Emily's Crochet Candy Canes

Today I have great pleasure in introducing you all to a lovely young lady called Emily from Scotland. Emily is going to show us how to make these cute crochet candy canes. She is such a wonderful teacher and has included simple to follow instructions so that even complete beginners to crochet can complete this project.

What you will need for this project:

• Scissors
• Wire Cutters
• Round Nose Pliers
• 2mm Gauge Garden Wire
• 2.5mm + 4.25mm Crochet Hook
• Red and White Double knit Yarn

1. Start by taking the 4.25mm crochet hook and white yarn. Make a slip knot and do 50 chain stitches.

-To make a slip knot-

Lay yarn open end pointing up on your left palm.

Make a loop by taking open end of yarn from right to left over itself.

Grab top of loop and pull down over end of yarn attached to the skein of yarn.

With the crochet hook pull through yarn now in centre of loop. Pull tight on hook.

-To make chain stitch-

Using 4.25 hook pull end of yarn attached to skein through loop on hook from slipknot.

Repeat until you have 50 chain stitches.

2. The next step is to make the spiral by first holding the chain stitches to the left.

In second chain stitch from hook do three single crochet stitches. Repeat until all chain stitches have three crochet stitches.

-To make single crochet stitch-

Put hook into chain stitch and pull through yarn.

This creates two loops on crochet hook.

Pull yarn through both loops.

That is one single crochet stitch complete.

Repeat in same chain stitch two more times to make a total of three.

3. You will begin to see a spiral take shape.

Once at the end tie off leaving some extra yarn, this will be used later.

4. Repeat above steps with red yarn.

5. Measure out approx. 19cm of your 2mm gauge wire.

This should leave enough to curl edges and also leave a bit of length for error.

Curl one end of the wire with needle nose pliers.

6. Twist two yarn spirals together with red excess yarn on one end and white excess yarn on the other.

7. Twist both spirals around the wire starting at the end of the wire which has been curled. There should be wire left sticking out of the spiral.

8. Using the 2.5mm crochet hook conceal wire at curled edge using excess yarn. (A large eyed embroidery needle can also be used.)

Once securely in place make your candy cane stripes as even as possible. Cut extra wire about 3/4cm from edge of spiral.

Again using the round nose pliers curl edge of wire. Use excess yarn to secure and conceal wire end. Bend into a candy cane shape.

9. Take a small length of yarn and thread through candy cane to create a loop. Tie end.

You have a complete candy cane ornament which you can put on your Christmas tree or give as a gift this Christmas.

Thank you Emily.