Tools & Materials:

Size F (3.75) crochet hook
Worsted weight yarn in red, green and white
Two 6mm plastic safety eyes
Black embroidery floss
Stuffing material

Abbreviations

sc = single crochet
dec= single crochet decrease
st = stitch
sl st = slip stitch
fc = foundation chain stitch

Pattern Notes

Amigurumi are crocheted in spirals which means that you do not join rounds or chain to increase height. Use a stitch marker to help you keep track of the end of the round. In order for the pieces to hold their shape, use a fairly stiff yarn and crochet tightly. Stuff the pieces until they are firm but do not over stuff them as it will distort the shape.

Ball (Red)

1.Row 1: crochet 6 sc in a magic ring
2.Row 2: * 2 sc in next st * 6 times (12 sts)
3.Row 3: * sc 1, 2 sc in next st* 6 times (18 sts)
4.Row 4: * sc 2, 2 sc in next st* 6 times (24 sts)
5.Row 5: * sc 3, 2 sc in next st* 6 times (30 sts)
6.Row 6-8: sc 30
7.Row 9: *sc 3, dec in next 1st* 6 times (24 sts)
8.Add eyes and mouth. Stuff with fiberfill.
9.Row 10: *sc 2, dec across next 2 st* 6 times (18 sts)
10.Row 11: *sc 1, dec across next 2 st* 6 times (12 sts)
11.Row 12: *dec across next 2 st* 6 times (6 sts)
12.Finish stuffing with fiberfill. More is better.
13.Fasten off and cut yarn leaving a long tail.
14.Weave tail through the last six stitches and pull tight to close.
15.Weave in tail.

Leaf (Green) x 2

The leaves are worked in ovals going around the foundation chain. If you are seeing large holes with the F hook, go down to an E hook.

1.Chain 8, with a long tail for sewing the leaves on
2.sl st in 2nd chain from hook
3.sc in next fc, chain 2, sl st in 2nd chain from hook
4.sc in next fc
5.sc in next fc, chain 3, sl st in 2nd chain from hook, sc in next chain
6.sc in next two fc stitches
7.sl st in last fc stitch
8.On the back side of the fc sitch, sl st
9.sc in next fc, chain 3, sl st in 2nd chain from hook, sc in next chain
10.sc in next fc
11.sc in next fc, chain 2, sl st in 2nd chain from hook
12.sl st in next fc
13.cut off and weave in end

Top (Green)

1.crochet 8 sc in a magic ring
2.*5 sc in first st, sl st in next st* 4 times (24 sts: 20sc, 4 slsts )
3.Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing.

Stem (Green)

1.Chain 20 with a long starting tail
2.sl st in 10th chain to make a loop
3.Sl st in the back side loop of each chain to the end
4.Fasten off and weave in end from the working yarn, leaving the initial tail for assembly

Assembly

1.Slip the tail of the Stem through the center hole of the Top and then fasten the stem to the top of the Ball
2.Slide the Top down and then sew to the top of the Ball to secure
3.Sew the leaves to each other through the 6th st of the Stem.
4.Take two lengths of white yarn and make a bow at the base of the Stem.

Copyright 2009 René Holt. Do not reproduce without permission.

Using small amounts of worsted weight acrylic yarn in contrast, main body, and accent colors and G hook.

Gauge: 8 sts x 9 rows = 2” square
Finished size:  5.5” x 6”

Abbreviation Key
SC: Single Crochet

Chain 21
Row 1: With contrast yarn, SC in 2nd chain from hook and each chain across (20 sc)
Row 2-3: Chain 1, SC in each stitch (20 sc). Join main body color in last SC.
Row 4-12: Chain 1, SC in each stitch (20 sc). Join contrast color in last SC.
Row 13-18: Chain 1, SC in each stitch (20 sc). Join main body color in last SC.
Row 19-36: Chain 1, SC in each stitch (20 sc). Join contrast color in last SC.
Row 37-38:  Chain 1, SC in each stitch (20 sc).
Row 39: Chain 1, SC in the next 5 SC, CH 10, SC in the next 5 SC (10 SC, 10 CH).
Row 40-41: Chain 1, SC in each stitch (20 sc).
Weave in all ends.

Fold between row 15 and 16.
Join main body color yarn at  bottom edge  of the pocket  and single crochet around the outer edge, going through both layers where the pocket was folded up.  If you have difficulty with this edge you can try going up one hook size.

