Crochet Ring Pillow - DIY Tutorial #1

I decided to make my ring pillow after seeing a combination of the knit ones from Martha Stewart and of this fabric one I found here at Cre8tive Designs.

I knew I would crochet it because that's my go-to medium. If you don't crochet, enjoy the pictures! If you do crochet, enjoy it all!!! First, I got 1 ball each of Red Heart's worsted yarn in coffee, medium thyme, gold and cornmeal. I also used about a softball size pouf of sock monkey guts(poly fill). For the ties I used a spool of American Ribbon's petite satin picot-edge ribbon in Royal. A yarn needle, scissors and a crochet hook is also used in the project.

Pattern
Gauge is not crucial to this project however, my gauge was 3 sc per inch.

Brown Center

Round 1: With a J hook and yarn in coffee, ch 3. Join ch to form a loop. 12 sc inside loop, join to form a round.

Round 2: 2 sc between each sc around, crocheting in sp between sc's. Join round.

Round 3: *sc between first 3 sc, 2 sc in next sp* around, join.
Round 4: *sc between first 5 sc, 2 sc in next sp* around, join.
Round 5-?: Continue in pattern until pillow measures about 4 1/2 to 5" from center to outside. After rounds are complete, tie off and weave in any of your loose yarn ends.

Green Backing
With your J hook and medium thyme yarn, make another circle according to the pattern for the brown center piece. Instead of tying off, leave a 20" tail and weave in the exposed end from where you started.







 Petals
I made 3 rows of petals to make it look nice and full. The way these are made is in a long string, so you have to make each petal string the length of your brown and green pieces' circumferences. To do this, measure across the circle for the diameter and multiply by pi or 3.14

Petal 1: With J hook and gold, ch 10, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in next 2 ch. dc in next four ch. This will leave you with 2 unworked ch spaces. You can choose to work another dc or to leave two spaces. This will be the gap between your petals.

Petal 2: ch 8, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in next ch. dc in next 3 ch working in a 2" scrap of cornmeal by combining yarn threads. Leave remaining two ch unworked.

Alternate hooking a petal 1 and then a petal 2 around until your petal string is as long as you need it. Add in a scrap of cornmeal here and there in order to create a natural color variance*see below.
 

 

Leaf Handle
Round 1: Using the gauge emerging in your project, grab your J hook and medium thyme and ch as many ch as worked stitches it would take to measure across the diameter of your green piece.
Round 2: sc in 2nd ch from hook. sc in next ch. dc in next 3 to 4 ch, then trc in next ch. work a hdc in next ch and ch 1. Leave 2 to 3 unworked chains to be the leaf's "stem."

Round 3: working UNDER the stem chs, mirror the stitches you just completed on one side of your leaf up into the st on the other side of your foundation ch. slip st and tie off, leaving a 4" tail.

Now comes the fun part!
You're going to put it together by stacking all the pieces except the leaf like a crochet oreo cookie. Face all your individual pieces so that you know where your wrong side is and where your right is.

Layer as follows:
Green backing right side up

Petal strings 1, 2 and 3 (making sure bottom of petals touch outside of green circle and the petals are pulled towards the center)*see photo
Brown Center right side down

Now the tricky part!
Thread your yarn needle with the green tail you left on the green backing.
Read: When you are combining all your layers in these next steps, make sure you are pushing your needle through each layer's corresponding outside stitch so that you don't have gaps or fall out-y pieces.

Pull the threaded needle through each layer of crochet's outside edge making sure you go through each piece every stitch. A whipstitch is fine enough.

When you have sewn all around except for leaving a 1 1/2" gap or so, knot your yarn and leave the tail. Turn your pillow inside-right to inspect your work and check for gaps/holes.





Finishing
Stuff your pillow and sew the pillow closed using the remaining yarn tail and yarn needle.
Sew your leaf handle to the green backing at the end of the stem and at the tip of the leaf. Slip your hand into the handle and hang the pillow to your side. Mark the area that will most likely be seen as the top.
With your crochet hook horizontal to the floor, pass it under the center of the top from right to left. Fold two 18" lengths of your ribbon in half making sure all the ends are even. Place the midde of the ribbons where they fold onto your hook and pull through the space your hook was woven into. Remove your hook and continue to pull one end of the ribbons through where the hook just was. Pull the ends together to make sure they are even on both sides and tie a double-knotted bow.
Hide all loose yarn ends.

Bad picture. Fabulous pillow.