These Lucky Lanterns gather energy from daylight. Then, when the lights go out at night, they will glow with a beautiful phosphorescence! Using only simple stitches you will create these imaginative magic shapes that evoke this lovely traditional festival symbol.
Materials & Tools
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- Yarn: Glow-in-the-dark Rayon Ribbon Yarn
- Parts: Toy stuffing
- Hook: 3 mm crochet hook / US size 2
- Other tools: Yarn needle
SIZE: Approx. 7 cm x 7 cm
Notes
- ‘The back loop’ is the loop facing the inside of the lantern. When there is no instruction to ‘work on the back loop only’, work normally by inserting your hook under the front and back loop.
- When changing color to make the orange parts of the lantern: to begin changing colors, you will almost complete the last single crochet stitch with the color you are using, but leave this stitch unfinished. Before working that final stitch, grab the other color with your crochet hook and pull the new color out of that stitch. Since the first color will be used again within the next few rows, do not cut the yarn; leave it attached so that you can carry it across inside the lantern and avoid having to weave in many ends.
Abbreviations
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- sc, single crochet
- sl, slip stitch
- st, stitch
- inc, increase
- ch, chain
- dec, decrease
The Directions
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Little Balloon Lantern
With white yarn, make a magic ring, 6 sc into ring space (6)
R2 2sc in each st across (12)
R3 *1sc, 2sc into next st* repeat till the end (18)
R4 *1sc in next 2 sts, 2sc into next st* repeat till the end (24)
R5 *1sc in next 3 sts, 2sc into next st* repeat till the end (30)
R6 *1sc in next 4 sts, 2sc into next st* repeat till the end (36)
R7 *1sc in next 5 sts, 2sc into next st* repeat till the end (42)
R8 *1sc in next 6 sts, 2sc into next st* repeat till the end (48)
For the first row of the body (R9), we are going to work into the back loop only (see note above)
R9 sc all round on the back loop only (48)
R10-11 sc all round (48)
R12 *sc in next 11 sts, 2sc in next st* repeat other 3 times (52)
R13 *5 sc with white yarn, 8 sc with orange yarn* repeat other 3 times (52)
R14 – 17 repeat R13 (52)
R18 *with white yarn, sc in next 2 sts, dec, sc in next st, with orange yarn 8 sc* repeat 3 times (48)
R19-20 sc all around (48)
In the next row, we will start alternating the white and the orange yarn.
R21*with white yarn sc in next st, dec, sc in next st, with orange yarn 8 sc* repeat 3 times (44)
R22 *with white yarn dec, sc in next st, with orange yarn 8 sc* repeat 3 times (40)
R23 *with white yarn dec, with orange yarn 3 sc, dec, 3sc* repeat 3 times (32)
R24-26 with white yarn sc all around (32)
Start stuffing your little lantern
R27 with white yarn *dec, 6 sc* repeat 4 times (28)
R28 with white yarn *dec, 5 sc* repeat 4 times (24)
R29 with white yarn *dec, 4sc* repeat 4 times (20)
R30 with blue yarn, sc all around
R31 with blue yarn, sc all around on the back loop only (20)
R32 with blue yarn, sc all around (20)
Add some extra stuffing so that the lantern achieves a nice full shape.
R33 with orange yarn, sc all around on the back loop only (the loop pointing towards the inside) (20)
Add some extra stuffing
R24 with orange yarn, working on the back loop only, 5 dec (10)
R25 with orange yarn, working on the back loop only, 5 dec (5), fasten off.
With blue yarn, make 20ch and fasten off.
Repeat 3 times, to make a total of 4 chains.
Sew the beginning of the chain at the rim of the start of the blue part and the end of each chain at the very centre of the base of the lantern, as shown in the pictures above.
With blue yarn, make 8ch and fasten off.
Sew the chain to make a small handle across the top of the lantern.
Make a small tassel wrapping some blue yarn around two fingers and sew it at the very centre of the base of the lantern.
Your lantern is ready! Expose it to the light and then watch it glow in the dark! Enjoy!
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