Crochet balls are quick, easy and so much fun to make. Once you understand the basic formula of a crochet ball, you can work up any size sphere you like.
The crochet ball pattern below is crocheted in spiral rounds with single crochet stitches. You start off working a circle, then a tube and lastly decrease the stitches to close the ball.
These little balls are fantastic projects for crochet beginners, so let’s get started.
Supplies And Materials
You can easily crochet the ball pattern with just a few basic materials, including:
Worsted weight yarn in main color and accent color
Crochet hook (size H-8 / 5mm)
Scissors
Fiberfill stuffing
Stitch marker (optional)
Abbreviations (US Terms)
This easy ball crochet pattern includes a few abbreviations:
ch – chain
sc – single crochet
st – stitch
Invdec – invisible decrease
Special Stitches – Invisible Decrease
While a ball is a basic crochet project with simple stitches, the pattern also includes one special stitch: the invisible decrease.
An invisible crochet decrease (abbreviated “Invdec”) is less noticeable than a regular decrease. This method is often used in amigurumi and works well for crochet balls and spheres too.
Step 1: Insert hook into front loop of next stitch. Do not pull up a loop.
Step 2: Insert hook into front loop of the following stitch.
Step 3: Yarn over and pull through first two loops on the hook. (2 loops remain)
Step 4: Yarn over and pull through both two loops on the hook. (1 loop remains)
Notes
Tighten your stitches: Stitches to be tight to prevent the stuffing from escaping your ball. If you notice gaps between your stitches, decrease the hook size and try again.
Use a stitch marker: A stitch marker allows you to keep track of the end of the round. Simply move the marker up with each round.
Work with a stitch counter for larger balls: If you plan to crochet a large ball, then you may want to use a stitch counter to keep track of the number of rounds you already crocheted.
Beginning Circle – Increasing
In order to get started with your crochet ball, make a magic ring and work six single crochet stitches into the ring.
For the first nine rounds, you continually need to add six stitches to slowly increase the circle and create the bottom part of your ball.
Don’t forget to place your stitch marker at the end of each round to count the rounds.
Foundation: Make a magic ring
Round 1: Ch 1, 6 sc into the ring, place marker. (6 sts)
Round 2: 2 sc in each st around. (12 sts)
Round 3: [Sc in next st, 2 sc in next st] 6 times. (18 sts)
Round 4: [Sc in each of next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st] 6 times. (24 sts)
Round 5: [Sc in each of next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st] 6 times.(30 sts)
Round 6: [Sc in each of next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st] 6 times. (36 sts)
Round 7: [Sc in each of next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st] 6 times. (42 sts)
Round 8: [Sc in each of next 6 sts, 2 sc in next st] 6 times. (48 sts)
Round 9: [Sc in each of next 7 sts, 2 sc in next st] 6 times. (54 sts)
If you want to make a larger crocheted ball, then continue this pattern and keep adding six stitches for each round.
You can make this ball as large as you like but keep in mind to adjust the number of stitches in the tube and when you are decreasing the circle.
Middle Tube – Working Even
Rounds 10-19: Sc in each st around. (54 sts)
If you modified the number of rounds in the initial circle, you’ll also want to modify the number of rounds in the tube.
The general rule is to take the number of rounds in the circle + 1 to determine the number of rounds in the tube section. In this case, the circle has 9 rounds, therefore the tube has 10 rounds of working even.
Closing Circle – Decreasing
We’ll now decrease six stitches each round to close up the ball. If you modified the number of rounds in the initial circle, you’ll want to work the same number of rounds in this section.
I prefer using an invisible decrease (Invdec) for amigurumi shapes like this. See step-by-step instructions above for the invisible decrease stitch.
Round 20: [Sc in each of next 7 sts, Invdec over next 2 sts] 6 times. (48 sts)
Round 21: [Sc in each of next 6 sts, Invdec over next 2 sts] 6 times. (42 sts)
Round 22: [Sc in each of next 5 sts, Invdec over next 2 sts] 6 times. (36 sts)
Round 23: [Sc in each of next 4 sts, Invdec over next 2 sts] 6 times. (30 sts)
Round 24: [Sc in each of next 3 sts, Invdec over next 2 sts] 6 times. (24 sts)
Round 25: [Sc in each of next 2 sts, Invdec over next 2 sts] 6 times. (18 sts)
Round 26: [Sc in next st, Invdec over next 2 sts] 6 times. (12 sts)
Pause here to stuff your ball. I overstuff my amigurumi slightly because fiberfil tends to compress over time.
Round 27: [Invdec over next 2 sts] 6 times. (6 sts)
Fasten off leaving a long tail.
Closing The Top
Thread some yarn that you used for the ball on a tapestry needle. Then, whip stitch in the front loop of each stitch of the last round. Make sure that you pull the thread tight to close the top securely.
Final Thoughts
That’s it! You’ve learned how to crochet a ball. You can now use this method to make a sphere in any size you’d like.
Crochet is one of the most calming and therapeutic crafts out there. It’s a simple dance of stitches, working in rounds, and forgetting the outside world as you create something beautiful.
Hi, my name is Nancy Adriane and I have been crocheting in my free time for almost 10 years.
I first picked up a hook when I was studying in college, stressed and frustrated with the pressures put on me by people around me. The workload got too much, and I desperately needed an outlet.
I tried everything – socializing, cooking, watching TV… nothing helped with the stress. I was too anxious to read a good book and quickly lost hope of keeping on track for the school year.
Enter, crochet. I fell in love as soon as I saw my holey, bobbly hat that I made on a whim. It was too loose to be warm, but I wore that hat every day the entire winter until I learned to make something of higher quality.
