How to Crochet a Ball

Crocheting a plush ball is fairly easy. You can make a simple single color ball or get a bit more adventurous by working on a multicolored striped ball. You could even make tiny balls along one row of your current project using a special crochet technique known as a ball stitch.

Steps

Small Single Color Plush Ball^[1]

1. Make a slip knot and two chain stitches. Tie an adjustable slipknot to the working end of your crochet hook. From the loop of the knot, crochet two chain stitches.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


2. Work in six single crochets. Make six single crochet stitches in the second stitch from the hook, which should also be the first chain stitch you created.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • When done, you should have your first round. This round has six stitches in it.
   
   
   
   


3. Make two single crochets in each previous stitch. Complete your second round by working two single crochets into each single crochet stitch from the previous round.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Your second full round should have a total of 12 stitches.
   
   
   
   


4. Swap off between two and one single crochets. For your third round, make two single crochets into the first stitch of your previous round, then one single crochet in the second stitch of the previous round. Repeat this all the way around, using every stitch from the previous round.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • You should make a total of 18 stitches.
   
   
   
   


5. Complete three rounds of single crochets. For rounds four through six, single crochet once into each stitch of the corresponding previous round.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • For round four, stitch into round three; for round five, stitch into round four; for round six, stitch into round five.
   
   
   • Each round should have 18 stitches in it.
   
   
   • After you complete the sixth round, you may need to turn the ball inside out to improve its overall appearance.
   
   
   
   


6. Single crochet decrease during the next round. Make a single crochet decrease across the first two stitches of your previous round. Afterward, work one single stitch into the stitch that follows. Repeat this all the way around.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • You should make a total of 12 stitches for this seventh round.
   
   
   • You have reached the halfway point of your ball and are beginning to narrow it back down with this step. Essentially, you will be creating the same rows you had for the first half of the ball, but in reverse.
   
   
   
   


7. Stuff the ball. Fill the ball with fiberfill stuffing, dried beans, or plastic bags.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • If using something small like dried beans, you may wish to wait until after you complete another round before filling it. If you wait any longer than that, however, the ball might become too difficult to fill at all.
   
   
   
   


8. Single crochet decrease again. For the eighth round, make a single crochet decrease over the next two stitches from the previous row. Repeat all the way around.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • You should complete a total of six stitches.
   
   
   
   


9. Single crochet decrease for the ninth and final round. Make a single crochet decrease over two stitches of the previous round. Repeat all the way around.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • You should only need to make three stitches.
   
   
   
   


10. Fasten off the end. Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail. Wrap the tail around your hook and pull it through the loop currently on the hook, creating a knot to secure the ball.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    • Weave the loose end into the stitches of the ball to hide it.
    
    
    
    

Large Striped Plush Ball^[2]

1. Make a slip knot and two chain stitches. Tie an adjustable slipknot onto your crochet hook, near the working end. Make two chain stitches from the loop of the knot.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Join the stitches together with a slip stitch to form a foundation ring.
   
   
   
   


2. Work in six single crochets. Make six single crochet stitches into the second stitch from the hook. This stitch is also the first chain stitch you created in the previous step.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • This completes your first round.
   
   
   
   


3. Single crochet twice in each of the previous stitches. For the second round, make two single crochets into each stitch of the previous round.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • It is advisable to use a contrasting piece of yarn, paperclip, or plastic stitch marker to mark the end of your round after you finish it. This is true for this round as well as each round that follows. Doing so will make it easier for you to keep track of the start and end of each round.
   
   
   • You should make a total of 12 stitches.
   
   
   
   


4. Swap off between two and one single crochets. For the third round, make one single crochet in the next stitch from the previous round, followed by two single crochets in the next stitch of the previous round. Repeat this pattern to the end of the round.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • You should make a total of 18 stitches.
   
   
   
   


5. Change colors and single crochet your fourth round. To create a stripe, pull in a second color of yarn instead of pulling more yarn from the working end of your initial color. Make the fourth round by single crocheting once in the next two stitches and twice in the stitch that follows. Finish this pattern to the end of the round.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • You should make 24 stitches for this round.
   
   
   
   


6. Swap off between two and one single crochets. For the fifth round, single crochet once in each of the next three stitches from the previous round, then twice in the stitch that follows. Repeat to the end of the round.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • You should have 30 stitches in this round.
   
   
   
   


7. Increase more for the sixth round. Continue increasing the size of your ball by making 1 single crochet in each of the next four stitches from the previous round. Make two single crochets in the stitch that follows. Repeat to the end of the round.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • This should give you 36 stitches.
   
   
   
   


8. Change colors and continue increasing. Swap your yarn color back to the color you originally started with for the seventh round. Make one single crochet in each of the next five stitches of the previous round, followed by two single crochets in the stitch that comes after. Repeat until you reach the end of the round.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • You should have a total of 42 stitches in this round.
   
   
   
   


9. Increase the single stitch number for the next six rounds. You will repeat this same pattern for rounds 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13. Change the color back to your secondary color after completing round 9, then swap back to your original color after completing round 12.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • For round 8, single crochet once in each of the next six stitches and twice in the stitch that follows, repeating to the end of the round. This gives you a total of 48 stitches.
   
