Little Balls

I've been hooking up some Little Balls this week, and enjoying myself immensely. It's just the sort of quick, fun type of creativity that I love, especially at this time of year when there is added festive excitement to my makes.



The Little Balls are destined to become part of my crazy festive wreath, and I've become rather ridiculously over-excited by them. They are just so cute! I'm planning on stitching them in clusters of three, a bit like oversized berries, and the mere thought of it keeps making me smile like a loon.



I've had plenty of help with my Little Ball production here in the Attic. My trusty Chief Assistant has been on hand to perform his usual quality control checks on my yarns, as well as doing a bit of sampling himself. Oh, and photography too, yes, he is very keen on Product Photography. Actually, he has been a joy, and we've spent some wonderful, companionable afternoons sitting at the table being creative together. Me exclaiming over the impossible cuteness of my Little Balls, him chattering about his pen colours and what he is drawing (A beautiful piece entitled "Footprints in the Snow, with Orange, Green and Blue")



I love using these bowls to store my little itty bits of crochet, buttons and beads in. They are old Cath Kidston, bought for pence when a local shop had a clear out sale a few years ago, and I have four of them.



So. Little Balls.....I did start trying to make a photographic tutorial for them, but the light disappeared before I had chance to finish. They are very easy and straightforward though, so I thought I might just write out the pattern in case you feel compelled to fill your life with them (they would make a terrific garland don't you think?).

They are worked in Double Crochet (that's Single Crochet if you're in the US) in amigurumi style, ie the rounds are worked in a spiral as opposed to distinct start/stop rounds. Usually it's necessary to use a row marker when you work in this way, but as these balls are so little, I found I can do it just by counting. And shhhhhhhhhhhh-ing anyone who tries to talk to me while I'm counting.

To begin, chain 2. The first round is worked out of the first chain.

Round 1 :: work 6 dc into the first chain (count 6!)

Round 2 :: work 2dc into each dc of the first round (count 12!)

Rounds 3, 4 & 5 :: work 1 dc into each dc of the previous round, ie three rounds of 12 stitches (count 36! Keep counting! Shhhh anyone who tries to interrupt!)

At this point, your Little Ball should resemble a miniature beanie hat that sits on the end of your finger. This is where the Cute sets in.

Now STUFF!! Get a small bobble of toy stuffing or a blob of cotton wool and stuff it into your Little Ball. It will misbehave, it will try to escape. Use the end of your hook (the non hooky end) to push it into place. Be firm.

Round 6 :: (skip 1 stitch, dc into next stitch) 6 times. In other words, work 1 dc into every alternate stitch around. Watch your tension, keep your stitches nice and tight and you should find that the crochet gathers in nicely around the stuffing to leave a very small hole. Make a couple of slip stitches to close the hole completely, and finish off.

Now go forth and make loads more! The cuteness factor really kicks in when you have a whole gathering of Little Balls in a dinky little china bowl.

I finally finished the wreath last night (by that I mean the stripy cover is in place) so I can now begin to decorate it with all manor of woolly, sparkly goodness.

I am pretty darn excited about this whole wreath making thing, can you tell?

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 Edit to add :: for all these decs I'm using a 3.5mm hook with a fine dk weight merino wool. Most of the yarn is Rico Essentials Merino, but there is also some Lang Superfine Merino (the turquoise) and some snippets of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino (the bright green and the red) x

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Crochet Kathleen]

Stumbled upon this and can’t wait to browse your collections! Thank you for sharing! Winter is no longer around the corner 🥶 it is here. Time to snuggle into the chair and start crocheting. Happy Holidays !

[Marny CA]

Are these the 'berries' for the Holly leaves???

I hope so . . .

Thank you VERY much for sharing your creativity.

I moved from cold northern Ohio to cold Long Island NY and now if I want snow here in southern California, I can drive to it. So far, I only encountered snow when I visited a dear friend in Karlsruhe Germany and they took me to the Black Forest! Snow and sleet. LOL

Thank you and blessings to you and yours.

[Sam]

These are brilliant. Just started to crochet and these are perfect for beginning thankyou.

[india heap]

Hi Lucy, the little balls are the first thing I have ever crocheted, and I am having so much fun making them. With such easy to follow instructions I don't know why everyone isn't obsessed with crocheting.
Thank you sooooooo much

[Sue Gough]

Hi Lucy,
Thank you so much for all the tutorials relating to making a Christmas wreath.

As soon as my lovely family departed after a wonderful Christmas with our new grandson, I set about ordering all sorts of lovely bits and pieces to make TEN wreaths for all my favourite people!

I have spent most of this evening working through all your tutorials for the flowers, leaves, stars, and mini baubles with great success; I now have the start of a collection which I shall add to over the coming months. Once my polystyrene wreaths arrive, I will be able to make the stripey bases. I am really looking forward to completing the project as I know the gifts will bring pleasure to my family.

I will be making a donation to enable you to continue the wonderful work you do!

Happy new year to you and your family,
Sue.

[Jan]

What a lovely website and you are so funny!
Wreath is absolutely amazing, pretty, crazy but so Christmassey :). Keep posting patters, I love them. Thanks. Are you on facebook?

