Frankie's Knitted Stuff
These crocheted pigs start life as a basic juggling ball so you can make the plain version or add the details to turn them into pigs. They are filled with a bean bag to give a bit of weight. Who says pigs don't fly? The pigs were made with DK weight yarn and a 3.5 mm crochet hook. I used Stylecraft Special DK (295 m / 100g); you will need about 5g of yarn for the basic ball and 7g for a pig. Tension: 6 dc (US sc) and 6 rows = 2.5 cm / 1"2. This pattern uses British crochet terms: dc = US sc htr = US hdc tr = US dc
The Bean Bags
I make these from the legs of cheap pairs of tights, filled with plastic pellets. Knot the leg and then add about six teaspoons (22g) of the pellets, knot the leg again and cut. I find I can get about ten bean bags out of each pair of tights.
The Juggling Ball
These are worked as a spiral. At the end of the rounds don't complete the circle but just carry on, working the first stitch of the following round into the next stitch. Work 4 ch and join with a slip stitch to make a ring. Round 1: 6dc into ring. Round 2: 2dc in every stitch (12 sts). Round 3: (dc, 2dc in next st) six times (18 sts). Round 4: (2dc, 2dc in next st) six times (24 sts). Round 5: (3dc, 2dc in next st) six times (30 sts). That's the bottom of the ball finished. Now work six rounds without shaping. If you place a marker after the first round, it will help with the counting.
The next thing to do is to darn in the cast on tail of yarn, tightening the starting ring. Now you can shape the top of the ball. Round 12: (3dc, dec) six times (24 sts). This is where you put the bean bag into the ball, before the opening gets too small. From now on you will have to crochet round the bag. Round 13: (2dc, dec) six times (18 sts).
Round 14: (1dc, dec) six times (12 sts). Round 15: (dec) six times (6 sts). Fasten off and darn in the end, tidying up the top and closing any gaps. One juggling ball is not a lot of use so you'll need to make some more. Three is the normal number although more experienced jugglers might like four or even five. And now for the pigs ...
For these you will need to crochet a nose, two ears, four feet and a tail. Oh yes, and they'll need a face too.
The Nose
Begin by working 5 ch, stitches will be worked round this chain to shape the nose. Round 1: Beginning with the second ch from the hook, work 3dc then 3dc into the last ch. Now work 3dc along the other side of the chain and join with a ss to the first dc (9 sts). Round 2: 1ch, dc in every stitch, working into the back loops only, join with a ss to first dc. Round 3: 1ch, (2dc, 2dc in next st) three times (12 sts). Join to first dc and fasten off. Leave the tail of yarn for sewing the nose on to the pig.
The Ears
These are worked back and forth. Work 6 ch to start.
Row 1: dc into 2nd ch from hook, 2htr in next st, (2tr in next st) twice, tr, turn (8 sts). Row 2: 2ch, 2tr, htr, dc, (ss in next st) three times. asten off but leave the tails for sewing the ears on to the pi Using black yarn, sew a few small stitches on the nose for each nostril. Knot the ends of the black yarn together twice and trim them rather than trying to sew them in. Now sew the nose to the bottom of the ball, just below the centre. Add a few tiny stitches for each eye, positioning them about 1 cm above each side of the nose. Sew the ears to the pig with the straight cast on edges facing the middle and the wide sides meeting at the top (see the photo below).
You will have to angle the ears so that the eyes aren't completely hidden. Sew down the points of the ears, letting them curl out a bit.
The Tail
Work 6 ch and then, starting with the 2nd ch from the hook, make 2dc into each ch. Fasten off and sew on to the pig's bottom.
The Feet
Work 4 ch and join with a ss into a ring. Round 1: 1 ch, 6dc into ring, join with a ss to first dc. Round 2: 1ch, dc into the back loop only of every st, join with a ss to first dc and fasten off. Sew the feet to the bottom of the pig. It helps to pin them in place first. And that is that. Now they have feet the pigs will stand up. They would make nice toys for those too young to juggle.
Abbreviations
ch chain SS slip stitch st / sts stitch / stitches dc double crochet (US single crochet) htr half treble (US half double crochet) tr treble (US double crochet) dec decrease : \*insert hook in stitch, yarn round hook, pull the yarn through, repeat from \* in the next stitch then put the yarn round the hook and pull through all three stitches Frankie Brown, 2014. My patterns are for personal use only and should not be used to knit items for sale. Please do not use them for teaching purposes without my permission.
