Free Pattern: Spooky Glow in the Dark Charms



  A ghastly apparition, an eerie extraterrestrial, and a grinning death skull are all glowing in the spotlight this Halloween! Soda can tabs are used to make the same beginning form for each of these scary little guys. Using a small amount of glow-in-the-dark plastic lacing, you can follow each pattern to crochet plenty of them by Halloween.


**There's also a bonus pattern for a "creepy" video game character at the end!**


  Attach a couple of jump rings to turn into jewelry, add a key chain ring or pin back, or make some chains at the top to have them hanging around. Turn a few into some hair-raising hair clips, or make multiples of each figure to create a spooky garland. These charms have endless possibilities.


Finished size of body form is 1 1/4" x 1" (3 cm x 2.5 cm).

The measurement across the ghost is 2 1/2" (6 cm).

The alien head is 1 3/4" (4.5 cm) x 2" (5 cm) at widest point.

The skull is 3" x 2 1/2" (7.5 cm x 6 cm.)






Skill level:






Materials:
Steel crochet hook size 7/1.65 MM or size needed to obtain gauge
Plastic lacing (lanyard string), glow-in-the-dark - about a yard for each smaller piece; a few yards for skull
Smaller hook to weave in ends
Soda can tabs, one for each charm you wish to make

Gauge:
10 rows of 10 sc = 2" x 2" (5 cm x 5 cm)

Notes:
This pattern may be difficult for anyone with a hand disability or injury. The small hook and stiff materials can be awkward to work with.

Keep your tension loose or you could cut the material with your hook.

*A safety tip: The gummy, rubbery texture of the plastic lacing is very tempting for little ones to chew on. If a child has not outgrown the stage of putting things in their mouth (do they ever?), please don't give them any of these pieces. The possibility of chewing through the material is a choking hazard, and the metal tabs can have extremely sharp edges.

Stitches:
Slip stitch - sl st
Chain - ch
Single crochet - sc
Double crochet - dc
Double crochet two together - dc2tog - Yarn over, insert hook, pull up a loop. Yarn over, pull through 2 loops. Yarn over, insert hook into next st, pull up a loop. Yarn over, pull through 2 loops. Yarn over, pull through all 3 loops.



Directions for beginning form:


The tab is not symmetrical. The direction of the tab will determine the shape of the eyes, mouth and body. If making skull, it is necessary to use the oval shaped hole at the top.


Leave a tail long enough to travel the outer distance of the tab.



Begin with lacing behind tab, from top to bottom. Insert end of lacing under center bar of tab, from back to front.



Pull to the top.



Holding tail behind tab, insert hook under loop made at top of tab.



Pick up working end of lacing, pull through loop as for a slip stitch.



Ch 1.



Hold tail to the working side of the tab, work the following sts over it. 3 sc in upper opening of tab.



Moving past center bar: 8 sc in lower opening.



3 sc in upper opening.



Join with a sl st to beg ch-1.




Continue to the pattern you wish to create.



Directions for Ghost:




Ch 1, turn. 1 sc in same st and in each of next 3 sts. Ch 1, 1 dc in same st as last sc. Ch 4, sl st in top loop of dc just made. Ch 5, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, 1 dc in next st. Ch 2, 1 sc in same st. Ch 1, sl st in next st. Ch 3, 1 dc in following st. Ch 2, sl st in top of last dc, 1 dc in the next st. Ch 3, sl st in the following st. Ch 1, (1 sc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next st. Ch 5, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, 1 dc in next st. Ch 4, sl st in top of last dc. Ch 1, 1 sc in same st as last dc. 1 sc in each of next 2 sts. Join with a sl st to beg ch-1. Optional: You may want to make a few chains at the top of the figure, depending on how you will be finishing it. Bind off, weave in ends.



Directions for Alien/Beginning of Skull:




Ch 7, turn, sl st in 3rd st from beg. Ch 1, turn. (3 sc, ch 1, 2 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc) in ch-7 sp. Sl st in the joining sl st of the previous row. Ch 7, sk 2 sts, sl st. Ch 1, turn. (3 sc, ch 1, 2 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc) in ch-7 sp. Sk beg sl st, join with a sl st to next available st.

To complete Alien, you may wish to make a few chains, depending on how you will be finishing it. Bind off, weave in ends.



Directions for completing Skull:




Ch 3, turn. Dc2tog, 2 dc in each of next 4 sts. 1 dc in each of the following 3 sts, dc2tog. Ch 2, sk 1, 1 sc. (Ch 3, 1 sc) in each of next 3 sts. Ch 2, sk 1, dc2tog. Ch 15, turn, sl st in previous dc2tog. Turn, (sl st, ch 1, 1 sc) in ch-15 sp. (Ch 3, 1 sc) 5 times in ch-15 sp. Ch 1, sl st in dc2tog. 1 dc in each of next 3 sts. 2 dc in each of the following 4 sts. Join with a sl st to beg ch-3.

When complete, this piece weighs almost 1/2 oz (12.5 g), and is quite heavy and large for jewelry. However, you could attach jump rings for a keychain or ornament, and it makes an awesome garland. Before finishing off, make desired number of chains. Leave loose or join with a sl st to last sl st. Bind off, weave in ends.


Happy Halloween!


Bonus for Minecraft fans:
Finished size of Creeper is 1 3/4" x 1 1/2" (4.5 cm x 3.8 cm)

This is for my kid...It is a Creeper, right? Could it be an Enderman? Maybe it's a Ghast...I don't know, they all have square heads to me!
(I'm kidding...It's a Creeper. Hopefully this one won't explode!)



To make a square around body form, work in the back loops only in each st. Ch 1, 1 sc in same st. 2 sc, ch 1, 2 sc. 1 sc in each of next 3, 2 sc, ch 1. 2 sc in each of next 2 sts. Ch 1, 2 sc in following st. 1 sc in each of next 3 sts, 2 sc in following. Ch 1, 2 sc in last st. Join with a sl st to beg ch-1. Bind off, weave in ends.


Which is your favorite?


Comments