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Knowing how to single crochet a ball is a valuable piece of knowledge. Stuff it with plastic pellets for a bean bag or hackey sack for kids, or stuff it with catnip and a small jingle bell to make a fun pet toy. A ball is infinitely useful- or at least infinitely amusing. Plus, it’s a great way to use scrap yarn.
This ball is made in continuous rounds. You may want to use a stitch marker to keep track of the first stitch of each round. A ball is made in 3 parts: increasing, working even, and decreasing. With yarn and an appropriate sized hook:
Increasing
Ch 2.
Rnd 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from the hook, do not join. 6 sc
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc around. 12 sc
Rnd 3: Sc in first sc, 2 sc in next sc, (sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc) 5 times. 18 sc
Rnd 4: (Sc in each of next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc) 6 times. 24 sc
Rnd 5: (Sc in each of next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc) 6 times. 30 sc
Rnd 6: (Sc in each of next 4 sc, 2 sc in next sc) 6 times. 36 sc
Keep going in the established pattern of
(Sc in each of next <one more than last rnd> sc, 2 sc in next sc) 6 times
until you reach about your desired ball circumference.
Working Even
Sc in each sc around for 2 or 3 rnds. If you work even for too many rounds you’ll wind up with more of a tube.
Decreasing
Now it’s time for the decreases. Your first decrease round is just like your last increase round except that you decrease at the end instead of increasing. Let’s say that the last increase round you did was (Sc in each of next 10 sc, 2 sc in next sc). So your first decrease round will be (Sc in each of next 10 sc, sc2tog).
Your next decrease round will be
(Sc in each of next <one less than last rnd> sc, sc2tog) 6 times.
So given our example, if your first decrease round was
(Sc in each of next 10 sc, sc2tog)
then your next decrease round will be
(Sc in each of next 9 sc, sc2tog)
Keep working decrease rounds until you finish a round and there are only 6 stitches left. (You may want to pause a little earlier to stuff your ball.) End off the yarn. Use a yarn needle to thread your yarn tail through the 6 stitches and pull the top of your ball closed.
Et Voilà!
This is cool, thanks!
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