Whimsical Stitches Read online

  Pair of 9mm safety eyes

  Black embroidery floss and small embroidery needle

  Polyester fiberfill stuffing

  Yarn needle

  3″ terra cotta pot

  Hot glue gun

  Small piece of brown felt

  Scissors

  Stitch marker

  Straight pins (optional, but very helpful when assembling the arms)

  ABBREVIATIONS

  Mr - Magic ring

  R - Round

  Sc - Single crochet

  Sts - Stitches

  Inv Dec - Invisible decrease

  Sl St - Slip stitch

  PATTERN NOTES

  This pattern is crocheted in continuous rounds

  Crochet all the pieces one at time, and then assemble

  CACTUS

  BODY

  Using green yarn,

  Round 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6 sts)

  R2: 2 sc in each st around. (12 sts)

  R3: *Sc 1, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (18 sts)

  R4: *Sc 2, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (24 sts)

  R5: *Sc 3, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (30 sts)

  R6-19: Sc 30.

  Add safety eyes and stitch mouth.

  R20: *Sc 3, inv dec 1, * 6 times. (24 sts)

  Stuff cactus. Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.

  ARMS: MAKE 2

  Using green yarn,

  Round 1: 5 sc in magic ring (5 sts)

  R2: 2 sc in each st around. (10 sts)

  R3-13: Sc 10.

  Stuff arms. Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.

  TO BEND ARMS:

  Cut a length of green yarn and tie a knot at one end. With the yarn needle, insert into one of the holes on the side of the arm. Pull needle through the middle of one of the stitches between rounds 6 and 7 (photo 1). Insert the needle into the stitch directly below (photo 2) and pull out through another hole in the side of the arm (photo 3). Gently pull the yarn and the arm will bend (photo 4). Tie off and weave in end.

  DIRT

  Using brown yarn,

  Round 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6 sts)

  R2: 2 sc in each st around. (12 sts)

  R3: *Sc 1, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (18 sts)

  R4: *Sc 2, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (24 sts)

  R5: *Sc 3, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (30 sts)

  R6: *Sc 4, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (36 sts)

  R7: *Sc 5, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (42 sts)

  R8: Sc 42 through BACK loops ONLY.

  Fasten off.

  ASSEMBLY

  Attach the arms to the side of cactus with straight pins. Sew to the body using a yarn needle. Sew the cactus body to the dirt (photo 1).

  With hot glue gun, glue a small piece of brown felt over the hole in the bottom of the pot (photo 2). This step is optional if your pot does not have a hole. I like to cover this up by adding felt to make it look like dirt and to hide the fiberfill in step 4.

  Place some fiberfill inside of pot (photo 3).

  To attach the cactus to the pot, begin at the back and place glue along the “lip” of the dirt (photo 4), add a little bit at a time and press onto the pot. (The “lip” is round 8 where we crocheted through the back loops in the dirt section.) It works well to use a chopstick to gently push through the stitches to make sure the glue dries and attaches to the pot (photo 5).

  Continue adding glue and pressing until you have reached the end (photo 6).

  SUCCULENT PLANTER

  SUCCULENT PLANTER

  FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

  Approx. 8 inches tall by 5 inches wide

  MATERIALS

  Worsted weight yarn: variety of greens, brown, taupe

  Size G/4.25mm crochet hook

  2 pairs of 9mm safety eyes

  Black and white embroidery floss and small embroidery needle

  Polyester fiberfill stuffing

  Cardboard

  Yarn needle

  Scissors

  Stitch marker

  Straight pins (optional, but very helpful when assembling the pieces)

  ABBREVIATIONS

  Mr - Magic ring

  Ch - Chain

  R - Round

  Sc - Single crochet

  Dc - Double crochet

  Sts - Stitches

  Inv Dec - Invisible decrease

  Sl St - Slip stitch

  PATTERN NOTES

  This pattern is crocheted in continuous rounds

  POT

  Using taupe yarn,

  Round 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6 sts)

  R2: 2 sc in each st around. (12 sts)

  R3: *Sc 1, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (18 sts)

  R4: *Sc 2, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (24 sts)

  R5: *Sc 3, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (30 sts)

  R6: *Sc 4, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (36 sts)

  R7: *Sc 5, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (42 sts)

  R8: *Sc 6, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (48 sts)

  R9: *Sc 7, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (54 sts)

  R10: *Sc 8, 2 times. (60 sts)

  R11: Sc 60 through BACK loops only.

