Little Diamonds Crochet Bauble – Free Pattern

The Little Diamonds Crochet Bauble is a quick and fun tapestry crochet project for the holidays!

If you haven’t tried tapestry crochet before, then this free pattern is a great starter project – there are only 5 colorwork rows, and the repeat is very intuitive.

Set of 6 Crochet Baubles

If you like this pattern, then you might like to check out the other baubles in the set.

What you’ll need for this crochet bauble

Yarn

This pattern calls for a worsted weight yarn. For my bauble I used WeCrochet Brava Worsted, which is a premium, #4/medium acrylic yarn.

Hook

I used a 4mm (G-6) crochet hook. In tapestry crochet, you are working with 2 strands of yarn; the first is your working yarn (Color 1), and the second (Color 2) is carried beneath your stitches, ready for the next color change.

Usually, you will use a smaller hook size than you normally would for your chosen yarn – this is to ensure your stitches are nice and tight, so that the carried yarn does not peek through!

Bauble

You will need a hard, plastic bauble of approx. 3″ – 3.5” / 7.5cm – 9cm in diameter (approx. 10″ – 11”/ 25.5cm – 28cm in circumference).

Alternatively, you can stuff the bauble tightly with polyester fibre filling if you prefer.

The thickness of your yarn, and whether you crochet loosely or tightly, may impact the size of your finished item.

Finished Size

This pattern is designed to fit around a bauble of approx. 3″ – 3.5” / 7.5cm – 9cm in diameter (approx. 10″ – 11”/ 25.5cm – 28cm in circumference).

Gauge

17 sts x 15 rows = 4″ x 4″ / 10cm x 10cm measured over sc blo.

Materials

Yarn:

Any #4/Medium/Worsted weight yarn in two colors.

The amounts given here are for WeCrochet Brava Worsted (218yds/199m per 100g skein; Weight: #4/Medium/Worsted; 100% Acrylic)

Per Bauble: Approx. 50 yds / 45m of each color.

Hook: 4mm (G-6) crochet hook (or hook required to meet gauge – see Colorwork Notes below).

Other Items:

• Yarn needle
• Stitch marker

Pattern Notes

Skill Level

Abbreviations (US Terms)

• ch = chain
• st = stitch
• sl st = slip stitch
• blo = back loop only
• sc2tog = single crochet two together (see Special Stitches)
• beg = beginning
• rem = remaining
• C1 = Color 1
• C2 = Color 2

Construction

• The bauble is crocheted in the round from the bottom up as follows:
  • 7 increase rounds
  • 6 even rounds
  • 6 decrease rounds
• If using a plastic bauble as an insert, stop crocheting after Round 15, insert the bauble and work the remaining decrease rounds around the top of it.
• The colorwork section starts at Round 9.

General Pattern Notes

• The stitch count for each round is given in [ ] at the end of the round. If no stitch count is given, then the count is the same as the previous round.
• You will work in continuous rounds i.e. do not join with a sl st at the end of each round.
• Use a stitch marker to keep track of the first stitch of each round.
• All stitches are worked through the back loop only (blo).

Colorwork Notes

• The bauble is crocheted using the tapestry crochet technique.
• You will always work with two strands of yarn:
  • one is your working yarn
  • the second is carried beneath your stitches
• On rounds that only have one color, you should still carry a strand (of the same color) to keep the tension even.
• Take care not to pull your carried yarn too tightly, as this will cause your work to bunch up. If you have never done this before, don’t worry – it gets easier with practice.
  • Change color as follows (assuming two colors – A and B):With Color A, insert hook into blo of next st, yarn over and pull through (2 loops on hook).
  • Do not complete the stitch with Color A.
  • Instead, keeping Color A to the back of your work (and pulling it gently to the right), yarn over Color B and pull through both loops on hook. Color change made.
  • Carry Color A beneath your stitches until you reach the next color change.

