When did 'creme' eggs...

...get so small?

I wanted something quick & easy that the "Knit & Natter" folk could make as fun items ready for Easter and this is what I came up with...

 ...a little knitted egg-cosy made into a character by adding some big eyes. Inside the cosy & eggcup would be an Easter treat...

...but it came as quite a shock when I popped the chocolate egg into the eggcup - it disappeared right down inside **frowny-face**. Gosh they really have shrunk over recent years (but the price hasn't).

Still, the general idea was sound.

The folk at "Knit & Natter" loved the idea and have been merrily making little hats to decorate so they can hide them around for the kids/grandkids to have an Easter hunt over the coming holiday.

I found packs of assorted coloured plastic eggcups at my local bargain store - a pack of 4 was just £1 and there were blue/pink/green/purple. Their suppliers sometimes pack them as 4 colours to a pack or 2 colours to a pack so it depends on what they have as to what I can get.

The cosy uses very little yarn so is a great way of using up any scraps that you have.

You need DK (double knit) yarn and 4mm knitting needles.

Cast on 30 stitches.
Knit 4 rows in garter stitch (each row is knit/plain stitch).
Then starting with a knit/plain row...
Knit 10 rows stocking stitch (alternating - one row knit/plain, one row pearl).
Next row, knit 2 stitches together right across the row - this leaves you with 15 stitches.
Next row pearl.
Next row, knit 2 stiches together until the last odd stitch which just gets knitted - you now have 8 stitches.
Next row, pearl.
Leaving a long tail (enough to stitch up your cosy) cut your yarn from the ball and using this 'tail' threaded into a tapestry needle, thread the yarn through the remaining stitches and remove from the needles.
Pull gently to gather the top and with the wrong side facing out, stitch up your seam to create the little "hat".
You can add a little loop or a pom-pom to the top if you wish.

To create the 'face' I just drew some large eyes onto thin card, cut them out and applied using 3D foam pads.

There you have it - a quick little idea for Easter.

Although, I intended mine to contain 'creme' eggs you could put any type of treat in these as a surprise......................................................