Your turn to field: Cricket ball and Baseball pattern

My fiancé is a huge cricket fan and I always love making fun knitted gifts for him, so this cricket ball will be the perfect gift for him at Christmas. This cricket ball will make a great ball to safely throw with his teeny nephews and teach them how to be great fielders!

This pattern also doubles up as a pattern for a baseball, so you can make one for baseball fans too ⚾️

Yarn

Cricket Ball

23 yards of DK Yarn in Red

3 yards of White yarn for the embellishment

Baseball

23 yards of DK Yarn in White

3 yards of Red yarn for the embellishment

Needles

Five double pointed US 3 (3mm) needles or US 3 (3mm) circular needles

Using these smaller needles with DK Yarn gives a tight fabric that stops stuffing from coming through.

Notions

Fiberfill Toy Stuffing

Sewing needle to sew in ends and embellishments

Scissors

Finished size

3.5 in (9 cm) diameter

Gauge

13 stitches and 18 rows to measure 2×2 in (5x5cm ) over stockinette stitch using US 3 (3mm) needles or size needed to obtain stated tension

Abbreviations

See our standard abbreviations.

Repeats

I have put the instructions that need to be repeated within ** like this *K2tog*, followed by X4 to indicate total of number of repeats. In our example, you would work K2tog a total of 4 times.

Pattern

Use the same pattern below for both, using the appropriate color for each one.

Rnd 1: CO 12 stitches on to one needle. If using double pointed needles split stitches over 4 needles, with 3 on each needle.Make your tail long enough to be able to grab it and cinch like we instruct you to do after Rnd 4.

Prepare to work in the round. (12)

Rnd 2: Holding the needles in the round, *k1, kfb, k1* X4. (16)

Rnd 3: K16

Rnd 4: *K2, lli, rli, k2* X4. (24)

At this stage sew in the end from the cast on edge.

Take the cast on yarn and bring it through one side of all 12 cast on stitches and then pull to secure, like a little draw string bag. Then secure the end by working it discreetly into the back of the previous rows and cut the yarn. We recommend leaving the tail about ¾-1 inch long as the ball will be stuffed and you won’t see the tail.

Watch my YouTube videos that show you how to sew up the cast on edge.

Rnd 5: K24

Rnd 6: *K2, lli, k2, rli, k2* X4. (32)

Rnd 7: K32

Rnd 8: *K2, lli, k4, rli, k2* X4. (40)

Rnd 9: K40

Rnd 10: *K2, lli, K6, rli, k2* X4. (48)

Rnd 11: K48

You will now be knitting over these 48 stitches without increasing or decreasing until Rnd 19.

Rnd 12: K48.

Repeat rnd 12, six more times.

Now you will be decreasing every other Rnd.

Rnd 19: *K1, k2tog, k6, k2tog, k1* X4. (40)

Rnd 20: K40

Rnd 21: *K1, k2tog, k4, k2tog, k1* X4. (32)

Rnd 22: K32

Rnd 23: *K1, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k1* X4. (24)

Rnd 24: K24

Rnd 25: *K1, k2tog, k2tog, k1* X4. (16)

Rnd 26: K16

Stuff your ball! I like to stuff mine really firmly, as this evens out the surface and makes it lovely and round.

Rnd 27: *K1, k2tog, k1* X4. (12)

Rnd 28: Cut the yarn leaving a 3-inch tail and attach a sewing needle to the end of the yarn. Draw it through all the stitches on the needles, stitch by stitch, until you have threaded through all stitches and you can pull the top of the globe shut like a drawstring. Cinch shut.

You may want to stuff in some final bits of stuffing before you cinch the top and secure the end.  See my YouTube video on how to finish it here.  Now your ball is finished!

Cricket Ball Embellishment

Using white yarn, sew on the cricket ball embellishment along the   increase and decreases. See the schematic for guidance. 

Baseball Embellishment

Using red yarn, sew on the baseball embellishment. See the schematic for guidance.