Christmas Pickle Ornament

Well it’s July and what you know what that means – it’s time for Christmas in July! For my Christmas in July contribution I decided to share the pattern for my amigurumi Christmas Pickle ornament.

Now there are a TON of origin stories for the Christmas Pickle legend, from it being a tale from Germany passed down through many generations to it being nothing more than a marketing ploy in the 1800s.

The story goes that the pickle ornament is hidden on the tree, and depending on the version of the story you follow, the first person to find it on Christmas morning either gets an extra gift or is certain to have good luck for the whole year.

No matter what the real origin of the Christmas Pickle is and what you choose to believe, the bottom line is that it’s just plain fun! It’s always great to have a new holiday tradition to enjoy with family. Besides, who doesn’t want a reason to have a happy little pickle ornament on your tree?

Materials

• Worsted weight yarn, in green (approx. 7 yards), red (approx. 2 yards), and white (less than 1 yard)
• Size E (3.5mm) crochet hook
• One pair of 6mm safety eyes
• Craft cord or embroidery thread in black
• Poly-fil
• 1/8″ ribbon in white
• Yarn needle
• Embroidery needle
• Pre-made pom-poms – Click HERE for an example of the ones that I used
• Hot glue gun/glue sticks OR needle/thread – depending on how you’d like to attach your pom-pom and/or hat.

Abbreviations Used

sc (single crochet)

ch (chain)

inc (increase): Make 2 single crochet stitches into the same stitch.

dec (decrease): Insert hook under front loop only of next two stitches, yarn over, draw through through first two loops on hook, yarn over, draw through remaining two loops to finish.

st (stitch)

sl st (slip stitch)

Notes

Gauge is not terribly important here as long as you are producing a nice, tight fabric so that the poly-fil won’t pop through your stitches.

This pattern is written using US terminology.

Pickle body is made in continuous (spiral) rounds rather than joined rounds. Hat is made in joined rounds.

Completed pickle ornament measures approximately 4″ tall.

Please note that I crochet left-handed and my photo guides may reflect this. If you crochet right-handed (with your hook in your right hand), all the stitches are the same and will look the same, you will simply be working in the opposite direction as I am.

Please do not copy or sell my pattern in any way. You are welcome to sell finished objects made using my pattern. I only ask for you to please credit me so that other makers can find my patterns as well.

Special Stitches Used:

“Modified” Puff Stitch

Yarn over, insert hook into stitch that you are creating your puff stitch in. Yarn over and pull loop through. Repeat this 3 more times. You will have a total of nine loops on your hook. Now yarn over and pull through all loops on hook. Since you are using such a small hook, be sure to work these loops loosely – it will save you a lot of hassle when you are trying to pull through the 9 loops at the end! There is no chain 1 at the end of your puff as is often done with puff stitch. You will simply continue the pattern by making a single crochet in the next stitch.

Pattern:

Body:

Using green yarn:

Rnd 1: Make 6 sc into magic ring. (6)

Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (12)

Rnd 3: [Sc 1, inc in next st] 6 times. (18)

Rnd 4: [Sc 5, modifed puff into next stitch] 3 times. (18)

Rnds 5-7: Sc all. (18)

Rnd 8: [Sc 5, modifed puff into next stitch] 3 times. (18)

Rnds 9-11: Sc all. (18)

Rnd 12: [Sc 5, modifed puff into next stitch] 3 times. (18)

Rnds 13-15: Sc all. (18)

Here is where you should create the face by adding the safety eyes and smile. Add the safety eyes in row 11, leaving 2 stitches in between. Make the smile in row 10, centered between the eyes. See Assembly section below for photos and link to smile tutorial.

Rnd 16: [Sc, dec] 6 times. (12)

Rnd 17: Dec all around. (6)

Thread yarn needle and pass through remaining stitches, pull tight to close. Tie off and weave in end.

Hat:

Hat is made in joined rounds. At the end of each row, join to the first sc of the round and chain 1. The chain 1 will not count as a stitch. You will work the first stitch of the row in the same stitch as the chain 1.

Using red yarn:

Rnd 1: Make 6 Sc into magic ring. Join with sl st to first sc.

Rnd 2: Ch 1. Sc all (6)

Rnd 3: Ch1. Sc 1, inc, sc 2, inc, sc 1 (8)

Rnd 4: Ch 1. [Sc 3, Inc] 2 times. (10)

Rnd 5: Ch 1. Sc 2, inc, sc 4, inc, sc 2 (12)

Rnd 6: Ch 1. [Sc 5, Inc] 2 times. (14)

Rnd 7: Ch 1. Sc 3, inc, sc 6, inc, sc 3. (16)

Rnd 8: Ch 1. [Sc 7, Inc] 2 times. (18)

Rnd 9: Ch 1. Sc 4, inc, sc 8, inc, sc 4 (20)

Rnd 10: Join white yarn, ch 2. Starting in same st as ch 2, hdc in each st. Join to first st, finish off leaving a long tail if you are sewing hat to top of pickle. (20).

Assembly

Insert safety eyes in row 11, leaving 2 stitches in between eyes. Make smile in row 10, centered in between the eyes. See the photo below for reference.

Click HERE for amigurumi smile tutorial.

For the hat, either use needle and thread or hot glue to attach pom-pom to tip of hat. Attach hat to pickle, either by sewing on using yarn needle and long tail left over from making the hat or by hot gluing it to pickle. For ribbon, thread yarn needle with approximately 12 inches of 1/8 inch ribbon and insert in side of pickle hat, through approximately row 3 or 4. Try to line up with corresponding stitch on opposite side of hat to keep ornament level – see photo below as reference. Pull ribbon through and tie small bow.

Now he’s all ready to go on your tree!