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.
ABOUT THE DESIGNER: RUTH HAYDOCK
Ruth Haydock is a Knitting and Crochet Designer from the UK, now living in Australia. Ruth’s mum taught her to knit in 2008, just before she started university and then a few years later taught her how to crochet. Throughout the years, knitting and crochet has been a constant in Ruth’s life, helping her to overcome depression, find purpose and to become the person that she is today.
Her designs are inspired by her travels abroad and her love of science fiction movies and TV shows. Her most popular designs include her knitted and crocheted Globes and her Knitted Solar System Pattern and Spheres, which are available on Ravelry. Ruth’s designs have been featured in Simply Crochet, Your Crochet & Knitting Magazine and Knotions magazine.
Hello,
I am Meg Tiller. I live in Louisiana, US. I looked at four reference sites, but I can’t find what lli and rli mean. It”s right or left something? Can you help?
Thanks so much!
Sure! It’s Left Lifted Increase and Right Lifted Increase. We list both in our standard abbreviations https://knotions.com/resources/abbreviation/.
And we also have a tutorial on them https://knotions.com/techniques/lifted-increases/.
Lifted increases are my favorite if they work for the pattern, so I’d say give them a try!