How to Crochet a Toadstool.

 Apparently plants and hopefully fungi like music. Look how the red toadstool is leaning into the sound.

And now how they are waiting for someone to turn the music back on.

Materials Required.

-white felt

-white cotton thread

-needle

-stuffing

- 4 ply cotton yarn (colour of your choice...)

- 4 ply metallic silver yarn

- 2.5mm crochet hook

Abbreviations.

ch = chain

sc = single crochet (also referred to as double crochet in u.k. terms)

st/sts = stitch/stitches

BLO = back loops only

ss = slip stitch

Sewing the Stalk.

 Step 1. Cut two rectangles of felt of approximately 7cm x 2cm.

 Step 2. Place together and cut out a stalk shape (pictured above). Have the bottom end wider than the top.

 Step 3. Stitch up both sides longwise leaving the ends free for stuffing.

 Step 4. I use the blunt end of a crochet hook to stuff the stalk, pushing in a little bit of stuffing in at a time until it is firm.

Step 5. Cut out a little piece of felt (see above) and trace around the base of the stalk with a pen. Cut out the circle and sew to the base of the stalk. Leave a little gap to finish stuffing the bottom and then stitch shut. That's the stalk finished! I think you have done a terrific job so tell yourself a hearty "Well done".

Crocheting the Cap.

This pattern is worked in continuous rounds.

Round 1. Using the cotton yarn (or 4ply yarn of your choice), ch 2.

Round 2. 6 sc into the 2nd ch from the hook, join with slst into first sc. (6)

Round 3. *2 sc in each st. *Repeat until end. (12)

Round 4. *1 sc in the next st then 2 sc in following sc. *Repeat until end. (18)

Round 5. *1 sc in following 2 sts then 2 sc in next sc. *Repeat until end. (24)

Round 6. *1sc into the following 3 sts then 2sc into the next st. *Repeat until end. (30)

Round 7. *1sc into the following 4 sts then 2sc into the next st. *Repeat until end. (36)

Round 8. *1sc into the following 5 sts then 2sc into the next st. *Repeat until end. (42)

Round 9. Change to silver yarn and crochet 1sc in each st until the end of the round. (42)

Round 10. In BLO, crochet 1sc into each st until the end of the round. (42)

Decreasing Rounds.
Round 11. *1sc into the first 7 sts then skip the 8th st. *Repeat until the end of the round. (36)
Round 12. *1sc into the next 6 sts then skip the 7th st. *Repeat until the end of the round. (30)
Round 13. *1sc into each of the next 5 sts then skip the 6th st. *Repeat until the end of the round. (24)
Round 14. *1sc into each of the next 4 sts then skip the 5th st. *Repeat until end of the round. (18)
Round 15. *1sc into each of the next 3 sts then skip the 4th st. *Repeat until end of the round. (12)

This is the stage where I see if the stalk fits into the cap.  Push the silver section up to form the cap's underside as shown above. If the hole is too loose, skip every 2nd stitch until the stalk fits.

Ss the silver yarn into the last st and bind off.

Stitch the stalk into place with a needle and thread and then hold up your toadstool in the air like a little parasol, admiring how clever you are. 

 N.B. The scary thing about this project is that once you begin, fungi begins to sprout up all over the house. Try varying the cap shape by doing a straight round between increasing rounds.

*I will add a pattern for the red toadstool over the next week.