your craft
No patience with houseplants? This crocheted beauty is for you then...
YOU WILL NEED:
• Scheepjes Metropolis in the following shades: 1 x50g ball 031 Canberra (A), 1 x50g ball in 607 Braque (D)
• Sirdar Happy Cotton, small amount in the following shades: 788 Quack (B) and 753 Freckle (C)
• 3.5mm (UK 9/US 4) crochet hook n Polyester stuffing
• Tapestry needle
• The toe of a clean dark stocking or sock
• Plant pot approximately 7.5cm (3in) in diameter
FINISHED SIZE
Approx 7cm (2¾in) tall and wide.
TENSION
Tension is not essential for this project.
SPECIAL ABBREVIATIONS
Puff stitch: *Yrh, insert into st, yrh and draw loop through st, drawing loop up to the height of the sts in the row; rep from * twice into the same stitch, 7 loops on the hook, yrh and draw loop through all loops on hook. Puff completed.
Puff2inc: Work 2 puff sts in one st sp.
Puff2tog: *Yrh, insert into st, yrh and draw loop through st, drawing loop up to the height of the sts in the row; rep from * twice into the same stitch, 7 loops on the hook, rep into next st sp, yrh and draw loop through all 14 loops on hook. Puff dec completed.
ABBREVIATIONS ch – chain; dc – double crochet; sp – space; sl st – slip stitch; st(s) – stitch(es); yrh – yarn round needle
Note
The cactus is worked in spirals using the amigurumi technique. Puff stitches are placed in the spaces between the stitches of the previous round. Place a marker at the beginning of each round so you know where you are in the pattern.
Cactus
Using 3.5mm hook and A, make a magic ring.
Rnd 1: 1 ch, 6 dc into the centre of the ring.
Rnd 2: 2 dc into each st (12 sts).
Rnd 3: 1 puff in each sp (12 puffs).
Rnd 4: (1 puff in sp before the next st, puff2inc in next sp) 6 times (18 puffs).
Rnd 5: 1 puff in each sp (18 puffs).
Rnd 6: (2 puff, puff2inc in next sp) 6 times (24 puffs).
Rnds 7-10: 1 puff in each sp (24 puffs).
Rnd 11: (2 puff, puff2tog) 6 times (18 puffs).
Rnd 12: 1 puff in each sp (18 puffs).
Rnd 13: (Dc2tog) 9 times (9 sts). Fasten off and leave a yarn tail.
Spiky flower (make 1)
Using 3.5mm hook and B, make a magic ring.
Rnd 1: 1 ch, 9 dc into the centre of the ring, join with a sl st.
Rnd 2: Change to yarn C, (ch 6, miss 1 ch, 1 sl st along the rest of ch sts, sl st in same st), * sl st in next st, 6 ch, miss 1 ch, 1 sl st along the rest of ch sts, sl st in same st; rep
