Materials:
1. Yarn of your choice. Cotton, acrylic, wool will do. You can choose smooth or fluffy yarn.
Colors: Green, Red.
My cactus is crocheted from yarn (Acrylic + wool) 200m/ 50gr. The height of the cactus is 10 cm.
2. Hollow fibre for stuffing
3. A crochet hook, I have 1,5 mm crochet hook
4. For eyes: a small amount of white yarn, 2 beads, I used 4mm diam beads
5. A sewing needle, matching sewing threads
6. Wooden skewer 5-8 cm long
7. A small flower pot, granulate or pebbles.
Abbreviations:
ch – chain
sl st – slip stitch
sc – single crochet
hdc – half double crochet
dc - double crochet
inc – increase (2 sc in 1 st)
3 inc, 6 inc – 3, 6 increases in sequence
dec – decrease (single crochet two stitches together)
2 dec, 6 dec – 2, 6 decrease in sequence
(...) x N times – repeat instructions in brackets N times
«Arms» (make 2)
1. 6 sc in a Magic Ring
2. (1sc, inc)* 3 = 9
3-4. 9 sc
5. 2 sc, 3 dec, inc = 7
6. inc, 2 sc, dec, 1 sl st = 6
Bind off, cut off any excess yarn. Add some hollow fibre.
«Body – head»
5 ch, mark the 1st loop from the hook.
1. starting from 2nd ch from hook: 3 sc, 3 sc in the last stitch, continue along the other side of chain: 2 sc, inc, in the marked 1st loop of the beginning chain, make an increase, put a marker = 12
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2. inc, 2 sc, 3 inc, 2 sc, inc, 1 sc, inc, 1 sc = 18
3. 1 sc, inc, (2 sc, inc) *4 times, attach the 1st arm, work the loops of the arm and body together: 2 sc, attach the 2nd arm, work the loops of the arm and body together: 2 sc = 23
4. 5 sc, inc, 3 sc, inc, 3 sc, inc, 5 sc, work into loops of the 1st arm: 3 sc, one loop of the first and second arms should be crocheted together, continue - work into loops of the 2nd arm: 3 sc = 29
5. 6 sc, inc, (4 sc, inc) *2 times, 6 sc, inc, 3 sc, inc, 1 sc = 34
6. 7 sc, inc, (5 sc, inc) *2 times, 7 sc, inc, 4 sc, inc, 1 sc = 39
7. 14 sc, inc, 19 sc, inc, 4 sc = 41
8 incomplete. 15 sc, inc, 20 sc, move place marker – a new round will start from here.
We divide crocheting into 2 parts:
9. 8 sc, skip 26 loops, 8 sc = 16
Continue crocheting along the small ring. Crocheting direction is marked with an arrow on the photo.
10. 7 sc, dec, 6 sc, inc = 16
11 -12. 16 sc
13. 4 sc, inc, 5 sc, inc, 4 sc, inc = 19
14 -15. 19 sc
16. (5 sc, inc) * 2 times, 6 sc, inc = 22
17-18. 22 sc
19. (3 sc, inc) * 2 times, (1 sc, inc) * 2 times, (3 sc, inc) * 2 times, 2 sc = 28
20. 12 sc, inc, 6 sc, inc, 8 sc = 30
21. 30 sc
22. 13 sc, inc, 16 sc = 31
23. 1 sc, dec, 28 sc = 30
24. 30 sc
25. dec, 28 sc = 29
26. 29 sc
27. dec, 27 sc = 28
28. (2 sc, dec) *7 = 21
29. (1 sc, dec) * 7 = 14
30. 7 dec = 7
Pull off the loops. Cut the thread, hide the end. Add some hollow fibre.
Continue crocheting along the big ring. Crocheting direction is marked with an arrow on the photo. Skip 2 loops, attach the thread to the 3rd loop, leaving the tail of the thread about 15 cm for sewing.
9. starting from 3rd ch from hook: 1 sc, inc, 4 sc, inc, 8 sc, inc, 4 sc, inc, 1 sc (leave the last 2 stitches unworked) = 26
10-13. 26 sc
Sew the opening. Add some hollow fibre.
14. 9 sc, dec, 6 sc, dec, 7 sc = 24
15. (2 sc, dec) *6 times = 18
16. (1 sc, dec) *6 times = 12
17. 6 dec = 6
Add some hollow fibre.
18. Into the front loops only: 6 inc = 12
19. (3 sc, inc)* 3 times = 15
20. 15 sc
21. (3 sc, dec)* 3 times = 12 - it's a «tail»
Add some hollow fibre
22. 6 dec = 6
Pull off the loops. Cut the thread, hide the end.
Ear (make 2)
1. 6 sc in a Magic Ring = 6
2. (1 sc, inc)* 3 times = 9
3. 1 sc, inc, 7sc =10
4-13. 10 sc
14. 3 sc, dec, 5 sc = 9
Cut off yarn, leave a tail for further operation.
Add some hollow fibre.
Eyes (make 2)
Work with white colour yarn
1. in a Magic Ring: 2 sc, 2 hdc, 2 dc, 2 hdc, 2 sc, join into a ring with a sl st.
Cut off yarn, leave a tail for further operation.
Flower
16 ch, starting from 2nd ch from hook: 1 sl st, next, we crochet the petals: (5 ch, starting from 2nd ch from hook: 4 sc, continue along the loops at the beginning of a chain 1 sl st)*14 times, 1 sl st.
Bind off, cut off any excess yarn.
Roll the part, sew through Rnd 1 a few times, make sure you pierce through all layers of the part.
Assembly and Decoration
Should you want your cactus to be a bit fluffier you may brush all details with a pet brush or a hook & loop tape.
Find the points for attaching the ears. This is the 5th round from the top, to the right and left of the marker line.
Embroider a mouth. Tip: insert the needle and fix the thread at the point of attachment of the ears.
Sew on the eyes. Sew the pupils – black beads.
Attach the ears to the head and sew them on.
Sew a flower.
Insert a wooden skewer into the cactus and place the cactus in a pot with granulate, sand or pebbles.
