I recently started going to the gym and I bought myself a medicine ball. But it was kinda plain and boring so I thought crochet could only make it better 🙂
This pattern uses pink, white, blue and black 8ply wool and a 4 mm hook. It is written in American crochet notation.
Body/head
With pink wool
Round 1: 6sc in a magic ring (6 stitches)
Round 2: increase in every stitch (12 stitches)
Round 3: sc in the first stitch, increase in the next stitch – repeat (18 stitches)
Round 4: sc in the first two stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (24 stitches)
Round 5: sc in the first three stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (30 stitches)
Round 6: sc in the first four stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (36 stitches)
Round 7: sc in the first five stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (42 stitches)
Round 8: sc in the first six stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (48 stitches)
Round 9: sc in the first seven stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (54 stitches)
Round 10: sc in the first eight stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (60 stitches)
Round 11: sc in the first nine stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (66 stitches)
Round 12: sc in the first ten stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (72 stitches)
Round 13: sc in the first eleven stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (78 stitches)
Round 14: sc in the first twelve stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (84 stitches)
Round 15: sc in the first thirteen stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (90 stitches)
Round 16: sc in the first fourteen stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (96 stitches)
Round 17: sc in the first fifteen stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (102 stitches)
Rounds 18 – 37: sc in each stitch (102 stitches)
Place the ball inside the crochet
Round 38: sc in the first fifteen stitches, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (96 stitches)
Round 39: sc in the first fourteen stitches, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (90 stitches)
Round 40: sc in the first thirteen stitches, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (84 stitches)
Round 41: sc in the first twelve stitches, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (78 stitches)
Round 42: sc in the first eleven stitches, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (72 stitches)
Round 43: sc in the first ten stitches, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (66 stitches)
Round 44: sc in the first nine stitches, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (60 stitches)
Round 45: sc in the first eight stitches, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (54 stitches)
Round 46: sc in the first seven stitches, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (48 stitches)
Round 47: sc in the first six stitches, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (42 stitches)
Round 48: sc in the first five stitches, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (36 stitches)
Round 49: sc in the first four stitches, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (30 stitches)
Round 50: sc in the first three stitches, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (24 stitches)
Round 51: sc in the first two stitches, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (18 stitches)
Round 52: sc in the first stitch, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (12 stitches)
Round 53: decrease until the hole closes.
Fasten off, weave in end.
Eye whites (make two)
With white wool
Round 1: 6sc in a magic ring (6 stitches)
Round 2: increase in every stitch (12 stitches)
Round 3: sc in the first stitch, increase in the next stitch – repeat (18 stitches)
Round 4: sc in the first two stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (24 stitches)
Round 5: sc in the first three stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (30 stitches)
Round 6: sc in the first four stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (36 stitches)
Slip stitch, fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing
Irises (make two)
With blue wool
Round 1: 6sc in a magic ring (6 stitches)
Round 2: increase in every stitch (12 stitches)
Round 3: sc in the first stitch, increase in the next stitch – repeat (18 stitches)
Round 4: sc in the first two stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (24 stitches)
Slip stitch, fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing
Ears (make two)
With pink wool
Round 1: 6sc in a magic ring (6 stitches)
Round 2: increase in the first two stitches, sc in the next stitch, increase in the next two stitches, sc in the last stitch (10 stitches)
Place a marker between the third and fourth stitches back from the hook and the second and third stitches in front of the hook – in other words, the markers should be on opposite sides of the circle, in the middle of the increase sections. These are the ‘increase markers’. Mark the start of the round with a different colour
Rounds 3 – 10: sc in every stitch except increase on each side of the two increase markers (so there are four increases per round)
Slip stitch, fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing.
Inside of ear (make two)
With black wool
Row 1: chain 15
Row 2: sc along the chain (with one turning chain) (14 stitches)
Row 3: decrease in the first two stitches, sc in the next ten stitches, decrease in the last two stitches (12 stitches)
Row 4: decrease in the first two stitches, sc in the next eight stitches, decrease in the last two stitches (10 stitches)
Row 5: decrease in the first two stitches, sc in the next six stitches, decrease in the last two stitches (8 stitches)
Row 6: decrease in the first two stitches, sc in the next four stitches, decrease in the last two stitches (6 stitches)
Row 7: decrease in the first two stitches, sc in the next two stitches, decrease in the last two stitches (4 stitches)
Row 8: decrease the first two stitches together, decrease the last two stitches together (2 stitches)
Row 9: decrease the two remaining stitches together
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Arms (make two)
With pink wool
Round 1: 6sc in a magic ring (6 stitches)
Round 2: increase in every stitch (12 stitches)
Round 3: sc in each stitch (12 stitches)
Round 4: sc in the first stitch, increase in the next stitch – repeat (18 stitches)
Rounds 5 – 6: sc in each stitch (18 stitches)
Round 7: sc in the first two stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (24 stitches)
Rounds 8 – 11: sc in each stitch (24 stitches)
Slip stitch, fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing.
Feet
With pink wool
Round 1: 6sc in a magic ring (6 stitches)
Round 2: increase in every stitch (12 stitches)
Round 3: sc in each stitch (12 stitches)
Round 4: sc in the first stitch, increase in the next stitch – repeat (18 stitches)
Round 5: sc in each stitch (18 stitches)
Round 6: sc in the first two stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (24 stitches)
Round 7: sc in each stitch (24 stitches)
Round 8: sc in the first three stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (30 stitches)
Rounds 9 – 15: sc in each stitch (30 stitches)
Round 16: sc in the first three stitches, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (24 stitches)
Round 17: sc in the first two stitches, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (18 stitches)
Round 18: sc in the first stitch, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat (12 stitches)
stuff
Round 19: decrease until the hole closes.
Fasten off, weave in end.
Hair
With pink wool
Round 1: 6sc in a magic ring (6 stitches)
Round 2: increase in every stitch (12 stitches)
Round 3: sc in the first stitch, increase in the next stitch – repeat (18 stitches)
Round 4: sc in the first two stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (24 stitches)
Rounds 5 – 9: sc in each stitch (24 stitches)
Mark the beginning of the round with one colour, count six stitches and mark that spot with a second colour, count 12 stitches and mark that spot with the second colour. The markers of the second colour are the ‘twisty markers’.
Rounds 10 – 12: sc in each stitch except increase on either side of one of the twisty markers and decrease over the opposite twisty marker (so two increases and 1 decrease per round)
Rounds 12 – 13: sc in each stitch (27 stitches)
Round 14: sc in each stitch except increase in the three stitches on each side of one twisty marker and work three decreases on each side of the other twisty marker (so six increases and six decreases)
Rounds 15 – 17: sc in each stitch (27 stitches)
Round 18: sc in the first three stitches, increase in the next stitch – repeat (I’ve lost count of the stitches, the maths hurts my brain)
Round 19: sc in the first three stitches, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat
Stuff, sew the curl down
Round 20: sc in the first two stitches, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat
Round 21: sc in the first stitch, decrease the next two stitches together – repeat
Round 22: decrease until the hole closes.
Fasten off, weave in end.
Assembly
Sew the irises onto the eye whites. So the insides of the ears onto the ears. Curve the ears slightly and sew them on to the head. Sew the arms, feet, eyes and hair onto the head. Embroider the smile with black wool. I find it helpful to pin everything on before I start sewing to make sure it looks good.
Happy exercising 🙂