christmas spider legend

Back when I worked @ Lewiscraft, I remember seeing for the first time, beading kids to make Christmas spiders... which was odd, it wasn't something I ever heard of.

It stuck with me though, and once I finish knitting my husband's sweater, I want to knit something spidery for the holidays... so I wound up googling Christmas spiders, and found this bit of information about them - and interestingly enough, explains the reason why we use tinsel on our trees as well! How wonderfully random!

Spider Dishcloth (crochet)

Materials needed:
- 4.5mm crochet hook, or size recommended on skein band
- 2 skeins of dishcloth cotton, 1 black and 1 white.

Tension: not important for this project

Finished measurements: approx 7.5” wide, 8” tall

Terms used:
ch – chain
sc – single crochet
dc – double crochet
qc – quintuple crochet – do as a double crochet, but wrap yarn around crochet hook 4 times instead of once; crochet yarn through project then first loop, yo and through next two loops repeatedly throughout.

Forming body of spider in center:
With black, ch 25.
1st row: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), dc 8, twist chain row in front to form an ‘8’ and have 9 sts for the head, 1 hdc in first head ch, 1 dc in each of the next 3 ch, 2dc in 1 sc (top of head), 1 dc in each of the next 3 ch, 1 hdc in last ch of head, continue to dc down chain, 2dc in last chain, join.
2nd row: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc in next stitch, 6 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc, 1hdc, 1dc, 2 dc in same stitch, 2 dc, 2 dc in next stitch, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc, 1 hdc, 6dc, 2 dc in last dc, join. Finish off.

Forming spider legs:
3rd row: Continuing with black, start yarn at previous row’s hdc just below the neck. Ch 5 for 1st leg; *ch3, 1qc in 2nd dc from last leg*, repeat btwn ’s two more times; ch 10; 1 qc in 5th stitch from last qc, *ch 3, 1qc in 2nd stitch* 3 times, ch 8, 1 hdc in center stitch of head, ch8, join at beginning (1st leg).

For dishcloth granny square webbing:

Join white, and continue with white throughout.
4th row: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), dc 2 more in previous row’s ch3, *ch2, 3dc in previous row’s ch3* twice, ch2, *3dc, ch2* three times over previous row’s ch10, *ch2, 3dc in previous row’s ch3* three times, ch2, *3dc, ch2* five times, centering 2nd dc in 3rd rep in last row’s hdc, ch2 and join.
5th row: ch5 (counts as 1 dc and 3 sc), *3dc in space, ch3* around, finish with 2dc, join.
6th row: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), *ch3, 3dc* once, ch3, (3dc, ch3, 3dc) in previous row’s 3ch; *ch3, 3dc* three times, ch3 (3dc, ch3, 3dc) in previous row’s 3ch, *ch3, 3dc* twice, ch3 (3dc, ch3, 3dc) in previous row’s 3ch, ch3 and join.
7th row: ch5 (counts as 1 dc and 3 sc), *3dc in space, ch3* twice, (3dc, ch3, 3dc) in previous row’s 3ch, *3dc in space, ch3* four times, (3dc, ch3, 3dc) in previous row’s 3ch, ch3, *3dc in space, ch3* three times, (3dc, ch3, 3dc) in previous row’s 3ch, ch3, *3dc in space, ch3* four times, (3dc, ch3, 3dc) in previous row’s 3ch, ch3, 2dc, join.
8th row: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2dc, *ch2, 3dc in last row’s 3ch* twice, ch2, 4dc in last row’s 3ch corner, *ch2, 3dc in last row’s 3ch* five times, ch2, 4dc in last row’s 3ch corner, *ch2, 3dc in last row’s 3ch* four times, ch2, 4dc in last row’s 3ch corner, *ch2, 3dc in last row’s 3ch* five times, ch2, 4dc in last row’s 3ch corner, ch2, 3dc, ch2, join and finish. Weave in ends.

© 2007 by Sabrina Thompson - original design and pictures. Please do not sell pattern or materials made thereof, or copy my pictures. Pattern cannot be distributed for sale, or as a 'free pattern' promotional tool for selling yarn or knitting supplies. If posting Finished Items on personal blogs, please link back to this blog and pattern, thanks. :D

Spider Scrubbie (crochet)

Materials needed:
- a bit of white and black cotton
- 4.5 mm crochet hook
- blunt tapestry needle

Measures: approx 3.5" wide

Stitches used: dc (double crochet), sc (single crochet), ch (chain), dc2tog (double crochet two together)

How to:
with white, crochet 5 sts and join.
row 1: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 9 dc around (10 sts)
row 2: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 19 dc around (20 sts)
row 3: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2dc, 2dc in same stitch, *3dc, 2dc in same stitch* around to end, join. (25 sts)
row 4: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 3dc, 2dc in same stitch, *4dc, 2dc in same stitch* around to end, join (30sts)
row 5: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1dc, 2dc in same stitch, *2dc, 2dc in same stitch* around to end, join (40sts)
row 6: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), dc around
row 7: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1dc, dc2tog, *2dc, dc2tog* around to end, join (30sts)
row 8: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), dc2tog, *1dc, dc2tog* around to end, join (20sts)
row 9: ch1, dc2tog around to end, join with 1st dc2tog (10sts)
row 10: ch1, dc2tog around to end, join with 1st dc2tog (5sts)
row 11: tie off, leaving at least a 1" tail. Bring yarn through both centers to bind in the middle, knot, and weave in ends. Sc a little handle (10-15sc) through the top if desired.

to make spider:
1) with black yarn, ch20 and join
2) ch1 (counts as 1sc), 9sc, 2sc in 1 stitch, 9sc, 2sc in last stitch, join (22sts)
Tie off and leave a 1.5" string. This chain will form an almond shaped body; use tail to join (in back) center of almond, about 1/3 of the way down. Stitch body to white scrubbie, and use tapestry needle to sew 8 legs from torso to through side of the scrubbie, through the center of it so the bottom of it is hidden into the scrubbie, and back through the torso to continue with the next leg. Continue around and tie off.

© 2007 by Sabrina Thompson - original design and pictures. Please do not sell pattern or materials made thereof, or copy my pictures. Pattern cannot be distributed for sale, or as a 'free pattern' promotional tool for selling yarn or knitting supplies. If posting Finished Items on personal blogs, please link back to this blog and pattern, thanks. :D