? (photo)
Leathra (model)
click to enlarge

Sweet Satisfaction

Let children walk with Nature, let them see the beautiful blendings and communions of death and life, their joyous inseparable unity, as taught in woods and meadows, plains and mountains and streams of our blessed star, and they will learn that death is stingless indeed, and as beautiful as life.
—John Muir

The inspiration for this skein-and-notion-holder came from the sugar skulls traditionally served for El Día de los Muertos. While this skull may not be made out of sugar, it is nonetheless very satisfying and oh so sweet.

by Leathra

Suggested Listening

"Turn Around" Apollo 18 by They Might Be Giants

Difficulty

Loose Woman
Click here for definitions of difficulty levels.

Finished Measurements

Skull Sphere: about 18”/45.7 cm circumference
Jaw front height: 3”/7.6 cm
Jaw front width: 6.75”/17.2 cm

Materials

• Caron Simply Soft [100% acrylic; 315yd/288m per 6oz/170.1g skein] color 9701 White, 1 skein
• Caron Simply Soft [100% acrylic; 315yd/288m per 6oz/170.1g skein] color 9727 Black, 50 yards or less
• Caron Simply Soft [100% acrylic; 315yd/288m per 6oz/170.1g skein] color 9710 Country Blue, 50 yards or less
• Caron Simply Soft [100% acrylic; 315yd/288m per 6oz/170.1g skein] color 9707 Dark Sage, 50 yards or less
• Caron Simply Soft [100% acrylic; 315yd/288m per 6oz/170.1g skein] color 9605 Mango, 50 yards or less
• Caron Simply Soft [100% acrylic; 315yd/288m per 6oz/170.1g skein] color 9730 Autumn Red, 50 yards or less
• Caron Simply Soft [100% acrylic; 315yd/288m per 6oz/170.1g skein] color 9606 Lemonade, 50 yards or less
• Size F/3.75 mm crochet hook, or size necessary to achieve gauge
• 7" Black zipper (see Design Notes)
• 7" White zipper (may be an "invisible" zipper—see Design Notes)
• White sewing thread
• Hand sewing needle
• Tapestry Needle

Gauge

21 sts and 22 rows per 4"/10cm in single crochet (US).

Design Notes

Leathra (photo)
click image to enlarge

US terminology is used for all instructions. (Click for US to UK conversions.)

You may use a short piece of yarn in a contrasting color loosely tied in place as a stitch marker. When you no longer need it, untie or carefully cut the marker out.

If you can't find a 7 inch zipper, you can buy a longer one and cut it down. Sew very tightly across where you want the zipper to stop, then cut the excess off about a half inch further down. You want it big enough to get a ball of yarn through—once you have that, you're set.

Special Technique
Magic ring: http://crochetme.com/Dec_Jan_0405/reads_round.html

Directions

Skull Half:

With White, make two.

Make a 'Magic Ring', sc 6. Place stitch marker in last sc.
Rnd 1: Don't join. Just start working in first stitch. 2sc each stitch around.
Rnd 2: *1sc, 2sc next stitch. Repeat from * around.
Rnd 3: *1sc next 2 st, 2sc next stitch. Repeat from * around.
Rnd 4: *1sc next 3 st, 2sc next stitch. Repeat from * around.
Rnd 5: *1sc next 4 st, 2sc next stitch. Repeat from * around.
Rnd 6: *1sc next 5 st, 2sc next stitch. Repeat from * around.
Rnd 7: *1sc next 6 st, 2sc next stitch. Repeat from * around.
Rnd 8: *1sc next 7 st, 2sc next stitch. Repeat from * around.
Rnd 9: *1sc next 8 st, 2sc next stitch. Repeat from * around.
Rnd 10: *1sc next 9 st, 2sc next stitch. Repeat from * around.
Rnd 11: *1sc next 10 st, 2sc next stitch. Repeat from * around.
Rnd 12: 1sc each stitch around.
Rnd 13: *1sc next 11 st, 2sc next stitch. Repeat from * around.
Rnd 14: *1sc next 12 st, 2sc next stitch. Repeat from * around.
Rnd 15: 1sc each stitch around.
Rnd 16: 1sc each stitch around.
Rnd 17: *1sc next 13 st, 2sc next stitch. Repeat from * around.
Rnd 18-22†: 1sc each stitch around. Finish off.

†Note: During round 22, at some point sl st 2 instead of sc 2. Where it happens does not matter. These slip stitches allow enough room to feed yarn from the main skull in the final product.

Jaw Front:

With White, make one.

Foundation Row: Ch 31.
Row 1: Sc 1 in 2nd ch from hook, sc across. (30 sts)
Row 2: Ch 1, turn. 1sc each stitch across. (30 sts)
Row 3: Do not Chain. Turn. Sl st 2, sc 26, leave 2 at end. (26 sts)
Row 4: Do not Chain. Turn. Sl st 1, sc 24, leave 1 at end. (24 sts)
Row 5: Do not Chain. Turn. Sl st 2, sc 20, leave 2 at end. (20 sts)
Row 6: Ch 1, Turn. Sc 2, ch16, sc 2 (20 sts)
Row 7: Ch 1, Turn. Sc across (20 sts)
Row 8: Do not Chain. Turn. Sl st 1, sc 18, leave 1 at end. (18 sts)
Row 9: Do not Chain. Turn. Sl st 2, sc 14, leave 2 at end. (14 sts)
Row 10: Ch 1, Turn. Sc across. (14 sts)
Row 11: Do not Chain. Turn. Sl st 1, sc 12, leave 1 at end. (12 sts)
Row 12: Do not Chain. Turn. Sl st 1, sc 10, leave 1 at end. (10 sts)
Finishing: Sc across the curved edge of jaw front to smooth. Finish off.