   
   • For round 9, single crochet once in each of the next seven stitches and twice in the stitch that follows, repeating to the end of the round. This gives you a total of 54 stitches.
   
   
   • For round 10, single crochet once in each of the next eight stitches and twice in the stitch that follows, repeating to the end of the round. This gives you a total of 60 stitches.
   
   
   • For round 11, single crochet once in each of the next nine stitches and twice in the stitch that follows, repeating to the end of the round. This gives you a total of 66 stitches.
   
   
   • For round 12, single crochet once in each of the next ten stitches and twice in the stitch that follows, repeating to the end of the round. This gives you a total of 72 stitches.
   
   
   • For round 13, single crochet once in each of the next eleven stitches and twice in the stitch that follows, repeating to the end of the round. This gives you a total of 78 stitches.
   
   
   
   


10. Make a single crochet in each stitch for rounds 14 through 21. The next eight rounds have the same exact pattern. You only need to make one single crochet in each stitch from the round immediately proceeding the round you are currently working on.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    • Swap your yarn to your secondary color after round 15. Swap it back to your original color after round 18, and finish the ball in that color.
    
    
    • Each round should have a total of 78 stitches.
    
    
    
    


11. Finish off. Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail. Wrap the tail around your hook and pull it through the loop previously on your hook. This should create a tight, secure knot.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    


12. Repeat to form another half. The steps you just completed only formed half of the ball. To complete another half, you need to follow the exact same steps, including those steps that involved changing colors.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    


13. Join the halves. Thread a darning needle with 2 feet (61 cm) of yarn in your primary color. Sew the halves of your ball together by lining up the edges evenly and weaving the yarn back and forth between the stitches of both halves.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    • Stack the two halves, one on top of the other, with the right sides facing in.
    
    
    • Sew around the entire perimeter except for 1 inch (2.5 cm).
    
    
    
    


14. Stuff the ball. Turn the ball right side out. Loosely stuff the ball through the opening using fiberfill or another preferred stuffing material.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    • For a crinkly ball, you could stuff the ball with plastic bags. For a beanbag ball, stuff the ball with dried beans.
    
    
    
    


15. Close the ball. Thread the needle with more yarn, if necessary, and sew the opening closed with a whipstitch. Secure it with a knot.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    • Weave the ends into the stitches of the ball to hide it.
    
    
    
    

Ball Stitch^[3]

1. Yarn over and pull up a loop through the next stitch. Wrap the yarn over your crochet hook. Insert the hook into your next stitch in the pattern, wrap the yarn over once more from the back, and pull it back through to the front to create another loop on your hook. This should give you a total of three loops on your hook.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Note that the ball stitch will not form a ball on its own. Instead, you should use it when you want to add a ball effect to a project you are working on. You will already need to be in the process of crocheting the project to use this stitch, and you should start the stitch with one loop already on your hook.
   
   
   
   


2. Repeat three times. By the end of the process, you should have a total of nine loops on your hook.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Yarn over (loop 4) and insert the hook into the same stitch. Yarn over again and pull it back through to the front of the project (loop 5).
   
   
   • Yarn over at the front again (loop 6) and insert the hook into the same stitch another time. Wrap the yarn over the hook at the back again before pulling it through to the front (loop 7).
   
   
   • Wrap the yarn over the hook at the front (loop 8) and insert the hook one final time into the same stitch. Yarn over once more at the back and pull the hook back through to the front (loop 9).
   
   
   
   


3. Yarn over and draw through all nine loops. With the hook at the front of your project, wrap the yarn over the top on final time. Pull this new yarn-over through all nine loops on your hook at one time. This should complete your ball stitch.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • You may need to maneuver the ball stitches around with your fingers to make sure that they all flow in the same direction when finished if you intend to make a row of these stitches.
   
   
   
   

Tips

• Making a single crochet decrease requires you to make a single crochet through two stitches of your work.
  
  
  
  • Wrap the yarn over the tip of the hook, insert the hook into the appropriate stitch, and wrap the yarn over the tip of the hook from the other side.
  
  
  • Pull this loop through, wrap the yarn over again, and insert your hook into the next stitch.
  
  
  • Wrap the yarn over the hook from the other side and draw up another loop to the front.
  
  
  • Pull this final loop through the other two loops on your hook to complete the stitch.
  
  
  
  


• You will need to make a whip stitch using your darning needle.^[4]
  
  
  
  • Insert your yarn needle through the front and back loops of both pieces, working at the bottom of the opening. Pull the strand of yarn all the way through, catching it on a knot tied at the end of the yarn.
  
  
  • Insert the yarn needle through the next set of front and back loops directly above the first for both pieces. Work in the same direction you worked before and pull the yarn all the way through again. This completes a single whipstitch.
  
  
  • Repeat this process until you reach the end of the opening.
  
  
  
  

Things You'll Need

Single Color Plush Ball

• Yarn


• Crochet hook, size D3 (3.25 mm)


• Polyester fiberfill, plastic bags, dried beans, or other stuffing

Striped Plush Ball

• Yarn, two separate colors


• Crochet hook, size D3 (3.25 mm)


• Polyester fiberfill, plastic bags, dried beans, or other stuffing


• Darning needle

Ball Stitch

• Yarn


• Crochet hook

Sources and Citations

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from How to of the Day http://ift.tt/192RsAx

via Peter