Festive Freebie

I thought I'd share a quick festive pattern with you. It's a nice easy one to whip up in half an hour while you wait for the mince pies to weld themselves to the baking tray bake. I made mine with scraps from the stash, so it's good for using up ends too.

This one is big enough for a small teddy. You could add a loop and make it into a tree decoration, or continue the pattern below until it fits a somebody rather than a something.

Using red yarn, start with a magic ring (or chain 5, join to first ch to make a ring and crochet the next row into the ring).

*Chain always counts as first stitch*

Row 1: Ch 3, 5 tr into ring, join to ch. (6 stitches)
Row 2: Ch 3, 2tr in each stitch around, join to ch. (12 stitches)
Row 3: Ch 3, 1 tr in each stitch around, join to ch. (12 stitches)
Row 4: Ch 3, 1tr in same stitch, 1 tr in next stitch. *2tr in next st, 1 tr in next st* repeat to end, join to ch. (18 stitches)
Row 5: Ch 3, 1 tr in each stitch around, join to ch. (18 stitches)
Row 6: Ch 3, 1tr in same stitch, 1 tr in next 2 stitches. *2tr in next st, 1 tr in next 2 st* repeat to end, join to ch. (24 stitches)
Row 7: Ch 3, 1 tr in each stitch around, join to ch. (24 stitches)
Row 8: Ch 3, 1tr in same stitch, 1 tr in next 3 stitches. *2tr in next st, 1 tr in next 3 st* repeat to end, join to ch. (30 stitches)
Row 9: Ch 3, 1 tr in each stitch around, join to ch. (30 stitches)

Change to white yarn

Row 10: 1 cluster stitch in each stitch around. Finish off.

Use the same white yarn to make a pompom and sew it to the pointy end. I made my pompom using a fork (wrap the yarn around the tines a few time, then thread a bit of yarn through the middle gap to tie the wrapped yarn in the middle. Slide it off the fork and snip through the loops you've just pulled the fork out of. Ta-daa!).

NB: For the cluster stitch, start as you would for a treble, so  *YO, hook through the stitch below, YO, pull through 2 loops*, then rather than finish off the treble, repeat from * twice more. You should have three half made treble stitches on your hook now. Do a final YO and pull though all the loops on your hook.