Jaw Bottom:

With White, make one.

Foundation Row: Ch 19.
Row 1-6: Sc in 2nd ch from hook. Sc each stitch across (18 sts)
Row 7: Do not Chain. Turn. Sl st 1, sc 16, leave 1 at end. (16 sts)
Row 8: Do not Chain. Turn. Sl st 1, sc 14, leave 1 at end. (14 sts)
Row 9: Ch1, Turn. Sc across.
Row 10: Do not Chain. Turn. Sl st 1, sc 12, leave 1 at end. (12 sts)
Row 11: Do not Chain. Turn. Sl st 1, sc 10, leave 1 at end. (10 sts)
Row 12: Do not Chain. Turn. Sl st 1, sc 8, leave 1 at end. (8 sts)
Row 13: Do not Chain. Turn. Sl st 1, sc 6, leave 1 at end. (6 sts)
Row 14: Do not Chain. Turn. Sl st 1, sc 4, leave 1 at end. (4 sts)
Finishing: Sc across the curved edge of jaw bottom to smooth. Finish off.

Eye:

With Black, make two.

Foundation Rnd: Ch2, 4sc in 2nd ch from hook
Rnd 1: 3 sc in each stitch around
Rnd 2: *1sc, 3sc next stitch. Repeat from * around.
Rnd 3: *1sc next 2 stitches, repeat from * around.
Finish off, leaving a long enough tail to sew with later.

Nose:

With Black, make one.

Foundation Row: Ch 5.
Row 1: Turn, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, sl st 2, sc 5 in final ch. Rotate so that you are working on the opposite side than previously.
Row 2: Sl st 3 back, finish leaving a long enough tail to sew with.

Ribbon A:

With Country Blue, make one.

Foundation Rnd: Ch 22.
Rnd 1: 1sc 2nd ch from hook, 1sc, Ch3, sl st 3rd ch from hook (picot formed) *sc 3, picot. Repeat from * to end, sc 3 in final ch, in bottom of chain, repeat from * to end, sc 2. Finish off and weave ends in.

Ribbon B:

With Country Blue, make one.

Foundation Rnd: Ch 46.
Rnd 1: 1sc 2nd ch from hook, 1sc, Ch3, sl st 3rd ch from hook (picot formed) *sc 3, picot. Repeat from * to end, sc 3 in final ch, in bottom of chain, repeat from * to end, sc 2. Finish off and weave ends in.

Flower A:

With Mango, make one.

Foundation Rnd: Ch 9, join with sl st.
Rnd 1: Ch 1, 1 sc in same stitch, 2sc each stitch around, join.
Rnd 2: *Ch7, sl st 2nd ch from hook, sl st in next 5 ch, sl st in back loop only of next st in previous row. Repeat from * around, join, finish.
Rnd 3: With Autumn Red, join in front loop. *Ch 5, sl st 2nd ch from hook, sl st in next 3 ch, sl st in front loop only of next st in previous row. Repeat from * around, join, finish, and weave ends in.

Flower B:

With Lemonade, make one.

Foundation Rnd: Ch 2, 9 sc 2nd ch from hook, finish.
Rnd 1: With Autumn Red, join. *Ch 5, sl st 2nd ch from hook, sl st in next 3 ch, sl st in next st in previous row. Repeat from * around, join, finish and weave ends in.

Flower C:

With Mango, make one.

Foundation Rnd: Ch2, 4sc in 2nd ch from hook. Do not join.
Rnd 1: 2sc each stitch around.
Rnd 2: *Sc 1, 2sc next stitch, repeat from * around.
Rnd 3: *Sc 2, 2sc next stitch, repeat from * around.
Rnd 4: *Sc 2, sc2tog next 2 stitches, repeat from * around.
Rnd 5: *Sc 1, sc2tog next 2 stitches, repeat from * around.
Rnd 6: Sc2tog each stitch around.
Finish, leaving a long tail. Stuff this tail inside of your sphere: it now serves as filling.

With Dark Sage, make 2 Chains of 11, leaving a tail with each. These you will sew crossed onto the orange sphere, making it look like a flower bud.

Finishing:

Leathra (photo)
click image to enlarge

Position the two skull halves so that your two sl st areas are right together—I recommend starting to sew your skull together here, using white yarn and the tapestry needle. Essentially, in the end you're trying to position your skull so that the sl st gap is off center, while the zipper should be on the bottom. You want to use the white zipper on this one (no, really?) so that it blends in. Use the hand sewing needle and the sewing thread to sew the zipper in. Next you'll want to add the finishing touches to the jaw front...sew your black zipper on with white sewing thread, then use black yarn to give the illusion of teeth. Then, with white yarn, sew Jaw Front to Jaw Bottom, and sew the whole thing onto the main skull—take the time to position it how you want. Remember, white zipper on bottom, sl st gap off-center.

Next sew the eyes and nose on with black yarn—unless you're trying to make a Picasso, you should know how to position these. Tadaah! You have a skull! You're almost there!

Next with sage crochet on top of the skull in vine-y designs. Tip: try sketching on top of your yarn with a #2 pencil to get your design. It's light enough that it doesn't actually mark the yarn, and if you make a mistake don't worry. Instead of using the eraser, just rub your fingers gently over the area: it comes right off.

Now sew the ribbons on. With Country Blue, sew A on first at one end of the ribbon right by the sl st gap. Then fold Ribbon B in half and sew on in a like manner (this is the loop that goes over your wrist).

Last but not least, it's time to sew on your pretty flowers! Use the yarn color that matches the flower you're sewing on. Flower A is the only one where the placement matters—obviously, the gap in the center of the flower fits right over your sl st gap. With the others, be as creative as you want.

About

contact Leathra: • legal info

Edited by Carin Huber and Edith Cummings