January 17

Irene asked me for a tutorial for my hacky sacks. I refined the pattern from several I found on the web. This is what works for me! I have also posted a downloadable PDF in the right-hand bar.

Hashi’s Hacky Sack

Materials:
Small amount of 4-ply knitting/crochet cotton
Size 7 steel crochet hook
Tapestry needle
1/2 cup poly pellets
Nylon stocking

Pour half a cup of pellets into the toe of the stocking. Shake it down into the toe. Twist the stocking a few times tightly above the pellets, then fold the leg of the stocking down over the ball you have made, pulling it all the way through. Twist it again and reverse direction, covering the ball again with the stocking. Keep doing this till you have used up all the stocking, making the twists in different places on the ball each time so you don’t get lumps. Put aside.

ROUND 1: Ch2, work 11 hdc in first ch. Join with slst to first hdc.

ROUND 2: Ch2, hdc in same st as slst. 2 hdc in each st around. Join with slst.

ROUND 3: Ch2, *2 hdc in next st, 1 hdc in next st. Rep from * around. Join with slst.

ROUND 4: Ch2, *2hdc in next st, 1 hdc in next 2 sts. Rep from * around. Join with slst.

ROUND 5: Ch2, *2 hdc in next st, 1hdc in next 3 sts. Rep from * around. Join with slst.

ROUNDS 6 – 16: Ch2, hdc in each st around. Join with slst.

Slip ball form into cover.

ROUND 17: Ch2, hdc in next 2 sts. 1 dec (yo, insert hook in next st, yo, draw up lp, yo, draw thread though 2 lps on hook, yo, insert hook in next st, yo draw up lp, yo. Draw thread through all four lps on hook), *hdc in next 3 sts, 1 dec. Rep from * around. Join with slst.

ROUND 18: Ch2, hdc in next st, 1 dec, *hdc in next 2 sts, 1 dec. Rep from * around. Join with slst.

ROUND 19: Ch2, 1 dec, *hdc in next st, 1 dec. Rep from * around. Join with slst.

ROUND 20: Ch2, dec all the way around. Join with slst.

ROUND 21: Ch1, sc in same st as slst. Sc in each st around. Join w slst. Break off and weave ends into work.