I have a new way for you to support my FREE PATTERNS!! I know many or most of you love supporting us makers – the truth is that is takes a long time to create a pattern and then write it and then edit it and get it proofed and tested – and then publish it – then you have to link it everywhere – its a lot of work, but us makers do what we do to share our love with you. And, if you have followed my blog you may know that I do not run ads on my blog so all my support comes from PDF purchases. Some of you don’t need to purchase the PDF of my patterns, but still want to say a quick Thank you – so, you can now support my blog and my work.
Item #3 in my Scraptastic Summer Series!!
See THIS POST for more information and to get all the pattern links in one place as I finish them. My first two projects are great stash busters!
So, let’s get to it!!
First, the boring bits:
This pattern is intended for personal use only. This pattern -and all my patterns- are offered for free or a small fee to help support my family so please do not redistribute, sell, copy or use them in any way not in accordance with fairness.
You may sell products made from this pattern, but please give me credit as the designer. Please do not use my photos as your own work, but you may use my photos to reference back to my blog, Etsy, Pinterest, IG or FB, but please link back to me.
If you find any problems with this pattern, please let me know and if you have any problems with any of it feel free to message me and ask for support.
Kristi Bergin-Smith and The Burgundy Basket, 2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to me, Kristi Bergin-Smith and The Burgundy Basket with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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Stitches Guide: *US Terms apply
Chain: Ch
Stitch: St
Single Crochet: SC
Inc Sc or Inc or 2sc: make two single crochet stitches in the same stitch as indicated
BLO: back loop only/ FLO: front loop only
Hdc: half double crochet
Dc: Double Crochet
To start, I have THE PAID PDF pattern listed in my ETSY SHOP for those that like to support the makers. It is cheaper than a cup of coffee and helps me continue to offer free patterns here on my blog. You can also find it on Ravelry
Materials: This pattern is written as a scrappy yarn project, but you can use any yarns you have for this as long as you keep the overall weight of the yarns being held together the same. Gauge is not critical exactly, but you do want consistency throughout. For example, if you start with 2 strands of #4 yarn, don’t switch in the project to 2 strands of #5 yarn or a strand of #3 and #4. You can use all of these yarns, but you need to be consistent throughout. So, you could start with a strand of #5 and #3 held together – but, keep that throughout.
Naturally, if you are using materials very different from mine, you will end up with a different size and need more or less rounds. For all 8 of the examples, I have either used two strands of #4 yarn (this is most of what I used)– a strand of #4 and #3 – or in one case, I used a #4 with a baby weight yarn. The only difference is that you might need one or two more rows of increase (or less if you are using a bulky weight).
I can’t give you an exact number of yards that you will need as I didn’t have any full skeins used for this – I used all scraps – scrap balls and skeins and leftover pieces. I only had one old skein of yarn that appeared full and it was 244yds and I used all of that – so, you will need more than that for each strand/color – BUT, again, this is written as a scrap yarn project – so, don’t worry – pull out all of those scraps and get going. If you run out, join a color that works where you left off.
Ugly Yarns: This is the perfect project for ugly, old yarns! When you hold them together sometimes you get something very nice at the end. Also, some variegated yarns make really blocky patterns when worked in the round, but if you hold a second strand this changes that all together! Also, I never use baby weight yarn for the type of projects that I do -so, if you have that laying around in your stash this is the perfect time to get that used!
Whatever you decide to use, stick with that same weight throughout the entire project.
Crochet Hooks: You will probably need to try a few sizes to get the one that is right for your yarn.
What I mean by “works” is that you want to be able to easily crochet all the strands without fighting them, but you also want to create a nice fabric. This project is worked loose – since I was crocheting over a paper lantern, I didn’t want the end result to “mash” the lantern together. Your fabric created should be soft and pliant and not stiff like a basket.
For this project and the yarns that I chose, the hook that worked best for me was my size 10mm hook. I also used my size J/6mm hook to make the tentacles and the cord on bottom to gather the fabric together.
A note on yarns: If you have crocheted for a while, you will know that not all #4 worsted weight yarns are the same. For example, Red Heart Super Saver works up very different than Caron Simply Soft, but they are both listed as #4 weight yarn. Consider this as you work and try to be consistent on your yarn changes. For example, don’t start with 2 strands of RHSS and then change those out for Caron Simply Soft or your project will be smaller in some places than others. You can absolutely use them together in this project, but be consistent – if you start with a strand of RHSS and Caron Simply Soft – as you run out of one type, join the same type.
I also usually start with my smallest balls and move up in size as I go. For some reason this makes me feel like I am really using up my stash. As you end one strand of yarn, join in another. I join a new strand by finishing the last part of my crochet stitch with my new yarn and then making a knot in the two tails and then I just crochet over my tails. Of course, you may have your favorite way of joining a new strand that works best for you.
These are the large hooks that I use. I love them as much as my Clover hooks. The only issue that I have had with them, but I use them A LOT! – is that the size has smudged off the handle grip, but they work just as fabulous as my expensive Clover set.
I have also ordered this set and love it! – and it comes with everything you need to get started:
Additional materials: These crochet jellyfish are draped over a 12” paper lantern. I ordered a 10 pack of bright colors, but any 12” paper lanterns that expand will work. The lanterns that I chose came with led lights that are battery powered and hang on the inside.
