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onewheeldaveGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,252 posts
Location: sheffield, United Kingdom


Posted:
Here's some balls I designed for juggling with a blindfold- they're a good weight and filled with dried peas which makes them floppier and easier to grab with eyes shut.




Non-Https Image Link




Here's a link to my thread on tips for blindfold juggling: -



[Old link]



They also make a nice sound cos of the peas, this is good as you can hear where they hit the ground (with the best will in the world, if you juggle blindfold you can expect a few drops smile) and locate them without having to remove your blindfold.



The noise is also nice and hypnotic once you've got the pattern established.



Lastly, they also make nice balls for juggling without a blindfold!



You'll need to be able to crochet otherwise you'll not be able to make sense of the instructions; crochet is fairly easy to learn out of a book if you're willing to be patient and put in some time.



For those of you who can't crochet I can recommend learning it; once the basics are grasped it's easy to be intuitive with it, especially when making 3-d structures- much more so than with knitting. Here's a link to a beginners crochet site: -



https://crochet.about.com/library/blbeginners.htm



I found it on a quick search and haven't examined it in great detail, but it looks OK and has useful photos of the stitches. Your local library will also be a good source for crochet books.



The pattern is basically an expanding circle design, first circle is 7 stitches then each consequtive circle grows by seven stitches till you reach 35.



At this point several more rows of 35 with alternating colours, then you diminish each consequtive circle by 7 till you get a sphere with a hole into which the dried peas go- then close it to finish the ball.



I use a 4mm crochet hook and standard cheap wool. Don't use really thin wool otherwise the peas will come out through the gaps. If you're good enough at crochet to tackle this project you should know about what wool thickness will work with which size needle.



Difficulty- if you can crochet circles then this should be straightforward; expect your first ball to be maybe a bit duff, but once you've made one you should be sound.



Don't leave big gaps else the peas will come out of it, main thing is to ensure that your initial loop with first 7 stitches in is quite tight.



You'll need approx 300-400 grammes of peas.



Don't let the balls get wet, otherwise the peas will sprout.



--------------------



*Note- in following these instructions, where they say 'repeat', only repeat the bit enclosed in brackets. I think Americans and British use different names for crochet stitches; the one used in this pattern is what I generally think of as 'single' i.e. hook goes through stitch, then 'yarn round hook', pull through, 'yarn round hook', pull through both loops on hook.



Start with a 3 chain and join it into a loop.



Row 1: 2 chain then seven stiches into the loop and join the last stitch to the first.



Row 2: 2 chain and then two stitches into each of the 7 below (a total of 14) and join.



Row 3: 2 chain then (1 stitch followed by 2 stitches into 1)- repeat for a total of 21 stitches.



Row 4: 2 chain then (1 stitch, 1 stitch, 2 stitches into 1)- for a total of 28 stitches.



Row 5: 2 chain then (1 stitch, 1 stitch, 1 stitch, 2 stitches into 1)- for a total of 35 stitches.



Row 6: change to color B, 2 chain and 1 stitch into each stitch below for a total of 35 stitches.



Row 7: change to color A, 2 chain and 1 stitch into each stitch below for a total of 35 stitches.



Row 8: change to color B, 2 chain and 1 stitch into each stitch below for a total of 35 stitches.



Row 9: change to color A, 2 chain and 1 stitch into each stitch below for a total of 35 stitches.



Row 10: change to color B, 2 chain and 1 stitch into each stitch below for a total of 35 stitches.



Row 11: change to color A, 2 chain and 1 stitch into each stitch below for a total of 35 stitches.



Row 12: change to color B, 2 chain and 1 stitch into each stitch below for a total of 35 stitches.



Tie off color B securely, then cut it. You've now finished with color B, cover up remaining thread with the next row of stitches.



Row 13: change to color A, 2 chain and 1 stitch into each stitch below for a total of 35 stitches.



Row 14: 2 chain then (3 stitches then 1 stitch into 2 {i.e.Put hook through, yarn over hook, pull through. Put hook through next stitch, yarn over hook, pull through, yarn over hook and then through the three loops on your hook.

}) repeat, giving a total of 28 stitches.



