Year of the Rabbit Cross Stitch Pattern

The other day I shared a funny rabbit cross stitch pattern to celebrate the year of the rabbit.

This one is no less cute but a little more reflective of the Lunar New Year celebration, featuring lots of the color red and the year on lanterns.

The pattern is from Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery and measures 58 by 67 stitches. It comes out to about 4.1 by 4.8 inches on 14-count fabric.

You can purchase the pattern for download from Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery.

[Photo: Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery.]

The Chinese zodiac, which assigns an animal to each year in a 12-year cycle, is based on a traditional Chinese belief that the universe is divided into 12 parts, each associated with a different animal. The 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.

The belief in the Chinese zodiac is rooted in ancient Chinese culture and mythology. The animals in the zodiac are believed to have been chosen by the Jade Emperor, who asked all the animals in the kingdom to race across a river. The first 12 animals to arrive at the other side would be rewarded with a place in the zodiac. The story goes that the rat and the cat, both very cunning and clever, asked the ox to help them across the river. However, as they were crossing the ox, the rat pushed the cat out of the way and landed first, becoming the first of the zodiac animals.

Each of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac is said to have certain characteristics and traits that are associated with the people born in that year. For example, those born in the Year of the Rabbit are believed to be gentle, diplomatic, and good at managing relationships.

Additionally, the Chinese zodiac is also related to the Chinese astrology, in which the animals are also related to the five elements of Chinese astrology: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Each year in the zodiac cycle is represented by an animal and one of the five elements, and it is believed that the element associated with the year influences the personality and fortunes of those born in that year.

Chinese zodiac is widely used and recognized in Chinese culture, many people still consult the Chinese horoscope for guidance in everyday life, for example, some people believe that the animal representing the year they were born will have an effect on their personality and future.

The cross stitcher behind the blog Sirious Stitches is quite into biscornu.

If you’re not, a quick primer: biscornu are three-dimensional cross-stitched objects with eight points, often with an indention in the middle that makes them look a bit like doughnuts without the hole. They can be just about any size and subject you can think of. They’re often used as pincushions but can also be seasonal decor or just decoration for any time of year.

I’ve got a collection of biscornu cross stitch patterns here.

Once you’ve stitched one or several (they are a little addicting) you might wonder what you can add to them to make them even more extra.

It very much depends on the design of your biscornu and the look you are going for, but Sirious Stitches has a great post all about some of the options you might consider.

I don’t want to give you the whole list because you need to go visit and see all of their great biscornu they’ve stitched, but one really easy thing that you can do with a lot of designs is take advantage of that center indent by adding a button, beads, silk flower or another embellishment.

This is great to do just with a basic button from your stash that coordinates with the design and colors of the cross stitching, but it’s extra fun if you have a button that’s on theme, such as a leaf for a fall biscornu or a flower shaped button for a floral design. Add a jingle bell to a Christmas pattern, or a charm if you don’t have a button that coordinates.

Just this one idea is sure to get you thinking about ways to embellish biscornu (not to mention other cross stitch projects) but head over to Sirious Stitches to see all of their ideas for embellishing biscornu to make these already fun projects even more fun.

Have you ever made biscornu? I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo: Sirious Stitches]

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