Crochet your own beautiful Hangry Caterpillar Mobile to go above a child’s crib with this free pattern. Make the mobile by crocheting a cover for a styrofoam ring and then attaching toys to the mobile.
Make the mobile using the instructions in this blog post once you’ve made the Caterpillar, Butterfly and fruit!
The pattern is available for free in this blog post in UK terms only. For a version of the pattern in US terms, you can buy the PDF. This blog has ads so I can provide the pattern for free.
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I highly recommend that you read the Essential Information before you read this pattern.
If you’ve already read them, and are returning to this page to continue crocheting, then simply jump to the patterns using the links below.
Intermediate
UK Terms
The yarn below is for making one of every toy and the mobile ring cover.
Stylecraft Special DK (8 Ply); 295 m (323 yards) per 100g; 100% Acrylic
10g / 30 m / 33 yards in Blue (Aster, shade 1003)
10g / 30 m / 33 yards in Pink (Bright Pink, shade 1435)
10g / 29 m / 32 yards in Yellow (Citron, shade 1263)
14g / 41 m / 45 yards in Light Purple (Grape, shade 1067)
70g / 207 m / 226 yards in Light Green (Lincoln, shade 1834)
76g / 224 m / 245 yards in Dark Green (Kelly Green, shade 1826)
60g / 177 m / 194 yards in Red (Lipstick, shade 1246)
1g / 3 m / 3 yards in Black (Midnight, shade 1011)
10g / 30 m / 33 yards in Dark Purple (Plum, shade 1061)
4g / 12 m / 13 yards in Brown (Walnut, in shade 1054)
I recommend Addi Swing, as it’s an ergonomic hook and it suits my style of crocheting – which is like holding a knife or buy a standard crochet hook.
11 sc x 11 rows to measure 5 x 5 cm (2 x 2 in) using a 3 mm hook or size needed to obtain stated gauge.
Caterpillar: 7 cm (3 in) tall and 20 cm (8 in) long
Butterfly: 18 cm (7 in) by 18 cm (7 in) from head to toe, wing to wing.
Lemon: 7 cm (3 in)
Pear: 6 cm (2.3 in)
Apple: 5 cm (2 in)
Watermelon: 6 cm (2.3 in)
Plum: 4 cm (1.5 in)
From mobile ring to final fruit 55 cm (21.5 in).
Ch: Chain
Dc: Double Crochet
Dc2tog: Double crochet two stitches together
Htr: Half Treble
Rep: Repeat
Rnd: Round
RS: Right Side
St(s): Stitch(es)
Tr: Treble
WS: Wrong Side
The stitch count is indicated at the end of every round or row. Stitch counts are shown like this: (12 sts)
Sections to be repeated are indicated within squared brackets [ ], with the number of repeats written after.
Pattern Content & Images © 2017-2023 Ruth Haydock – All Rights Reserved.
All content in this pattern is the copyright and design right of Ruth Haydock. You are not permitted to sell the written instructions or images in any way, amended or as they are. You may only print this pattern out for personal use. You are allowed to sell completed items that you have made using this pattern but you must credit me as the designer of the pattern (Ruth Haydock) and provide a link to my website, ruthhaydock.com.
To create a mobile, there are four steps:
It is very important that you check the width and length of the cover as you go. I suggest crocheting a few rows and stretch it around the ring to see if it fits. It needs to be a tight fit, with no bagginess or wrinkles, as when you attach the toys to it they will pull on the cover. If it looks like it is too big or too small, restart with fewer or more stitches on your starting chain.
Check that the length of the cover is suitable at about 40 cm (16 in) length. Depending on your yarn it may stretch to meet the other end and go around the whole ring at just 40 cm (16 in).
With Red, chain 29.
Row 1: Working into the 2nd ch from the hook, 28 dc, turn. (28 sts)
Row 2: 1 ch, 28 dc, turn. (28 sts)
Row 3: Change color, 1 ch, 28 dc, turn. (28 sts)
Row 4: 1 ch, 28 dc, turn. (28 sts)
Repeat rows 3 to 4 until the work measures 60 cm (24 in) in length, changing color every two rows. Cut the yarn after each color change leaving an 8 cm (3 in) tail for sewing up later.
Once you are happy with the length of the cover, cut the yarn leaving a tail of 20 cm (8 in) to use when sewing the two short ends of the ring cover onto the ring.
Position the cover around the ring and use the short tails left from each color change to sew the sides together.
Once the long sides are sewn together, sew the two short ends together.
Once the cover is on the ring, reposition the long seam so it is hidden on the underside of the ring.
Cut six 30 cm (12 in) lengths of yarn, using the same yarn for the ring.
Sew one end of each length of yarn to the topside of the yarn covered ring.
Once one end of all lengths are sewn on, bring all the lengths together and hold together at the end that is not sewn onto the ring.
Hold the lengths of yarn together, leaving about 20 cm (8 in) between your fingers and the ring, let the ring hang as you do this so you can see how it looks as it hangs and adjust accordingly. Once you have the ring hanging the way you want it to, knot all lengths of yarn together.
Finally, knot the yarn into a small metal ring. I wrapped the ends around the ring and knotted it a few more times and then superglued the ends down but I also like how it looks knotted just once and the ends turned into a bow.
To attach the toys to the mobile you will need to sew lengths of yarn to the mobile ring and then to the toy. I used yarn from the mobile cover.
Cut lengths yarn to attach each toy to the mobile in the following lengths, the colour of yarn that I used is in brackets:
Caterpillar (Dark Green yarn): 13 cm (5 in)
Watermelon (Red): 18 cm (7 in)
Pear (Light Green): 23 cm (9 in)
Apple (Dark Green): 28 cm (11 in)
Lemon (Light Green): 33 cm (13 in)
Plum (Red): 38 cm (15 in)
Start by sewing on the length of yarn for the Caterpillar to the underside of the mobile ring, then sew the other end to the toy. Leave a 4 cm (1.5 in) space on the ring between the last length sewn onto the ring and the yarn for the next toy, making sure that the toys are evenly spread out around the ring.
Continue sewing the toys in the order listed above, making sure that each toy hangs slightly lower than the toy before it so that the toys can be seen easily and hangs in a spiral.
Sew in all ends and hang up your mobile!
I would love to see your pictures of this design on Instagram, please tag me @ruthhaydock and use the hashtag #ruthhaydockdesigns
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