Here is an amusing project for the crochet enthusiast. It can be accomplished in two or three sessions and is easy enough for the novice crochet fan to practice their skills.
Instructions:
The perfect houseplant - no watering, no mess.
Materials
- Green wool - one ball - for cactus body
- Teracotta Wool - one ball - for the plant pot
- Small quantity of brown wool for the mud in the pot
- Small quantity of White wool for the flower
- Beads optional
- Soft filling material
Cactus Body:
To make the main body of the cactus you need to start with a chain of 25 and one more to turn. Crochet only into the back loop to make that nice textured ridge-stitch, and continue until you have 11 ridges. Tie off the last stitch and leave yourself about a foot of extra wool to sew it up.
But before you do, you need to draw in the top of the cactus: Hold the swatch so that the ridges run vertically, with the long bit of wool at the top. Using a fat needle thread the wool through the top of the swatch so that you can pull it tight and draw in the top of the cactus. This is where the flower will go (to hide the seam).
Use the rest of the wool to sew (or crochet) down the open side of the cactus.
Bulb on the Side
The little side growth is made in exactly the same way but on a much smaller scale and it sewn into the side seam.
Mud:
Crochet a row of brown into the base of your new cactus forming a little ring of soil that you will later attach the plant pot to.
Plant pot:
Chain 6, slip stitch to secure and go for 6 double crochets into the ring. Work outwards till you have a nice sized base for your plant pot. To build up the side: crochet into the back loop of your last round, then start working in the round to build up the sides of the pot.
At the 3rd and 6th rows, increase one stitch at each 'corner' but offset the second increase by a few stitches so that it doesn’t look too obvious. When your plant pot it tall enough you need to create the lip of the pot: crochet two rounds just in the front loop, and it will naturally curl over. Then do one normal round (this is all in double crochet) and secure the last stitch leaving about a foot of extra wool for sewing.
Stuffing the Cactus:
Fill the pot and the cactus with stuffing and sew it all up, making sure to catch the rim of the pot through to the mud of the cactus. .
Flower & Thorns
Use your imagination for flowers and try adding silver beads to represent the thorns. Well done. You now have your own cactus ornament!
Credits:
This Cactus Plant was designed by Nadia Priestley. Follow this link for her crocheted Power Book Cover
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