  R12-20: Sc 60.

  R21: Sc 60 through FRONT loops only.

  R22: Sc 60 through BACK loops only.

  Fasten off and weave in ends.

  With cardboard, trace around the base of pot and cut out. Place cardboard circle in base of pot (photo 1).

  DIRT

  Using brown yarn,

  Round 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6 sts)

  R2: 2 sc in each st around. (12 sts)

  R3: *Sc 1, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (18 sts)

  R4: *Sc 2, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (24 sts)

  R5: *Sc 3, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (30 sts)

  R6: *Sc 4, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (36 sts)

  R7: *Sc 5, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (42 sts)

  R8: *Sc 6, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (48 sts)

  R9: *Sc 7, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (54 sts)

  R10: *Sc 8, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (60 sts)

  Fasten off and leave an extra long tail for sewing.

  Set aside.

  PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS

  MAIN CACTUS PIECE: MAKE 1

  Using green yarn,

  Round 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6 sts)

  R2: 2 sc in each st around. (12 sts)

  R3: *Sc 1, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (18 sts)

  R4: *Sc 2, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (24 sts)

  R5: *Sc 3, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (30 sts)

  R6-12: Sc 30.

  Add safety eyes and stitch mouth.

  R13: *Sc 3, inv dec 1,* 6 times. (24 sts)

  R14-15: Sc 24.

  R16: *Sc 2, inv dec 1,* 6 times. (18 sts)

  R17-18: Sc 18.

  Stuff cactus. Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.

  MEDIUM CACTUS PIECE: MAKE 1

  Using green yarn,

  Round 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6 sts)

  R2: 2 sc in each st around. (12 sts)

  R3: *Sc 1, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (18 sts)

  R4-5: Sc 18.

  R6: *Sc 1, inv dec 1,* 6 times. (12 sts)

  R7-8: Sc 12.

  Stuff cactus. Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.

  SMALL CACTUS PIECE: MAKE 2

  Using green yarn,

  Round 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6 sts)

  R2: 2 sc in each st around. (12 sts)

  R3-6: Sc 12.

  R7: *Sc 1, inv dec 1,* 4 times. (8 sts)

  Stuff cactus. Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.

  FOR THE WHITE PRICKLES:

  With white embroidery floss (divided into 3 strands) stitch a “V” in various places.

  TO A
SSEMBLE:

  Take one small cactus piece and sew onto the medium cactus. Next, sew the medium cactus piece onto the main cactus. Sew the last small cactus to the main cactus piece.

  BARREL CACTUS

  Using green yarn, Ch 9

  Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, 8 stitches total. Ch 1 and turn.

  Row 2-21: Sc in FRONT loops only, in each sc across, 8 stitches total. Ch 1 and turn.

  Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing. Add safety eyes and stitch mouth (photo 1).

  To sew up cactus, weave yarn needle through the top edge of the cactus (photo 2). At the end, pull yarn tight and the top will come together (photo 3). To close the hole more, weave needle through the top (photo 4). Sew down the side of the cactus that is open (photo 5). Leave tail for sewing the cactus to the dirt.

  STRING OF PEARLS: MAKE 5

  Using green yarn, Ch 20

  Row 1: *5 dc in 2nd ch from hook then sl st into the first dc (photos 2 & 3), Sc 2 (in the chain, photo 4),* 6 times. Little “pearls” will begin to form (photo 5). At the end of the row, sc in the remaining 3 ch.

  Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing. Take an end in each hand and twist, this will make the string of pearls more curled (photo 7).

  LADY FINGER CACTUS

  SMALL CACTUS: MAKE 1

  Using green yarn,

  Round 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6 sts)

  R2: 2 sc in each st around. (12 sts)

  R3-11: Sc 12.

  R12: *Sc 1, inv dec 1,* 4 times. (8 sts)

  Stuff cactus. Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.

  MEDIUM CACTUS: MAKE 1

  Using green yarn,

  Round 1: 7 sc in magic ring (7 sts)

  R2: 2 sc in each st around. (14 sts)

  R3-13: Sc 14.

  R14: *Sc 1, inv dec 1,* 4 times, sc 1, sl st into last sc. (10 sts)

  Stuff cactus. Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.

  ASSEMBLY

  Sew prickly pear and barrel cactus onto dirt. Add fiberfill before sewing the barrel cactus on all the way. Sew lady finger cactus behind the barrel cactus and prickly pear (photo 2).

  Sew 3 strings of pearls along the side, in front of the prickly pear (photo 3). Sew the remaining 2 towards the center of the dirt to fill in the gaps (photo 4).

  With a yarn needle, sew the dirt to the pot. To create invisible stitching, weave the yarn needle through the last row of stitches on the dirt and the back loops from R21 on the pot (photo 5 & 6). By doing this, the darker yarn for the dirt will not show on the outside of the pot.

  Make sure to stuff the pot with fiberfill before closing the hole (photo 7).

  SUNFLOWER

  SUNFLOWER

  FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

  Approx. 10.5 inches tall by 5.5 inches wide

  MATERIALS

  Worsted weight yarn: yellow, chestnut brown, green, and brown

  Size G/4.25mm crochet hook

  Pair of 9mm safety eyes

  Black embroidery floss and small embroidery needle

  Polyester fiberfill stuffing

  Yarn needle

  3″ terra cotta pot

  Hot glue gun

  7.5 inch wooden dowel (3/8 inch thickness)

  Small piece of cardboard

  Small piece of brown felt

  Scissors

  Stitch marker

  Straight pins (optional, but very helpful when assembling the petals)

  ABBREVIATIONS

  Mr - Magic ring

  R - Round

  Sc - Single crochet

  Sts - Stitches

  Inv Dec - Invisible decrease

  Sl St - Slip stitch

  PATTERN NOTES

  This pattern is crocheted in continuous rounds

  Crochet all the pieces one at a time, and then assemble

  FLOWER CENTER

  Using chestnut brown yarn (or yellow for daisy),

  Round 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6 sts)

  R2: 2 sc in each st around. (12 sts)

  R3: *Sc 1, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (18 sts)

  R4: *Sc 2, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (24 sts)

  R5: *Sc 3, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (30 sts)

  Add safety eyes and stitch mouth.

  R6-8: Sc 30.

  R9: *Sc 3, inv dec 1,* 6 times. (24 sts)

  R10: *Sc 2, inv dec 1,* 6 times. (18 sts)

  R11: *Sc 1, inv dec 1,* 6 times. (12 sts)

  Begin stuffing and continue as you close up the center.

  R12: Inv dec around 6 times. (6 sts)

  Fasten off and close piece.

  PETALS: MAKE 14

  Using yellow yarn,

  Round 1: 5 sc in magic ring (5 sts)

  R2: Sc 5.

  R3: 2 sc in each st around. (10 sts)

  R4: *Sc 1, 2 sc in next st,* 5 times. (15 sts)

  R5-6: Sc 15.

  R7: *Sc 1, inv dec 1,* 5 times (10 sts)

  R8: Inv dec around 5 times. (5 sts)

  Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.

