Merry Christmas!

I hope you’re all enjoying the day with your family and friends, celebrating the true reason for the holiday: the birth of Christ. Yes, all of the celebrations, gift-giving, etc. are fun, but we also need to praise God that He gave us His Son to pay for our sins. And even though December 25 is the one day of the year that Christ most likely was not born on, it still serves as a reminder that He was born and spent his entire life giving to others. By dying on the cross at the age of thirty-three, He gave all of mankind the ultimate gift: the gift of eternal life. All we have to do is accept that gift and invite Him into our hearts.

As my gift to you, and as a reminder of the loving sacrifice of Christ, here’s a pattern I came up with for a crocheted cross. It’s a simple design that’s great for beginners doesn’t take long to make. I used black acrylic yarn and a size G hook (because that’s what I had handy at the time), but you can use whatever color and type of yarn you want. Make sure the hook is the right size for the yarn, and remember that a large hook and bulkier yarn will make a larger cross while a small hook with thinner yarn will make a smaller one.

The pattern is written with the following standard abbreviations:

ch = chain
hdc = half-double crochet
sl st = slip stitch
st = stitch

Every ch 2 counts as one hdc.

Without further ado, here’s the pattern for your crocheting pleasure:

Crochet Cross
by E.A. West

Base

Ch 6, hdc in third ch from hook, hdc 2, ch 2, turn

(Hdc 3, ch 2, turn) 3 times

Fasten off

Top and Arms

Ch 4, sl st to base, sl st next three st, chain 6, turn

Hdc in third ch from hook, hdc across, ch 2, turn

Hdc across, ch 1, turn

Sl st in first 5 st, ch 2, hdc next 3 st, ch 2, turn

Hdc 3

Fasten off and weave in ends.

This pattern is untested, so please forgive any mistakes you may find. Also, please let me know if you do find any mistakes so I can fix it and post a corrected version.

Merry Christmas!