SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
- Red Heart® Scrubby Sparkle™, 1 ball each: Strawberry (A), Avocado (B)
- Susan Bates® Crochet Hook: 5.5mm [US I-9]
- Yarn needle
- 8 stitch markers (optional)
- 1/2 yd (1/2 m) black worsted weight yarn
GAUGE: Gauge is not critical for this project.
DIRECTIONS:
Special Stitchhdc2tog = [Yarn over, insert hook in next stitch, yarn over and pull up loop] 2 times, yarn over and draw through all 5 loops on hook.
sc2tog = [Insert hook in next stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop] twice, yarn over and draw through all 3 loops on hook.
NOTES:
Strawberry is made with 2 layers for durability. Leaf cap is a single layer folded and joined to top of strawberry.
You may prefer to place a stitch marker on beginning chains of each odd-numbered row of leaf cap so chains are more visible in Row 17.
Strawberry measures 5-1/2" wide x 6-1/2" long (14 x 16.5 cm).
STRAWBERRY: Side 1, With A, ch 9.
Row 1 (right side): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn—8 sc.
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in first st, 2 sc in next st, sc in 4 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in last st, turn—10 sc.
Row 3: Ch 1, sc in first 4 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in last st, turn—12 sc.
Row 4: Ch 1, sc in first 5 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in last st, turn—14 sc.
Row 5: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn.
Row 6: Ch 1, sc in first 6 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in last st, turn—16 sc.
Row 7: Repeat Row 5.
Row 8: Ch 1, sc in first st, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next st, [2 sc in next st] twice, sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in last st, turn—22 sc.
Row 9: Repeat Row 5.
Row 10: Ch 1, sc in first st, sc2tog, sc in next 16 sts, sc2tog, sc in last st, turn—20 sc.
Row 11: Repeat Row 5.
Row 12: Ch 1, sc in first 2 sts, [sc2tog, sc in next 5 sts] twice, sc2tog, sc in last 2, turn—17 sc.
Row 13: Repeat Row 5.
Row 14: Ch 1, sc in first st, sc2tog, sc in next 11 sts, sc2tog, sc in last st, turn—15 sc.
Row 15: Ch 1, sc in first 2 sts, sc2tog, sc in next 7 sts, sc2tog, sc in last 2 sts, turn—13 sc.
Row 16: Repeat Row 5.
Row 17: Ch 1, sc in first 2 sts, sc2tog, sc in next 5 sts, sc2tog, sc in last 2 sts, turn—11 sc.
Row 18: Repeat Row 5.
Row 19: Ch 1, skip first st, sc in next 7 sts, sc2tog, sc in last st, turn—9 sc.
Row 20: Ch 1, skip first st, sc in next 6 sts, sc2tog, turn—7 sc.
Row 21: Ch 1, sc in first 2 sts, sc2tog, sc in last 3 sts, turn—6 sc.
Row 22: Ch 1, [sc2tog] 3 times. Fasten off.
Side 2: Work same as Side 1; do not fasten off at end of last row.
Edging: Round 1: With wrong sides of Sides held together and working through both thicknesses, ch 1, turn, 3 sc in each st of Row 22; working in ends of rows, work 21 sc evenly spaced down first side; working in opposite side of foundation ch, sc in first 2 ch, skip next ch, 3 sc in next ch, skip next ch, sc in next 2 ch, skip last ch; working in ends of rows, work 19 sc evenly spaced up 2nd side; join with slip st in first sc. Fasten off.
Leaf Cap: With B, ch 4.
Row 1: Hdc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn—3 hdc.
Row 2: Ch 2 (counts as first hdc here and throughout), skip first st, hdc2tog—1 leaf.
Row 3: Ch 4, hdc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn.
Row 4: Repeat Row 2.
Rows 5-16: Repeat last 2 rows 6 times—8 leaves at end of Row 16.
Row 17: Ch 1, working in opposite side of foundation ch of each odd-numbered row, sc in each ch across, turning every other leaf so foundation ch are facing, turn—24 sc.
Row 18: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn.
Row 19: Ch 1, sc in first 2 sts, sc2tog, [sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog] 5 times, turn—18 sc.
Row 20: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
FINISHING: With points of leaves facing downwards and top edges even, fold leaf cap in half and wrap around strawberry. Working through all 3 thicknesses, sc in each st across top row—9 sc. Fasten off, but do not cut; use remaining length of tail to tack points of leaves in place.
For seeds, with black yarn, embroider 1/4" (1/2 cm) straight stitches randomly through both layers, drawing the yarn between the layers as needed to position seeds wherever desired.
Weave in ends.