Row 15: 2 chain then (2 stitches then 1 stitch into 2) repeat, giving a total of 21 stitches.



Row 16: 2 chain then (1 stitches then 1 stitch into 2) repeat, giving a total of 14 stitches.



Fill the ball with dried peas (pour in using a creased sheet of paper as a funnel).



Row 17: 2 chain then (1 stitch into 2) repeat, giving a total of 7 stitches.



Row 18: Close up the small hole by whatever means i.e. gather remaining stitches together. Cut wool to about 6" and pull thread through final loop- tighten it to finish off. The thread can be hidden in the ball by pushing the hook through from opposite side of ball and catching the thread then pulling it back through the ball.



Thanx to Sir_Sheep for spotting a mistake in the above instructions (now corrected).

===============

Here's a link to my thread on tips for blindfold juggling: -



[Old link]


EDITED_BY: onewheeldave (1073248641)

"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."

--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32


Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!


Sir_Sheepold hand
725 posts
Location: Chester, UK


Posted:
Hey Dave,

Nothing major, but after following your pattern and made myself three of these (ain't they great?) there is something wrong with the instructions:

In rows 14 - 17, instead of writing 'two stiches into one' as you did with the increasing rows, here you should be decreasing and it should be 'one stich over two'.

i.e. Put hook through, yarn over hook, pull through. Put hook through next stitch, yarn over hook, pull through, yarn over hook and then through the three loops on your hook.

Apart from that, great design, and a lot of fun to make!

Spoiling Christmas for small children since 2003.


onewheeldaveGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,252 posts
Location: sheffield, United Kingdom


Posted:
Cheers for pointing that out; I've just gone back and edited the instructions using your description for the decrease.

Good job someones paying attention smile

"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."

--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32


Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!


CharlesBRONZE Member
Corporate Circus Arts Entertainer
3,989 posts
Location: Auckland, New Zealand


Posted:
Blimmin 'eck! And I thought the re-enactment nutter who made chainmail juggling balls was crazy...



(Well, actually he is, Dave is more of the intelligent sensible types in comparison)



I really wish I had more time to look at that site but baby needs feeding (and possibly changing eek)



HoP Posting Guidelines
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MikeGinnyGOLD Member
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA


Posted:
Ok. NEW NEW YEARS RESOLUTION:

Learn to either kint or (preferably) crochet.

-Mike

Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella



A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura


CharlesBRONZE Member
Corporate Circus Arts Entertainer
3,989 posts
Location: Auckland, New Zealand


Posted:
And of those two words, I would have thought "knit" was the easier one to spell... wink

Oh well, I guess Lightning had the 'wool pulled over his eyes', orhe was feeling a bit sheepish. Maybe just plain 'spinning' out....

biggrin biggrin biggrin biggrin ubbtickled

HoP Posting Guidelines
* Is it the Truth?
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Sir_Sheepold hand
725 posts
Location: Chester, UK


Posted:
Quote:

Blimmin 'eck! And I thought the re-enactment nutter who made chainmail juggling balls was crazy...





Who told you I did re-enactment eh?

Spoiling Christmas for small children since 2003.


MikeIconGOLD Member
Pooh-Bah
2,109 posts
Location: Philadelphia, PA - USA


Posted:
I think I might learn to crochet just to make these (and my own hackey sacks). Cheers.

Let's turn those old bridges we crossed into ashes.
We'll blaze a new trail,
and torch the rough patches.

-Me


.:star:.SILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
1,785 posts
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom


Posted:
Thank you for this pattern!
it kept me sane over christmas

One thing the stitch you describe is called double crochet in the UK (and oz i think) but in america its called Single or Sc

There is a description of stitches and a rather helpful conversion chart on this page

its definately helped me as all the books i have are English and all the patterns i find on the net are American

NOnactivist for HoPper liberation.
1,643 posts
Location: ffidrac


Posted:
oooh... i finally got crochet to work, so now i can make balls too!!... but first... mittens.... cold fingers don't help juggling...

Aurinko freedom agreement reached 10th Sept 2006

if it makes no sense that's because it's NOn-sense.



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