[Meme]

This is what excited me most about you was your colour sense and brightness. I adore colours not matter what but especially bright shades and red is or has been a particular favourite of mine for so many years. I don't remember the event that well but I just remember red shoes and a semi circle red couch.

[Shahida]

Simply beautiful. Love the colour combinations:)

[Andrina T]

Omg, I did it on the first try! *squeeee* I think I should put more stuffing in the next one, but this looks pretty darn good if I do say so myself. Lucy your tutorials are sooo easy to follow, and I love the photos you include for extra help. You fill my world with so much color! xx

[Sandra]

Lucy, thank you so much for all the inspiration your blog gives me in warm armfuls of loveliness. I first found your blog on 19.Dec and read this 'Little Balls' post which set me and my grandchildren on a wonderful journey of design and discovery which I have described here: http://stonechatchat.wordpress.com/2013/02/27/excited/
Thank you!

[elaine]

Lindissimo seu trabalho. Deve ser uma delicia morar numa casa tão colorida. Vou tentar colorir a minha também...

[Carolyn Journey]

Lucy. I am a new crocheter and am trying to make the blooming flower cushion. In round 6, you are pulling a new color thru and you say to ch1 this counts as a tr. Every where else it is a chain 3. I think it is just a typo but I am not sure. Help please.

[Dawn]

Perfect! I've started using these (instead of pompoms, which little hands can tear apart and little mouths can devour) on hats. Waaaay too cute! I stuff mine with bits of yarn. It's a bit more fiddly, but I have them lying around anyways, so might as well use them!

[Josiane Cozzi]

C'est magnifique, j'adore, j'adore Matisse, les belles couleurs, mais je n'ose pas trop les utiliser, mais grace à vous ça va surement changer! Internet c'est à la fois horrible et merveilleux !

[Sandra]

Oh no!!! You've sparked another obsession! Can't stop making these cute little balls - thank you so much - not sure what I'm going to do with them! i look forward to seeing your wreath. Love your colour combo.

[Gudrun]

So great...I love it...I have to do the same for next Christmas...its a colourful dream.
Best wishes
Gudrun from Germany

[Christine]

Hi Lucy these little balls are very cute. I have been making some infant slippers for my Grand Children for Christmas and was looking for something different other than the typical pom-pom. When I saw these adorable little balls I got so excited that I have decided to use the little balls instead. What a great idea. Now I have a question...when you are talking about using a double crochet but meaning a single for the US as you are explaining throughout the pattern would that mean I should be doing a single crochet instead of the double? Just want to make sure I do it correctly. Do I do single crochet or double crochet for these little balls? Thank you for this wonderful idea. Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours!!

[KayElleC]

I can tell I'm going to love it already!!!

My local yarn shop sells what my friend calls 'moth' colours....very uninspiring! Colours online just don't look the same...I am loosing my hooky-mojo and only feel breathless when I soak up your blog! ;)

Thanks for making me smile....especially on this particularly BAD day!

xxx

[Lisa]

Looks fab, need to give it a go!

[Nadine]

Thank you Lucy - here in South Africa we are also getting quite "giddy" over Christmas, but it has been super hot and, where I live, very humid indeed. I have to stop every now and then to wash my hands and have even resorted to a sprinkle of baby talc to stop the hook from sliding from my fingers or sticking stubbornly in the wool. I am going to attempt these in dk cotton and make some in red, green, silver and gold! hugs from our part of the world
Nadine

[Carol]

These wintery photos are gorgeous and the colours are so beautiful. Here in Australia it's mid summer and the days are long and hot,just the way I like it. I simply can't imagine the days starting at 7.30 and ending not long after 3. Even in the depths of Winter we have daylight from 7 to 5.30! I'm looking forward to seeing your completed wreath in all its glory.

[Rosie]

I added a comment when this was first posted about an alternative of using the same wool to stuff the little balls, thinking it might be helpful. But it has disappeared, though it appeared at the time to go through.
Or has it been deleted for some reason? Perhaps it offended you in some way?

[Lily Scott]

I am getting together a couple of small projects to pass the time on the plane - first stop, Abu Dhabi for a stopover and then - London! Hurrah! Looking forward to seeing craft/wool shops in U.K., getting different patterns and wool. So looking forward to it all - and to a, hopefully, white Christmas for the first time ever. Average temperature here in N.S.W. Australia is 27 degrees at present.
Happy Christmas to all!

[eskimo*rose]

Hi Lucy - I TOTALLY get it, I have a little ball fetish too!! Felt, pompom, crochet, give me any and I'm yours! Can't wait to see your wreath ... I am dumbfounded by all the clever people in blogland this month, everyone seems to be so organised that they have time to create!! Not I, scatty, daydreamy and disorganised through and through, I still have 3 crochet xmas presies to start, goodness knows when I'll finish them, xmas eve I suspect!
xxx

[Angela-Southern U.S.A.]

Just adorable,Lucy! Can't wait to see the finished wreath :))I've been crocheting peppermint jar toppers for gift giving homemade goodies inside,of course.Happy wreath decorating!