permann, http://www.lindamade.com

Materials:
Any weight yarn with hook to match (I used fingering weight with a size 3,25 mm hook to get a close to life-size egg, you could also try worsted weight with a 3.75 or 4 mm hook for a slightly larger egg)
Yarn needle
Polyfil

Special Stitches:
Extended Single Crochet (esc): Insert hook in next stitch, yarn over and draw up a loop (there are now 2 loops on your hook). Yarn over and draw through the first loop, yarn over again and draw through the remaining loop.

Extended Single Crochet Decrease (dec): (Insert hook in next stitch, yarn over and draw up a loop) twice, draw last loop made through 2nd loop on hook, yarn over and draw through the remaining loop on your hook.

Note: This pattern uses standard crochet abbreviations.

Egg Shape (functions as an egg, or a chick or bunny body)
Make an adjustable ring.
Round 1: Ch 2, 7 esc in ring, join with a sl  st to first esc–7 esc.
Round 2: Ch 2, *esc in next st, 2 esc in next st; rep from * around, join with a sl st to first esc–10 esc.
Round 3: Repeat Round 2–15 esc.
Round 4: Ch 2, *esc in next 2 sts, 2 esc in next st; rep from * around, join with a sl st to first esc–20 esc.
Round 5: Repeat round 4–26 esc.
Rounds 6-12: Ch 2, esc in each st around, join with a sl st in first esc–26 esc.
Round 12: Ch 2, *esc in next 3 sts, dec over next 2 sts; rep from * around, join with a sl st in first esc– 21 esc.
Round 13: Ch 2, * esc in next 2 sts, dec over next 2 sts; rep from * around, join with a sl st in first sesc–16 esc.
Note: Stuff the egg shape with polyfil before continuing to the next rounds!!
Round 14: Ch 2, *esc in next st, dec over next 2 sts; rep * around, join with a sl st in first esc–12 esc.
Round 15: Ch 2, *dec over next 2 sts, leaving last loop of decrease on hook as you go (you may want to move them to a safety pin to hold them if it becomes difficult to go around). Cut a long end and draw it through the loops on your hook, starting at the loop farthest away from the hook (essentially you are making a drawstring for the last round of loops).
Weave in the ends, embroider the face (if desired).

Bunny Ears (make 2):
Note: I worked my ears directly into the head by attaching the yarn where I wanted each ear to start, chaining 2, and working the rows as described. You can also work them separately and sew them on (which is how I have written the directions).

Ch 6.
Row 1: Esc in 3rd ch from hook and each ch across, turn– 4 esc.
Row 2: Ch 2, esc in each chain across, turn– 4 esc.
Row 3 -4: Repeat row 2.
Row 5: Ch 2, decrease over next 2 sts, esc in remaining 2 sts, turn– 3 esc.
Row 6: Repeat row 2–3 esc.
Row 7: Repeat Row 5– 2 esc.
Row 8: Repeat Row 5– 1 esc.
Fasten off and weave in ends. Evenly sc around the entire outside edge of each ear. Attach ears to top of egg.

Enjoy! Please let me know if you find any errors as I haven’t had this pattern tested– and please share a pic with me if you use the pattern (you can upload one to ravelry and link to the project here)! You are free to make as many things as you like with this pattern, but if you’d like to sell the outcome, please credit me as the designer and link to this page. Thanks!