You may also want some strips of lace, ribbon, fabric etc. to tie onto the bottoms for tentacles.
A note on working in the round: while working in the round you DO NOT join and chain up. This prevents a joining seam. You just continue to work in a continuous manner. If you need to know where you specifically start and stop each row, I encourage you to use a stitch marker.
Again, remember, if your materials are different than what I have used you might need to adjust these numbers.
Chaining 25 and joining into a ring, gave me the size I needed to start my work. This ring should be the size of the top of the paper lantern leaving the top hole open. I have written this pattern in multiples of 5, so if you need to adjust up or down do so by multiples of 5. If your end result is a bit large on top you can always go back at the end and do some single crochet stitches with a smaller hook or some decreases to make the top hole smaller – so, if chaining 25 isn’t quite big enough, but 30 seems too big – do 30 and go back when you are done and grab a smaller hook and do a round or two with a few decreases.
Chain 25.
Join together with a slip stitch to form a ring, but be careful not to twist your work. (This is the top)
Chain 1 and sc in each chain around. (25)
Round 2: Working in the continuous round and without joining, sc in the first sc you made from round 1 and in the next 3 stitches, inc, (sc 4, inc) 4 more times. (30)
Round 3: (sc 5, inc)* around (35)
Round 4: (sc 6, inc)* around (40)
Round 5: (sc 7, inc)* around (45)
Round 6: (sc 8, inc)* around (50)
Round 7: (sc 9, inc)* around (55)
Round 8: (sc 10, inc)* around (60)
Round 9: (sc 11, inc)* around (65)
Round 10: (sc 12, inc)* around (70)
Round 11: (sc 13, inc)* around (75)
Round 12: (sc 14, inc)* around (80)
Round 13: (sc 15, inc)* around (85)
**This is where I stopped increasing for MOST of my examples. To check and see if your work is large enough to stop increasing, lay the circle over the flattened paper lantern. The edges should just cover the lantern.
The example in the photo above is the one that I used a baby weight yarn with my regular yarn. On this jellyfish, I had to do a few more increase rounds after round 13 above in the same established manner. So, (sc 16, inc)* around etc. If you need to increase more just keep going until your piece is the size you need.
After your increase rounds, work straight for length. I worked until I had about 12” to cover most of the lantern. For me this was until about row 32. Rows 14-32+ : sc in each stitch around.
Do more rows if you need to reach that length. You want to crochet the length until your crochet piece hangs over the lantern almost fully covering it from view.
Once you obtain the length, slip stitch in the next stitch in the FRONT LOOP ONLY.
The next round is a shell pattern. A SHELL is simply 5 double crochet stitches placed in the same stitch. This shell round is also made in the FRONT LOOP ONLY. You need to crochet each shell into the FLO so that you can work in the back loop in two more rounds.
Chain 3 (counts as first dc)
Make 2 more FLO dc in the same space.
FLO (Skip 4 sc, shell)* around until you get back to the beginning chain 3. Make 2 more dc in the first stitch to complete that shell and slip stitch to the top of the chain 3.
Chain 1. Sc in the same space as the chain 1 and sc in each stitch around.
You have a choice now – you can finish off and weave in your ends OR you can do what I did since I was using the same strands of yarn: chain 4 after your slip stitch and slip stitch into the BACK LOOP of the stitch where your first chain 3/shell started. The next round is worked in the BLO behind the shell stitches so you need to “get down” to those stitches. Instead of breaking off my yarn, I just chained 4 and slip stitched behind that first shell. If you break off your yarn, attach to any free BLO or empty stitch from the shell round and sc around. You will be working under/behind the shell round – your sc will go in the BLO of the FLO shell, but also in the free stitches between shells you can work through both loops.
Once you complete that round, continue to work in a continuous method in the round in either sc or hdc rounds. I did hdc for 3-4 more rounds, but you can also continue in sc. You want to work until you can fold the sides in and they touch the center of lantern.
Once you get the right length, finish off your yarn and weave in your ends (or leave them long as part of the tentacles).
With your size J/6mm hook (or the hook you need for your yarn) – chain 100. *this count isn’t really important. You are going to use this chain to weave in and out of the stitches to gather the bottom and pull it closed. You can skip this all together and just use a single strand of yarn if you prefer. I did a long chain and just incorporated the ends as a tentacle.
Use a yarn need and weave in and out of every other stitch around and then pull gentle to gather closed. Tie.
Once you have the bottom cinched up, you can make tentacles and a top hanger. I chained 30 to use as the top hanger and then did various lengths of tentacles from 70-100 chains. I also added some fabric and ribbon pieces on bottom. In my examples, I attached the yarn tentacles evenly around the crochet part, but added the ribbons to the small metal bar on bottom to spread everything out.
And that’s it! I hope you make several to hang together and get much enjoyment from this fun, quick scrap buster.
I’ve been a member of Darn Good Yarn for years now and can’t say enough good things about this fabulous company!
Rebel and Ruger approved! Our two heelers get a box each month and we love this company as well.
Thank you for choosing my pattern. XOXO, Kristi at The Burgundy Basket.
