Project introduction
This article is a pattern overview, not a full tutorial, for a sweet bonnet from Winding Road Crochet that can be finished with long bunny ears or shorter lamb ears. The design is made for spring photos and Easter dressing, and the source page brings together sizing guidance, gauge, stitches, instructional photos, and a companion video. Start with the Original designer’s pattern and instructions for the complete pattern.
Crochet Bunny Bonnet for Spring and Easter
The designer created this bonnet after a new baby arrived at home, wanting something special for Easter pictures. Rather than choosing between two separate designs, the single pattern covers both looks, so the maker decides on bunny or lamb styling while following the same bonnet base. Sizes run from newborn through a 5 year old, which makes the project suitable for siblings, cousins, or a small series of seasonal portraits.
Sizing Construction Overview
Instead of relying only on age labels, the pattern guides makers by head circumference, because babies of the same age can measure quite differently. As a helpful reference, the designer shares that her baby measured 13 inches at birth, then 15 inches at 2 and a half months, and almost 16 inches at 3 and a half months. Measuring the child first is therefore the practical way to choose a size with confidence.
The Premium Ad-Free PDF Pattern Overview
The web version of the pattern is free and includes the instructional photos and videos needed to complete the bonnet. For makers who prefer working from paper, a nicely formatted large font PDF can be purchased through Etsy or Ravelry, without inventing any price here. That paid printable is separate from the free web pattern, so keep the distinction in mind when you choose how you would like to follow along.
Crochet Bunny Bonnet Pattern (and Lamb Bonnet)
This heading marks the start of the pattern area on the designer site, where readers can save the design to Pinterest, add it to Ravelry Favorites, or purchase the premium PDF through Etsy. The sections that follow in this overview explain the stitches, gauge, sizing, and construction in order, so you can judge the project and gather your approach before opening the full instructions.
Stitches and Abbreviations
The pattern is written with a compact set of familiar stitches, plus post stitches that give the brim its textured finish. A Video Tutorial is linked for the magic circle, which is helpful if that starting method is new to you. Keep this abbreviation list nearby while you read through the construction sections, especially when the brim alternates between front post and back post work.
- CH: chain
- SC: single crochet
- DC: double crochet
- FPDC: front post double crochet
- BPDC: back post double crochet
- SLST: slip stitch
- ST(s): stitch(es)
- MC: magic circle
Gauge and Size
Checking gauge matters for a bonnet that should sit comfortably, and the source gauge is 4 double crochet by 2 rows equal to 1 inch. Finished ear length also changes the character of the piece: bunny ears measure 7 inches long, while lamb ears measure 3.5 inches long. Use the table below for head size, depth, and the sample yarn estimates for each of the four sizes offered.
| Size | Head circumference | Crown to brim | Estimated yarn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Baby | head fits 13-14 inches | depth is 4 inches | about 80 yds, or 1.5 oz |
| Medium Baby | head fits 15-16 inches | depth is 5.5 inches | about 112 yds, or 2.1 oz |
| Large Baby (Toddler) | head fits 17-18 inches | depth is 7 inches | about 144 yds, or 2.7 oz |
| Child | head fits 19-20 inches | depth is 8.5 inches | about 175 yds, or 3.3 oz |
Special Stitches
Front post and back post double crochet are the special techniques used here, and both are worked around the post of the stitch below rather than into the usual top loops. For a back post stitch, the hook goes in from the back of the work and around that post. The designer notes that this movement is easiest to understand by watching it demonstrated in the video tutorial.
Crochet Bunny Bonnet Pattern (And Lamb Bonnet)
Several notes shape the whole project before the first section begins. The pattern uses US terms, and the CH1 or CH2 turning chain is not counted as a stitch. Bunny and lamb versions share the same bonnet, differing only in how many rows are worked for the ears. The work begins with a magic circle, with an alternative first round offered for anyone who prefers not to use that start.
Part 1: Crown Rows
The crown is built in joined double crochet rounds that grow outward from the center, starting with 12 double crochet in the first round. If the magic circle is difficult, the alternative start uses a short chain and works those first stitches into the third chain from the hook. How far you continue depends on size: Small stops after Round 3, Medium after Round 4, Large after Round 5, and Child after Round 6, before moving to the sides.
Part 2: Side Rows
Side rows change the rhythm of the work, because you turn at the end of each row rather than joining, and the row count starts again for this part. The first side row should finish with one stitch more than your final crown round, an example being 49 stitches after a 48 stitch crown for Medium. Totals build by size, reaching 7 side rows for Small, 10 for Medium, 13 for Large, and 16 for Child.
Part 3: Brim Rows
Every size works the same number of brim rows, and the count restarts again for this section. It opens with a plain row of double crochet across, then moves into alternating front post and back post double crochet, with the order reversing on the following row before the pattern of alternation repeats. That post stitch sequence creates the ribbed look at the front. Do not fasten off when the brim is finished, because the final row follows directly.
Part 4: Ties and Edging Row
The last row does two jobs at once, forming the ties and giving the bonnet a neat edge. Each tie begins as a chain of 31, with single crochet worked back along it for a thicker finish, and edging single crochet are placed along the sides of the side and brim rows between the ties. Fasten off leaving a 6 inch end, flip the final tie smoothly against the brim, and use a yarn needle to secure it.
Part 5: Bunny or Lamb Ears
Each ear is shaped in single crochet rows that increase at the start, then continue straight, with the longer straight section giving bunny ears their height. For lamb ears, skip rows 16 through 30 and go directly to the finishing row, which works around the sides of the ear. Fasten off with a 10 inch end for sewing, then make a second ear to match the first before attaching either one.
Placement starts by folding the bonnet flat, with the ears centered on the side rows and set below the fold according to size. Fold each ear in half and whip stitch its top to the side of the bonnet, positioning that top 1.5 inches from the fold for Small, 2 inches for Medium, 2 inches for Large, and 2.5 inches for Child. Checking both sides flat helps the pair sit evenly.
Let’s Be Friends
The source page closes with invitations to follow Windingroadcrochet.com on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook, and to join the Facebook group called Our Crochet Journey. It also carries an important credit note: the written pattern, tutorials, photos, graphs, and PDFs for this free bonnet are copyright Windingroadcrochet.com, with a request not to reprint or repost that content as your own. Please respect that credit and link readers back to the designer.
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