Spring is coming and I have got something fun for you!
From my last posts you probably already know that I love fruits. But fruits are not only great as a healthy snack. They are also great accessories for a fresh spring or summer look! Be it as a cute fruity bracelet or necklace, as a (children’s) button for closing a cardigan, as fruity earrings, or simply as a funny brooch on a boring shirt. There are many ways of spicing up your everyday look with a small fruit deco. And the bright yellow colour of a banana sets off just about the right sunny vibe we probably all long for after the long winter months. So, for those of you who are looking for a way to look more brightened up or for those of you who simply love mini crochet, I have made a mini crochet banana.
Worked with typical amigurumi yarn (which is yarn at a recommended hook size of 2.5 – 3.5 mm) the crochet banana reaches less than 5 cm height, which is still comfortable to work with given the fine yarn. How about cute toggle buttons for children in banana style? You can get the banana even smaller if you use a thinner crochet yarn: with crochet thread at a recommended hook size of 1.25-1.5 mm (yarn category lace) the crochet banana reaches a size of less than 2.5 cm. The perfect size for funny, selfmade crochet earrings. I, for my part, was in the mood for banana earrings made of crochet threat and I think, they turned out lovely, don’t you think?
Whatever your idea is, here you get the very easy and free pattern for your own mini crochet banana. I hope you enjoy the pattern and feel the spring mood with every stitch you do!
Happy crocheting!
What do you need:
- for the 5 cm version: super fine yarn at a recommended hook size of 2.5-3.5 mm (in yellow, another lighter yellow tone, and dark-brown/ chocolate colour). I used the yarn brand Woll Butt Camilla by Buttinette (100% cotton; 10 x 10 cm = 26 sts, 36 rows)
- for the 2.5 cm version: lace yarn at a recommended hook size of 1.25-2.5 mm. I used Woll Butt Diana 10 by Buttinette
- scissors
- fiberfill
- darning needle
How to read the instructions:
The instructions are written in US Crochet Terminology.
Abbreviations: sc = single crochet | sl st = slip stitch | st, sts = stitch, stitches | ch = chain | blo = back-loops only | flo = front-loops only | MR = magic ring | Rd = round | R = row | sc2tog = sc 2 sts in 1 st together | c1t = ch 1 + turn your work
| turning ch | at the end of each row, we ch 1 and turn our work to continue with the next row. The ch 1 before turning the work is also referred to as the “turning ch” and we will always skip this ch st when we crochet in the next row. So, the turning ch st is not worked on! |
| lorem ipsum | text marked in italic format is meant as a comment that should explain a previous step in more detail |
| k sc x t | we work k number of sc sts in the next t sts; e.g. ‘2 sc x 3’ means that you work 2 sc in the next 3 sts (increasing the row count by 3 sts) |
We work in continuous rounds.
Stitch types used:
| Stitch Type | Abbr. | Description |
|---|---|---|
| single crochet | sc | See a great how-to-single-crochet guide (with video and illustrations) here. |
| single crochet back-loops only, single crochet front-loops only | sc-blo, sc-flo | In the usual way of crocheting, you insert the crochet hook from the front of the stitch underneath the “V” and through the center of the “V”. The “V” consists of two loops, one loop facing you (which is called the front loop) and one loop at the back of your work (which is referred to as the back loop). When you crochet the round or row in back-loops only, you insert your hook underneath the back loop of each stitch and then make the stitch as indicated in the pattern. You see the blo often abbreviated in connection to the stitch made in the back loop (single crochet blo, double crochet blo, half-double crochet blo, etc.). At the end of your round or row that was worked in blo (e.g. sc-blo) you get a stair-like pattern:  Crocheting in front-loops only is similar to sc-blo, but you work through the front loops only instead of the back loops. |
Free Crochet Banana Pattern:
We crochet the banana from the fruit in the peel to the peeled top (3 peel pieces). The 3 peel pieces are then each crocheted on the fruit with a separate yarn.
We start our fruit with the dark-brown yarn.
1. Rd: 5 sc in a MR (5)
2. Rd: 1 sc in each st around, at which we change the colour to yellow in the 1st sc st (5)
3. Rd: 2 sc x 5 (10)
4. Rd: 1 sc in each st around (10)
5. Rd: (1 sc x 4, 2 sc) x 2 (12)
6. – 8. Rd: 1 sc in each st around, change colour to lighter yellow in last sc st of 8. Rd (12)
9. Rd (sc-blo): (1 sc-blo x 2, sc-blo next 2 sts together) x 3 (9)
10. – 13. Rd: 1 sc in each st around (9)
Stuff the inside with fiberfill.
14. Rd: (1 sc, sc2tog) x 3 (6)
Close the hole by sewing through each st around the last Rd and pulling the thread tight. Weave in the yarn tail.
Follow the crochet progress of the first part of the crochet banana in the slideshow below:
We now work each PEEL PIECE in rows on the banana starting from the sc-blo Rd (9. Rd):
1st piece of peel:
Take a new yellow yarn and make a slip knot.
1. R: work 1 sc-flo in the 1st flo-st of the 9. Rd, 1 sc-flo x 4 across the 9. Rd, c1t (5)
2. R: 1 sc x 4, skip the last st, c1t (4)
3. R: sc2tog, 1 sc x 2, c1t 3)
4. R: 1 sc in each st across, c1t (3)
5. R: sc2tog, 1 sc, c1t (2)
6. R: sc2tog (1)
Weave in the yarn ends.
2nd piece of peel:
Take a new yellow yarn and make a slip knot.
The 2nd piece of peel is worked in the same way as the 1st piece of peel, but now you start in the 5th flo-st of the 9. Rd which is also the last sc-flo of the 1st peel’s 1. R (so, you start at the end of the 1st piece). Then do 1 sc-flo in the next 4 sts, c1t (5)
Repeat 2. – 6. R for the 2nd piece of peel.
3rd piece of peel:
Take a new yellow yarn and make a slip knot.
The 3rd piece of peel is worked similarly as before with a few exceptions:
1. R: you start from the last flo-st of the 2nd peel’s 1. R (= 9th flo-st of 9. Rd), then 1 sc-flo x 3 across 9. Rd, end with 1 sc-flo in the 1st flo-st of the 1st peel in the 9. Rd (= 1st flo-st of 9. Rd), c1t (5)
2. R: 1 sc x 4, skip the last st, c1t (4)
3. R: sc2tog, 1 sc x 2, c1t 3)
4. R: 1 sc in each st across, c1t (3)
5. R: sc2tog, 1 sc, c1t (2)
6. R: 1 sc in each st across, c1t (2)
7. R: sc2tog while changing colour to dark-brown, c1t (1)
8. R: 1 sc, c1t (1)
9. R: 1 sc, c1t (1)
10. R: st down to the dec-st of the 7. R and work 1 sl st there (this folds the 7. – 9. R which creates the thicker look we want for the stem of the banana)
Knot the brown yarn ends together.
Weave in the yarn ends.
The crochet progress of the peeled parts are illustrated in the slideshow below:
You have finished your crochet banana! You can add some fun elements by adding or sewing eyes and a smily face on the banana. I hope you enjoy your crochet and get into sunny mood from your mini crochet banana!
