It’s February, which means that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! Since the houseplant and succulent craze has really bloomed this year, I thought it would be lovely to create a tiny Valentine’s Day themed cactus that you’ll never have to water. This project is quick and straightforward enough that you can make a one for all your friends!
ABOUT OUR DESIGNER
Julia is the artist and designer behind Little World of Whimsy. Though she picked up crochet relatively recently, she has been crafting and creating her whole life and loves dabbling in embroidery, cross stitch, and knitting, as well as reading and playing music in her spare time. She lives and attends college in Massachusetts.
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SUPPLIES
- 3.25 mm (C) Odyssey Hook
- Sport weight yarn
(<1 skein) Green
(<1 skein) Brown
(<1 skein) Light Brown
(<1 skein) Coral
- Scissors
- Stitch marker
- Tapestry needle
- Stuffing
- 4.0mm safety eyes
- Black embroidery floss (2 ply)
PATTERN DETAILS
Abbreviations
Ch: chain
MR: magic ring
Slst: slip stitch
Sc: single crochet
Inc: single crochet increase
Dec: single crochet decrease
FO: finish off
Sc x: single crochet x times
Dimensions
2” x 3”
Special stitches
Crab stitch
Working counter-clock wise, insert your hook into the stitch directly to the right. Yarn over and pull up a loop. Yarn over again and pull through both loops. Continue working into the stitches to the right. For more help, refer to the video tutorial here.
PATTERN
Heart
TOP HALF (in green sport weight yarn and 3.25 mm hook, make two)
Round 1 6sc in MR (6 sts)
Round 2 inc x6 (12 sts)
Round 3 (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)
Round 4-6 (3 rnds) sc all around (18 sts)
Invisible finish off and weave in end. Make another identically, but do not finish off.
Connect to the second half and sc 16 all around, leaving 2 stitches unworked. Connect to the first half also leaving 2 stitches unworked and sc the remaining 16 stitches around. See video tutorial here. (32 sts total)
Using one of the tail ends of the top half, whip stitch the gap between the two halves closed. See video tutorial here.
BOTTOM HALF (in green sport weight yarn and 3.25 mm hook)
Round 1 sc all around (32 sts)
Round 2 (sc6, dec) x4 (28 sts)
Round 3 (sc5, dec) x4 (24 sts)
Round 4 (sc4, dec) x4 (20 sts)
Begin stuffing. Insert 4.0 mm safety eyes between rounds 1 and 2 of the bottom half, or between rounds 6 and 7 counting from the very top, 3 stitches apart.
Round 5 (sc3, dec) x4 (16 sts)
Round 6 (sc2, dec) x4 (12 sts)
Finish stuffing.
Round 7 (sc, dec) x4 (8 sts)
Cut the tail, cinch the last round closed, and finish off.
POT (in beige sport weight yarn and 3.25 mm hook, worked in joined rounds)
Round 1 sc6 in MR, slst (6 sts)
Round 2 ch, inc x6, slst (12 sts)
Round 3 ch, (sc, inc) x6, slst (18 sts)
Round 4 ch, (sc2, inc) x6, slst (24 sts)
Round 5 ch, (sc3, inc) x6, slst (30 sts)
Round 6 BLO ch, sc all around, slst (30 sts) Round 7-9 (3 rnds) ch, sc all around, slst (30 sts) Switch to brown sport weight yarn.
Round 10 ch, sc all around, slst (30 sts)
Round 11 ch, (sc in brown, sc in beige) x15, slst (30 sts) Continue in brown sport weight yarn.
Round 12 ch, sc all around (30 sts)
Switch to beige sport weight yarn, working in the crab stitch. Round 13 ch, crab stitch all around. For clarification, see the Special Stitches section in the first part of the CAL or this video. (30 sts)
Invisible finish off, and weave in ends.
SOIL (in brown sport weight yarn and 3.25 mm hook)
Round 1 sc6 inMR (6 sts)
Round 2 inc x6 (12 sts)
Round 3 (sc, inc) x6 (18 sts)
Round 4 (sc2, inc) x6 (24 sts)
Round 5 (sc3, inc) x6 (30 sts)
Finish off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
FLOWER (in coral sport weight yarn and 2.5 mm hook)
Round 1 sc5 in MR (5 sts)
Round 2 (work a slst and dc2 all into the same stitch) x5 (10 sts) Finish off, leaving a short tail for sewing.
ASSEMBLY
- Sew the soil circle to the second round from the top in the pot, stuffing as you go. 2.Attach 4.0 mm safety eyes to the heart, between rounds 6 and 7 (counting from
- the top), 3 stitches apart
- Using black embroidery floss, sew a V shaped mouth with two stitches. The
- mouth will be located directly between the eyes, and one round lower.
- Sew the flower to the right lobe of the heart, with the middle between rounds 5 and 6 (counting from the top).
- Sew the heart to the middle of the soil.
- You’re all done! Enjoy your new desk cactus :)