Chart & Written Instructions

• For the colorwork section (starting at Round 9), you can either use the Colorwork Chart in the print-friendly PDF or follow the written instructions (below).
• When using the written instructions, for each block of color, the instruction is written as follows: (COLOR) stitch COUNT

• If no color is indicated before a stitch, then continue with the current color until you reach the next color change.

SPECIAL STITCHES

Single Crochet Two Together (sc2tog)

Step 1: Insert hook into indicated st, pull up a loop. [2 loops on hook]

Step 2: Insert hook into next st, pull up a loop. [3 loops on hook]

Step 3: Yarn over and pull through all 3 loops.

Written Pattern

Note: for any round that is in a solid color i.e. a C1 round, you will need to carry a strand of the same color beneath your stitches to ensure an even tension.

• For increase rounds, the easiest way to do this is to work over the tail from the magic circle.
• For decrease rounds, you will need to introduce a separate strand of C1.

Round 1: With C1 and leaving a very long tail (approx. 57″ / 145cm), make a magic circle, ch 1 (does not count as a st), 6 sc in circle. Pull tail gently to close circle. Do not join. [6]

Round 2 (INC): 2 sc blo in first st and each st around, do not join. [12]

Round 3 (INC): *2 sc blo, sc blo 1; repeat from * around, do not join. [18]

Round 4 (INC): *2 sc blo, sc blo 2; repeat from * around, do not join. [24]

Round 5 (INC): *2 sc blo, sc blo 3; repeat from * around, do not join. [30]

Round 6 (INC): *2 sc blo, sc blo 4; repeat from * around, do not join. [36]

Round 7 (INC): *2 sc blo, sc blo 5; repeat from * around, do not join. [42]

Round 8: Sc blo in each st around, do not join.

Cut carried C1 strand only.

Begin Colorwork

For the colorwork section, you can follow the written instructions here, or use the Colorwork Chart in the print-friendly PDF.

Note: introduce the C2 strand at the start of the next round – this will replace the C1 strand as your carried yarn.

Round 9: (C1) sc blo 3, (C2) sc blo 1, *(C1) sc blo 5, (C2) sc blo 1; repeat from * until 2 sts rem, (C1) sc blo 2, do not join.

Round 10: (C1) sc blo 2, (C2) sc blo 3, *(C1) sc blo 3, (C2) sc blo 3; repeat from * until 1 st rem, (C1) sc blo 1, do not join.

Round 11: *(C1) sc blo 1, (C2) sc blo 5; repeat from * around, do not join.

Round 12: Repeat Round 10.

Round 13: Repeat Round 9.

Cut C2 strand only.

Note: remember to introduce a second C1 strand at the start of the next round – this will replace the C2 strand as your carried yarn. Remaining rounds are all worked with C1.

Round 14: Sc blo in each st around, do not join.

Round 15: Sc blo in each st around, do not join.

If using a plastic bauble, then insert it at this point, with the hanging loop at the top. Work the remaining rounds around the bauble. If using a polyester fiber stuffing, then continue working to the end of Round 19 before inserting the stuffing.

Round 16 (DEC): *sc2tog blo, sc blo 5, repeat from * around, do not join. [36]

Round 17 (DEC): *sc2tog blo, sc blo 4, repeat from * around, do not join. [30]

Round 18 (DEC): *sc2tog blo, sc blo 3, repeat from * around, do not join. [24]

Round 19 (DEC): *sc2tog blo, sc blo 2; repeat from * around, do not join. [18]

Round 20 (DEC): *sc2tog blo, sc blo 1; repeat from * around, do not join. [12]

Round 21 (DEC): Sc2tog blo around. [6]

Cut yarn (both strands) and fasten off.

Finishing

Weave the tail in between the stitches of the final round, and pull to close the gap around the hanging loop. Weave in the tail a few more times to secure it, and then hide it inside your work.

All done!

If you wish, you can purchase an inexpensive, ad-free PDF version of this pattern through Ravelry or Etsy.

I hope you have enjoyed this pattern, if you have questions at all, please don't hesitate to contact me. And be sure to tag your finished project on Instagram or Facebook using @nedandmimi or #nedandmimi!

Happy crocheting!

Sarah