Using a yarn needle, attach the accent color yarn to the inside of the contrast stripe of the bag opening and then weave through stitches.  Repeat above handle.  Attach bow to the front of the pocket and tie securely.

Open Office | Microsoft Office

Feel free to use these for generating instructions, even for patterns you intend to sell.  I don’t have any plans right now to do major updates to the spreadsheet but feel free to leave a comment if you find a bug.  Enjoy!

Evernote is superior to saving patterns as individual files because it allows you to search everything in your notebook (even text in images) as well as allowing you to add tags so you can find patterns easily.  For example, I tag all my hat patterns with “hat” but I also tag them with the type of hat like “cloche” so if I want to see all my hat patterns I click the “hat” tag or if I only want to see cloches I click “cloche”.  It makes organizing all my patterns and finding the perfect one for my next project so quick and easy.

Next I downloaded the Evernote app for my iPhone (they also have one for Windows Mobile).  Evernote has a unique feature that allows you to create folders on your PC that will sync to the internet so you can either view them through their web interface or through an internet capable cellphone.  If you’re using the free version there is a limit to how much data can be synced per month but so far I haven’t hit it.  Whenever I’m working on a pattern I move it to my folder of synced patterns and then it’s available on my iPhone wherever I am.  Now I don’t have to print out a pattern to make it portable.  Whether I’m just on the sofa at home or I’m in a coffee shop 30 miles from home I can access all my projects.

I can also use my iPhone to look up YouTube crochet videos, free patterns online, or read crocheting forums and articles.  I also use it to check out yarn reviews on Ravelry or do price comparisons while I’m out shopping.  In fact, I would have to say that my iPhone is my primary tool for feeding my crochet obessesion.  I’m a modern girl so I believe that making it hand made doesn’t have to mean making it the hard way.

While reading Beth Doherty’s amigurumi book, I saw that she recommended the Clover locking stitch markers so I checked them out at my next craft store visit.  They looked really nice but were way too expensive.  Since I have multiple projects going on and also wanted to have plenty to use while designing patterns I decided to shop around on the internet.  I figured it would be really easy to find plastic safety pins that would work as well as the Clover stitch markers.  Boy was I wrong! It took me about three days of randomly searching on Google to finally come up with a site that sold plastic safety pins on this side of the Atlantic and in reasonably small quantities.  The biggest surprise was that this placed turned out to be California Bird Nerds, a website for bird toys.  I still can’t believe this is the only place outside of Asia that you can buy plastic safety pins but that didn’t stop me from immediately placing an order.

It cost me $8 including shipping to purchase 144 of them.  To put it in perspective this would buy approximately 20 of the 3/4″ clover stitch markers.  The plastic safety pins I purchased are 1″ long and come in 5 colors.  Unlike a metal safety pin they don’t have a coil at the hinged end so they hang safely out of the way.  Like the Clover stitch markers, they lock shut so there’s no chance of them falling out.  They even have a hole in the end that could be used to attach beads (if that’s your thing).  I’m guessing the Clover stitch markers are made of more resilient plastic but even after giving a few sets away to friends I still have over 100 of them so it won’t be a big loss if I break or lose a few.

I got an iPhone for Christmas but it didn’t come with a case.  I broke my old cellphone when it slipped out of my jacket pocket while I was bent over to tie my shoe laces so I made this cozie to protect my new phone.  My boyfriend thinks there’s something ironic about protecting a piece of cutting edge technology with a very old crafting technique.  Maybe he’s right but I still think it’s cute.  This was really quick to make.  I’m not too crazy with the snap but it’s all I have on hand.  I might experiment with replacing it with a button/loop closure after my next craft store trip.

Tools and Materials

• Small amounts of green, red, and yellow worsted weight yarn
• Size F hook
• Snap

Gauge

• 4 dc = 1″
• 2 rows = 1″

Case

1. Chain 12
2. dc in each chain across (12 sts) and chain 2.
3. repeat step two until you have 24 rows.
4. Fold nine rows up. There should be 18 rows for the case front/back and 6 rows for the flap
5. SC crochet down the edge of the flap, and then through both layers once you reach the fold.
6. Continue around the bottom of the case, putting 2 sc in each corner.
7. Once you make it back up the other side of the flap, fasten off and weave in the end.
8. Add a snap closure or a button and loop to your preference.

Strap

1. Starting with a long tail, sc 38 (or more if you have a larger hand).
2. Slip stitch in the first chain to form a loop. Fasten off and leave a long tail.
3. Take the both tails and slip them through the first single crochet where the two sides of the case were joined.
4. Holding the two ends together, knot them around the strap twice.  Weave the tails in to the case.

