Crochet Basketball: A Soft Orange Ball with Black Seams
A stuffed 4-inch basketball: an orange sphere of 36 stitches with the classic black seam lines added in surface slip stitch. Soft enough for an indoor hoop, a baby toy or a team party centrepiece.
Pattern at a glance
US terms- Skill level
- Easy
- Yarn
- Worsted (#4) acrylic in orange (35 yd) and black (6 yd)
- Hook
- 4 mm (G-6)
- Time
- About 1½ hours
- Finished size
- About 4 in (10 cm) across
You'll need
- Worsted (#4) orange — about 35 yd
- Black — about 6 yd
- 4 mm (G-6) hook
- Fibrefill
- Stitch marker
- Tapestry needle
In this post
A crochet basketball is an orange ball with black seam lines. Crochet a sphere — increase to 36 stitches, work six straight rounds, decrease back — then add the lines in surface slip stitch: one line around the middle, one from pole to pole, and two curved lines on the sides. Mark the curves with pins first and the ball looks right every time.
The rest of this post is just below — free, as always.
The ball
- Rnds 1–6: In orange, 6 sc in a magic ring and increase 6 per round to (4 sc, inc) × 6. (36)
- Rnds 7–12: Sc in each st. (36)
- Rnds 13–16: Decrease 6 per round: (4 sc, dec) × 6 (30), (3 sc, dec) × 6 (24), (2 sc, dec) × 6 (18), (sc, dec) × 6. Stuff firmly as you go. (12)
- Rnd 17: Dec × 6. Close. (6)
Seam lines
- Equator: With black, surface slip stitch a line all the way around the ball on Rnd 9 or 10.
- Pole to pole: Surface slip stitch a line from the centre of Rnd 1 down one side, through the bottom, and back up the other side, crossing the equator twice.
- Curves: On each side of the pole-to-pole line, mark a "C" curve with pins: from the top pole, bulge out toward the side, and back to the bottom pole. Surface slip stitch along the pins.
Surface slip stitch: hold the yarn inside the ball, insert the hook between stitches, pull up a loop and through the loop on the hook. Repeat.
Variations
| Version | Change |
|---|---|
| Baby rattle | Put a rattle insert in the centre while stuffing |
| Big plush | Chunky orange chenille, 6 mm hook — about 8 in |
| Keychain | DK yarn on 2.5 mm; increase to 24 only |
| Team ball | Use team colours instead of orange |
More balls: baseball, volleyball, soccer ball and a simple ball for babies.
Common questions
How do you make the lines on a crochet basketball?
Use surface slip stitch in black after stuffing: one line around the middle, one pole to pole, and two curved side lines marked with pins.
Can I use a crochet basketball with an indoor hoop?
Yes. A 4-inch ball fits most over-the-door mini hoops and is soft enough not to damage walls.
How big is a crochet basketball?
About 4 inches in worsted yarn on a 4 mm hook. Add increase rounds to make it bigger.
Swish! Who's your team? 🏀
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