Yana Knits

If you're interested in my thoughts about this project, feel free to read the blog post that goes with it.

Going through my RSS feed for craft projects one day I found one that described how to make a ball out of a bunch of panels. This intrigued me: I thought that instead of making a random ball, why not make a life-size soccer ball. First, it looks cool and second, it could be kicked around the house without fearing for more fragile pieces of furniture getting destroyed.

Yarn and Needles

Any inexpensive black and white yarn could be used for this project. I used Plymouth Yarn (Bella Colour) that’s 55% cotton and 45% acrylic.

• 1 skein (50g) black yarn
• 2 skeins (50 g each) white yarn
• 2 single-pointed needles US size 6 (you can buy these here)
• 1/3 of a bag (4 oz) of fiberfill (I used Poly-down)

Note: you’ll have some leftover yarn from both black and white

Pattern

Here are the basic polygons we’ll be using. Each side measures 4.5 cm (~2 inches). If you want to make a swatch of each polygon out of paper first and experiment with getting the shape exactly right when you knit it, interior angles are as follows: 108 degrees for the pentagon and 120 degrees for the hexagon.

Gauge

10 stitches x 15 rows = 5 x 5 cm (2 x 2 inches)

Process

You will need to make 32 panels for this ball: 20 white hexagons and 12 black pentagons.

Making black pentagons:

• Cast on 10 stitches
• Row 1 (wrong side): purl
• Row 2: knit
• Row 3 (increase 2 st): p2, p1 between stitches, p6, p1 between stitches, p2
• Row 4: knit
• Row 5: purl
• Row 6: knit
• Row 7 (increase 2 st): p2, p1 between stitches, p8, p1 between stitches, p2
• Row 8: knit
• Row 9: purl
• Row 10: knit
• Row 11 (increase 2 st): p2, p1 between stitches, p10, p1 between stitches, p2
• Row 12: knit
• Row 13 (decrease 2 st): p1, p2tog, p10, p2tog, p1
• Row 14 (decrease 2 st): k1, k2tog, k8, k2tog, k1
• Row 15: purl
• Row 16 (decrease 2 st): k1, k2tog, k6, k2tog, k1
• Row 17 (decrease 2 st): p1, p2tog, p4, p2tog, p1
• Row 18: knit
• Row 19 (decrease 2 st): p1, p2tog, p2, p2tog, p1
• Row 20 (decrease 2 st): k1, k2tog, k2tog, k1
• Row 21: bind off 4 st

Making white hexagons:

• Cast on 10 stitches
• Row 1 (wrong side): purl
• Row 2: knit
• Row 3 (increase 2 st): p2, p1 between stitches, p6, p1 between stitches, p2
• Row 4: knit
• Row 5: purl
• Row 6: knit
• Row 7 (increase 2 st): p2, p1 between stitches, p8, p1 between stitches, p2
• Row 8: knit
• Row 9: purl
• Row 10: knit
• Row 11 (increase 2 st): p2, p1 between stitches, p10, p1 between stitches, p2
• Row 12: knit
• Row 13 (decrease 2 st): p1, p2tog, p10, p2tog, p1
• Row 14: knit
• Row 15: purl
• Row 16: knit
• Row 17 (decrease 2 st): p1, p2tog, p8, p2tog, p1
• Row 18: knit
• Row 19: purl
• Row 20: knit
• Row 21 (decrease 2 st): p1, p2tog, p6, p2tog, p1
• Row 22: bind off all 10 st

Once you make 12 black panels and 20 white panels, sew them together using the following diagram:

Before you sew the last 3 sides of the last panel, stuff the ball with fiberfill (or any other stuffing matter).