Decorate

Decorate the case with beads, thread, or appliques however you like.  I made the red and yellow flower using the Crochet Flower Tutorial from greetingarts.

I have created a Giving Page sponsoring crochet projects.  Most of the projects not only teach kids how to crochet but also how to donate what they make to others.  You can find more information in the give back section of the right side of this page.  Please take a moment to look and see if you’d be willing to give a $1 or more to help kids learn how to crochet and how to use it to give back.  I will continue to add crochet projects as the appear or you can also search for other projects you’d like to sponsor.  You can find projects for a particular topic, for schools that are the most impoverished, or for schools closest to you. So if your list of charity projects this year seems impossibly long, thing of donating to one of these projects and help teach a whole new generation of giving crocheters.

For the hyper-organizational, the site is a dream.  It  has areas to record and track progress on your existing projects, keep notes on future projects, catalog and share your yarn stash and tools, and will even link an RSS feed of your blog to your profile… and that’s just the tools for showing off your own stuff.  They also have forums, user groups, and searchable directories of yarns and patterns.  If all you care about in life is crocheting or knitting you could just make Ravelry your home page and never leave it.  Unfortunately, this all makes for some serious information overload.  I think, at least for now, the best way to make use of it is to find the parts that will be most useful and to ignore the rest.

If you want to check out Ravelry, I suggest you sign up for an invitation because it takes about four days to process.  The reason for this is that the site is still in beta and they’re adding people slowly so they can control how much load the site is dealing with.  The Ravelry beta is free and the site will be free too so other than waiting a few days for the invite you’re not giving up anything.  I’m not sure how much I’m going to be using it right now but I definitely plan to keep an eye on it and see what other goodies the developers come up with.

I wanted to have this pattern ready sooner but today was the first day in over a week that I’ve been able to make it to the craft store.  This ornament was inspired by by this cartoon by Megan Murphy.  Please feel free to use this pattern to make items for yourself, as gifts, or for charity but do not sell items made from this pattern or the pattern itself .  Happy Holidays!

Note: This pattern is untested.  For questions or corrections please contact me.

Tools, Materials, Etc.

• All pieces made with size F hook
• Small amounts of white, red, and green worsted weight yarn.
• 6mm black plastic safety eyes
• Black cotton embroidery thread

Ball (White)

1. Row 1:   crochet 6 sc in a magic ring
2. Row 2:   * 2 sc in next st * Repeat 6 (12 sts)
3. Row 3:   * sc 1, 2 sc in next st* Repeat 6 (18 sts)
4. Row 4:   * sc 2, 2 sc in next st* Repeat 6 (24 sts)
5. Row 5:   * sc 3, 2 sc in next st* Repeat 6 (30 sts)
6. Row 6-8: sc 30
7. Row 9:   *sc 3, dec in next 1st* Repeat 6 (24 sts)
8. Add eyes and mouth.  Stuff with fiberfill.
9. Row 10:  *sc 2, dec in next 1st* Repeat 6 (18 sts)
10. Row 11:  *sc 1, dec in next 1st* Repeat 6 (12 sts)
11. Row 12:  *dec in next st* Repeat 6 (6 sts)
12. Finish stuffing with fiberfill.  More is better.
13. Fasten off and cut yarn leaving a long tail.
14. Weave tail through the last six stitches and pull tight to close.
15. Weave in tail.

Top (Green)

1. crochet 8 sc in a magic ring
2. *5 sc in first st, sl st in next st* rep 4 (24 sts)
3. Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing.

Leaf (Green) x 2

The leaves are worked in ovals.

1. Chain 7
2. sc in 2nd chain from hook
3. sc in next 4 sts
4. 2 sc in 6th st
5. Turn, working up the back of the foundation chain sc 6
6. Fasten off, weave in the starting bit of the chain but leave a long tail from the end

Stem (Green)

1. Chain 20 with a long starting tail.
2. sl st in 10th chain to make a loop.
3. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Assembly

1. slip the tail of the stem through the center hole of the top and then fasten the stem to the top of the ball.
2. Slide the top down and then sew to the top of the ball to secure.
3. Sew the leaves to each other through the 6th st of the stem.
4. Take two lengths of red yarn and make a bow at the base of the stem.

UPDATED: Forgot to add you should stuff the ball. Thanks Suzetta!  Instructions added above.