  DIRT

  Using brown yarn,

  Round 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6 sts)

  Insert the dowel into the middle of magic ring and tighten. You will crochet around the dowel.

  R2: 2 sc in each st around. (12 sts)

  R3: *Sc 1, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (18 sts)

  R4: *Sc 2, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (24 sts)

  R5: *Sc 3, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (30 sts)

  R6: *Sc 4, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (36 sts)

  R7: *Sc 5, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (42 sts)

  R8: Sc 42 through BACK loops ONLY.

  Fasten off.

  STEM

  Using green yarn,

  Round 1: 5 sc in magic ring (5 sts)

  R2: 2 sc in each st around. (10 sts)

  R3: Sc 10 in each round until the stem measures 4.5 inches long.

  Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.

  BACK CIRCLE

  (Goes on top of the stem, on the back of the flower)

  Using green yarn,

  Round 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6 sts)

  R2: 2 sc in each st around. (12 sts)

  R3: *Sc 1, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (18 sts)

  R4: *Sc 2, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (24 sts)

  R5: Sc 24.

  Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing.

  LEAF: MAKE 2

  Using green yarn,

  Round 1: 6 sc in magic ring

  R2: Sc 6.

  R3: 2 sc in each st around. (12 sts)

  R4: *Sc 1, 2 sc in next st,* 6 times. (18 sts)

  R5-6: Sc 18.

  R7: *Sc 1, inv dec 1,* 6 times. (12 sts)

  R8-10: Sc 12.

  R11: Inv dec around 6 times. (6 sts)

  Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.

  TO MAKE A DAISY

  You will need white yarn for the petals and yellow yarn for the center. Crochet all the same pieces as you would for the sunflower, replacing the petals with the pattern below.

  PETALS: MAKE 9

  Using white yarn,

  Round 1: 6 sc in magic ring (6 sts)

  R2: 2 sc in each st around. (12 sts)

  R3-5: Sc 12.

  R6: *Sc 1, inv dec 1,* 4 times. (8 sts)

  R7: Sc 8.

  R8: *Sc 1, inv dec 1,* 2 times, sc 1 and sl st into the last st. (5 sts)

  Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.

  FLOWER ASSEMBLY

  Sew the petals to the flower center (photos 1 & 2).

  For sunflower: with straight pins, place 7 petals evenly around the flower center. Sew all 7 petals in place before doing the back row. Place the remaining 7 petals in between the first row of petals. You want to stagger them
so the flower looks more full. Sew petals.

  For daisy: with straight pins, place the 9 petals evenly around the flower center and sew in place.

  Place the stem on the wooden dowel and sew the stem to the dirt (photo 3).

  Cut a decent length of extra green yarn and tie a knot at one end. Make sure the flower is centered on the stem. Sew the stem to the back of the flower center. Weave the yarn back and forth through the stem and the flower center, making sure it is securely attached (photos 4-6).

  Sew the back circle on top of the stem (photo 7 & 8).

  Sew on the leaves on each side of the stem.

  ATTACHING TO TERRA COTTA POT

  With a hot glue gun, glue the cardboard and brown felt together (photo 9). With the cardboard side up, place a large dollop of hot glue and place the dowel in the center of it (photo 10). Place the flower inside the terra cotta pot while the glue cools so the flower stays straight (photo 11). Once the glue has cooled, place some glue inside the pot, around the bottom and place the cardboard base on top of it. Press to secure the flower and pot.

  Add some fiberfill around the dowel to give it some stability. This also allows the dirt to look like it is piled up around the flower once it is finished. You are now ready to attach the flower to the pot.

  To attach the flower to the pot, begin at the back and place glue along the “lip” of the dirt, add a little bit at a time and press onto the pot. The “lip” is round 8 where we crocheted through the back loops, in the dirt section. Use a chopstick to gently push through the stitches to make sure the glue attaches and dries to the pot. Continue adding glue and pressing until you have reached the end (photo 12).