12. Make another half, and sew the two halves together, leaving about 2 inches open for filling.
13. Fill with raw cotton. Bury in the cotton several little brass bells. Or fill with odds and ends of left-over yarn.
Material: Mercerized cotton, or silk—any color desired, 6 glass beads with large threading holes. Steel crochet hook No. 7.
1. Make 4 chain stitches. Join first and last stitches in a ring with a slip stitch.
2. Make 2 single crochets in each chain stitch. There will be 8 stitches. Do not join them. Work round and round.
3. Make 2 single crochets in each stitch of first row (16 stitches).
4. Make 6 rows of 16 stitches each, or 96 single crochets, working round and round.
5. Stuff this form just made with soft cotton, filling it until it is firm but not hard. Then draw in the top of the ball by making single crochets in every other stitch until the opening is closed.
Cut off the thread about 5 inches from the ball, and draw it through the last stitch. Leave the end hanging.
1. Thread the 6 beads on the cotton and push them back near the spool.
2. Commencing about 5 inches from the end of the cotton, make 2 _loose_ chain stitches. Pull out the loop of the second chain stitch until it is nearly ½ inch long.
3. Now throw the thread over the crochet needle; that is, “wrap,” (holding the chain stitch between the thumb and second finger of the left hand) and put the hook into the first chain stitch under 2 threads. Throw the thread over the needle and pull a long loop through the chain stitches, making it the length of the first drawn through.
Throw the thread over the crochet needle, or “wrap,” and draw another loop up on the hook in the same way.
Continue to wrap and draw up loops in this way until there are 7 loose loops on the crochet needle. (See picture.) Wrap once again, and draw a loose loop through all 7 loops already on the needle.
Wrap and draw a loop through the stitch then on the needle. Draw this stitch through until it is the length of the loops in the first cluster.
Holding the first cluster between the thumb and second finger of the left hand, wrap, and put hook through the loop just below the loop on the needle (at the right), and _back_ of the _single_ thread at the left. (See picture above.)