PINEAPPLE PINCUSHION

Everybody needs a pineapple pincushion in their life! Add a bit of fun to your sewing kit with this cute 3-D pineapple motif.

HOOK

5mm straight Tunisian hook

4mm crochet hook

YARN

DK (8-ply) cotton yarn in the following colours:

A Pink – 50g

B Yellow – 50g

C Green – 20g

OTHER MATERIALS

Stuffing

SPECIAL STITCHES AND TECHNIQUES USED

Tunisian Knit stitch (Tks): see Basic Stitches

Puff Stitch: Insert hook under front and back bar of next st, yo, pull up loop, *yo, insert hook back under same st, yo pull up loop. Repeat from * twice more (7 lps on hook), yo pull through 7 loops

Single crochet (sc): see Techniques

Half Double crochet (hdc): see Techniques

Crab st: see Techniques

FINISHED SIZE

12 x 12cm (5 x 5in)

NOTE

ONCE YOU START WORKING THE PINEAPPLE DESIGN, YOU WILL NEED 2 SEPARATE LOTS OF COLOUR A. YOU CAN EITHER USE A STRAND FROM BOTH THE CENTRE AND FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE BALL OR, ALTERNATIVELY, WIND 2 SEPARATE BALLS BEFORE STARTING.

FRONT

Foundation Row: Using Colour A, ch 21. Pick up a loop from back bump in 2nd ch from hook, and in each ch to end, leaving all loops on hook. Return.

Rows 2–7: Tks to last st, work end st. Return.

Work from chart or written instructions for Rows 8–15.

Row 8: Using Colour A #1 Tks 8, using Colour B make 3 Puff sts, using Colour A #2 Tks 8, work end st. Return using corresponding yarns.

Row 9: Using Colour A #1 Tks 7, using Colour B, puff st, (Tks 1, puff st) twice, using Colour A #2 Tks 7, work end st. Return using corresponding yarns.

Row 10: Using Colour A #1 Tks 6, using Colour B, puff st, (Tks 1, puff st) three times, using Colour A #2 Tks 6, work end st. Return using corresponding yarns.

Row 11: Using Colour A #1 Tks 5, using Colour B, puff st, (Tks 1, puff st) four times, using Colour A #2 Tks 5, work end st. Return using corresponding yarns.

Row 12: Using Colour A #1 Tks 5, using Colour B, Tks 1, (puff st, Tks 1) four times, using Colour A #2 Tks 5, work end st. Return using corresponding yarns.

Row 13: Using Colour A #1 Tks 5, using Colour B, puff st, (Tks 1, puff st) four times, using Colour A #2 Tks 5, work end st. Return using corresponding yarns.

Row 14: Using Colour A #1 Tks 6, using Colour B, puff st, (Tks 1, puff st) three times, using Colour A #2 Tks 6, work end st. Return using corresponding yarns.

Row 15: Using Colour A #1 Tks 7, using Colour B, puff st, (Tks 1, puff st) twice, using Colour A #2 Tks 7, work end st. Return using corresponding yarns.

Fasten off Colour B and Colour A #2.

Rows 16–24: Using Colour A Tks to last st, work end st. Return.

Bind off

PINEAPPLE PINCUSHION CHART

LEAVES

Switch to 4mm crochet hook.

Join Colour C with a sl st worked under both bars of first puff st from Row 15, *ch 5, starting in 2nd ch from hook, work 1 sc then 3 hdc. Sl st under both bars of next Tks. Repeat from *. Sl st under both bars of last puff st and work another leaf the same. Join with a sl st in same sp.

Fasten off and thread loose ends through to wrong side.

Weave in ends.

BACK

Foundation Row: Using Colour A, ch 21. Pick up a loop from back bump in 2nd ch from hook, and in each ch to end, leaving all loops on hook. Return.

Row 2: Tks to last st, work end st. Return, changing to Colour B on last 2 lps.

Rows 3–4: Continuing in Colour B, Tks to last st, work end st. Return, changing to Colour A on last 2 lps of final return.

Rows 5–24: Work as for Rows 3–4, changing colours every 2 rows.

Bind off.

FINISHING

Switch to 4mm crochet hook.

Lay front and back pieces with wrong sides together and right sides facing out.

Round 1: Using 4mm crochet hook and Colour B, join pieces together working a sc into each st and through both layers around three sides. Stuff firmly, then finish joining in the same way as before. Join with a ss into first sc.

Round 2: Ch 1 (not counted as st), work in Crab st to end. Join with a ss into first ch. Fasten off.

Weave ends in.