Materials you will need
You will need some yarn. I use the brightly coloured Bamboo Cotton by ‘King Cole’ which is 50% bamboo and 50% cotton. It’s similar to double knitting.
2mm hook (which gives a very tight finish that I like), but you could use a 3mm or even 4mm hook if you wanted.
Various sequins, beads, bling and ric-rac. Note the baubles are meant as a decoration, NOT a toy.
Embroidery thread to match or contrast with your yarn.
Darning needle
Sewing needle that will take embroidery thread but that will also pass through the holes in your beads.
PART ONE Crocheting the bauble.
When you start an Amigurumi style pattern, you can use what’s called a ‘magic loop’ but it’s another thing that can put people off amigurumi, so on this pattern I’m beginning in the traditional way where you make a loop and do 2 chain, try to make the first chain stitch quite loose.
Round one
Into the second chain from the hook, do 6 single crochet stitches (6sc)
Round two
Do 2 single crochet stitches (2sc) into each of the single crochet stitches below....
You need to count and make sure you have 12 stitches in round two. (12)
You can begin to see the crochet ‘spiralling’. Now you need to add a stitch marker. The best way I’ve found is to use a contrasting piece of thick thread in the LAST stitch of the round. This is because if you make a mistake or get lost in the pattern, you can rip the work back to the stitch marker, knowing the work was correct up to that place and then you can begin the round again.
Round three
Do 2 single crochet (2sc) into the first stitch, then 1 single crochet in the next stitch…
Repeat another 5 times to give you 18 stitches. Notice how you must actually crochet INTO the stitch which has the stitch marker in it…
Count the stitches to check you have 18, then move your stitch marker. (18)
Round four
Do 2 single crochet (2sc) into the first stitch, then 1 single crochet into each of the next two single crochet stitches on the round below. Repeat another five times (so you did that 6 times altogether). Count to make sure you have 24 stitches then move your stitch marker. (24)
Rounds five to nine
Do 1 sc into each stitch around. Count 24 sc stitches then add your stitch marker into the 24th stitch. Rounds 6 to 9 are the same. I usually make a mark with a pen on some scrap paper every time I’ve done a round and moved my stitch marker. It’s easy to forget which round you are on if you don’t keep track.
Round ten
Now it’s time to decrease.
‘Single crochet decrease’ by crocheting two stitches together. Insert the hook into just the front loops of the first two sc stitches below…
… then do 2sc. Repeat another five times to give you 18 stitches. (18)
Round eleven
Do 1sc then single crochet decrease (by crocheting two stitches together, see previous photo). Repeat five times to give you 12 stitches. (12)
Stuff the bauble firmly with toy stuffing.
Round twelve
Single crochet decrease all the way around (a total of six times) to give you 6sc stitches. (6)
Measure about 1 metre of yarn and snip off. Pass the cut end through the last stitch and pull it firmly.
Thread a darning needle onto the yarn and make one small neat stitch on the top of the bauble…
Then push the darning needle right through the bauble…
PART TWO crocheting the ‘hanging loop’ on the bauble
Wrap the yarn around the tip of your little finger…
Insert the crochet hook through the loop you made around your little finger, catch the yarn and pull it through…
Put the yarn over the hook and pull through. Pull this stitch tight and push it down towards the bauble so that it’s touching the bauble and there isn’t a big gap…
Then single crochet around the ‘hanging loop’ …
Fasten-off by passing the yarn through the last stitch. Pull the end tight and thread a darning needle on the yarn.
Push the needle down through the bauble and out the base. Make a few small stitches and fasten off. Thread the cut end up into the bauble.
PART THREE Decorating the bauble
Choose some embroidery thread and a needle that will fit through your beads. Insert the needle up through the base of the bauble and out where you want the sequins and beads to go.
[The needle is a bit high on the photo above.. it needs to be one row down.]
To fasten off tie the two ends together at the base of the bauble. Thread the loose ends up into the bauble.
There are many different ways to decorate the baubles. I tried ric-rac and beads, different sequins with beads and used mini-dots to add some bling! You can also crochet stripes on the baubles (during rounds 5 to 9).
Hope you'll have a go at these simple christmas baubles. I'd love to get some comments ;)
