Friday, 1 November 2019

night owl hot air balloon mobile


More than 3 years after I created my elephant hot air balloon mobile (currently my most popular pattern by a LONG way) I have decided to return to the world of baby mobiles and create this night time mobile. 



Difficulty:




Easy - medium

You will need:
  • 4.5mm crochet hook
  • 2.5mm crochet hook
  • dk yarn in brown, white, black and yellow. You may want to use slightly different shades of brown to make the owl and the balloon.
  • Aran weight yarn in cream and dark blue (or whatever colour you want to make the balloon)
  • darning needle to sew up
  • toy stuffing
  • 8" embroidery hoop
  • black paint (I used poster paint with a little bit of PVA mixed in to help it stick but acrylic should work as well)
Note: 
"sc5" is shorthand for "sc in each of the next 5sts"


For the basket:
With brown yarn and 2.5mm hook:
Make a magic loop with 6 sc
Round 1: 2sc in each st (12sc)
Round 2: sc in first st, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (18sc)
Round 3: sc in first 2 sts, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (24sc)
Round 4: sc in first 3 sts, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (30sc)
Round 5: sc in first 4 sts, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (36sc)
Round 6: sc in first 5 sts, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (42sc)
Rounds 7 - 16:(10 rounds) sc in each sc (42sc)
Round 17: ch3, dc in 2nd sc from base of chain, (ch1, skip 1 st, dc in next st) rep to end, ch1, slip the 2nd chain st of first ch3 you made
Fasten off

For the base:
Make a magic loop with 6 sc
Round 1: 2sc in each st (12sc)
Round 2: sc in first st, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (18sc)
Round 3: sc in first 2 sts, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (24sc)
Round 4: sc in first 3 sts, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (30sc)
Round 5: sc in first 4 sts, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (36sc)
Round 6: sc in first 5 sts, 2sc in the next st, rep to end (42sc)

Cut out a circle of card the same diameter as the base of the basket and place it in the bottom to keep it rigid. Place this inside the bottom of the basket, then place the base section on top of this before sewing it in place.
To make the cords which connect the basket to the balloon make a slip st into one of the chain sts (Not chain spaces otherwise it is likely to come undone) around the top of the basket. Ch15, then fasten off, leaving a long tail to sew onto balloon.

Repeat this at equal intervals around the top edge of the basket. There should be 4 chain spaces in between each of the cords, except for at the front of the basket, where there will be 5.



For the double coloured balloon (Make 3 in dark blue and three in cream):
With aran yarn and a 4.5mm hook ch5
Row 1: sc in the 2nd chain st from hook, then sc in every following chain st to end . ch1, turn
Row 2 - 4: (3 rows): sc in each st, ch1, turn (4sc)
Row 5: sc in next st, sc2 in next st , sc both rem sts, ch1, turn (5sc)
Row 6: sc in next 2 sts, 2sc in next st, sc in rem 2 sts ch1, turn (6sc)
Row 7: sc in next 2 sts, 2sc in next st, sc in rem 3 sts ch1, turn (7sc)
Row 8: sc in next 3 sts, 2sc in next st, sc in rem 3 sts ch1, turn (8sc)
Row 9: sc in next 3 sts, 2sc in next st, sc in rem 4 sts, ch1, turn (9sc)
Rows 10 - 17: (8 rows) sc in each st, ch1, turn (9sc)
Row 18: sc in next 4 sts, sc2tog in next st, sc in rem 3 sts, ch1, turn (8sc)
Row 19: sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog in next st, sc in rem 3 sts, ch1, turn (7sc)
Row 20: sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog in next st, sc in rem 2 sts, ch1, turn (6sc)
Row 21: sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog in next st, sc in rem 2 sts, ch1, turn (5sc)
Row 22: sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog in next st, sc in rem st, ch1, turn (4sc)
Row 23: sc in next st, sc2tog in next st, sc in rem st, ch1, turn (3sc)
Row 24: sc in first st, sc2tog in rem st, ch1, turn (2sc)
Row 25: sc2tog (1sc)
Fasten off.

Sew all of the long edges of these sections together, alternating the colours. You may want to turn the balloon inside out after you have sewn the pieces together so that the stitching isn't so visible (depending on how you usually sew your crochet together)


For the stars (Make 2 for each star and make 6 stars):
With white dk yarn and a 2.5mm hook make a magic loop with 5sc
Round 1: Make 2sc in each st (10sc)
Round 2: sc in the first st, make 2sc in the next st, rep to end (15sc)
Round 3: sc in the first 2sts, make 2sc in the next st, rep to end (20sc)
Round 4: (Sc, ch1, hdc, ch1, sc, slip1) 5 times (30sts (including chain sts))
Round 5: (Sc2, ch1, hdc, ch1, sc2, slip1)5 times (40sts)
Round 6: (Slip1, sc2, ch1, hdc, ch1, sc2, slip2) 5 times (50sts)
Fasten off
Sew the start shapes together in pairs and stuff them firmly

For the owl:
Use  a 2.5mm hook and brown dk yarn unless otherwise specified


For the body: 
Make a magic loop with 6sc
Round 1: male 2sc in each st (12sc)
Round 2: sc in the first st, then make 2sc in the next st (18sc)
Round 3: sc in the first 2 sts, then make 2sc in the next st (24sc)
Round 4: sc in the first 3 sts, then make 2sc in the next st (30sc)
Rounds 5 - 8: (4 rounds) sc in each st
Round 9: sc in the first 8 sts,sc2tog, rep 3 times to end (27sc)
Rounds 10 - 12: (3 rounds) sc in each st
Round 13: sc in the first 7sts, sc2tog, rep 3 times to end (24sc)
Rounds 14 - 15: (2 rounds) sc in each st
Fasten off


For the head:
Make a magic loop with 6sc
Round 1: male 2sc in each st (12sc)
Round 2: sc in the first st, then make 2sc in the next st (18sc)
Round 3: sc in the first 2 sts, then make 2sc in the next st (24sc)
Round 4: sc in the first 3 sts, then make 2sc in the next st (30sc)
Round 5: sc in the first 4 sts, then make 2sc in the next st (36sc)
Rounds 6 -  12: (7 rounds) sc in each st
Round 13: sc in the first 4sts, sc2tog, rep to end (30sc)
Round 14: sc in the first 3sts, sc2tog, rep to end (24sc)
Round 15: sc in the first 2sts, sc2tog, rep to end (18sc)
Round 16: sc in the first st, sc2tog, rep to end (12sc)
Stuff
Round 17: sc2tog 6 times to end (6sc)
Fasten off
Stuff the head and body and sew them together

For the eyes (make 2):
With white make a magic loop with 6sc
Round 1: Make 2sc in each st (12sc)
Round 2: sc in the first st, make 2sc in the next st, rep to end (18sc)
FAsten off


For the pupils (make 2):
With black make a magic loop with 6sc
Fasten off

Sew the pupils to the centre of the whites of the eyes, then sew the eyes to the head of the owl


For the ears:
With brown dk yarn ch8

Round 1: sc in teh first chain st you made, then sc in each of the following chain sts to end (8sc)
Round 2: (sc in the first 2sts, sc2tog)twice (6sc)
Round 3: (sc in the first st, sc2tog) twice (4sc)
Fasten off

Sew these to the top of the head


For the beak:
With yellow dk yarn make a magic loop with 6sc
Round 1 - 3: (3 rounds) sc in each st
Round 4: (sc in the first st, sc2tog) twice (4sc)
Round 5: Sc in each st
Round 6: (this is less than 1 round) Sc2tog
Fasten off
Stuff this and sew it to the face between the eyes

For the wings:
Make a magic loop with 6sc
Round 1: male 2sc in each st (12sc)
Round 2: sc in the first st, then make 2sc in the next st (18sc)
Rounds 3 - 7: (5 rounds) sc in each st
Round 8: sc in the first 4sts, sc2tog, rep to end (15sc)
Round 9: sc in the first 3sts, sc2tog, rep to end (12sc)
Round 10: sc in the first 2sts, sc2tog, rep to end (9sc)
Round 11: sc in each st
Fasten off
Sew the wings to the body of the owl, attaching the 'cast off' edge just below the neck


For the feet (make 2):
Use yellow dk yarn throughout

For the toes (make 3 for each foot):
Make a magic loop with 4sc
Round 1: sc in each st
Fasten off neatly


Rejoin yarn to one of the sts of one of these toes. 
Round 2: Sc in this st and the next 3sts. sc in one st of one of the other toes, then sc3 around the other toe. Skip the following st on the previous toe you crocheted into, then sc in the next st .These last 8sts form a new round (8sc)



Rounds 4 -5: (2 rounds) Sc in each st
Round 6: (Sc, sc2tog) twice (6sc)
Fasten off

Sew these feet to the base of this owl




To make up:

Take out the middle of the embroidery hoop and paint it black. You will need to paint at least two coats to cover it evenly. When it's completely dry attach the balloon underneath it. To do this you will need to tie three lengths of the black yarn to the edge of the hoop at equal intervals and then secure them in the centre. Try to make it as secure as possible by using lots of knots. Tie another length of yarn to where they meet and sew this to the top of the balloon.

Sew the ends of the cords of the basket to the base of the balloon so that it hangs evenly and place the elephant in the basket. Tie another length of yarn to the centre of the mobile (the same place where the three lengths of yarn meet and where the baloon hangs from), then loop the other end of the yarn around and tie it so that it forms a loop that you can use to hang up the balloon.



Tie six more lengths of yarn to the hoop so that they hang at equal intervals. Sew the other lengths of these to each of the stars, varying the length of the yarn they hang from so that their length increases by an equal amount as you go around the balloon.


This is what the mobile should look like after you've tied the first 3 lengths of yarn onto it (except black instead of white)


And that's all! I hope you have enjoyed this pattern, please let me know if there's anything you didn't understand and I will make sure to answer your question the best I can :). You can contact me wither by leaving a comment below or via my Ravelry or Instagram pages.

You are very welcome to sell finished products but I do ask that you don't re-post this pattern or claim it as your own. Thank you!

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