Match the colour

The game “match the colour” is good for children’s development, motoric skills, and entertainment.

Based on the age of the child, it might even serve as a perfect teether. I used silicone muffin forms and 100% cotton yarn tested for harmful substances (Oeko-Tex- standard 100). Thus, “the toy” is safe for extensive chewing.

The balls measure approximately 5 cm in diameter when it is made with the supplies I mention below.

It is easy to make, and importantly, it is unbelievably rewarding seeing your child playing with the toy you made for him/her.

You will need:

  • Colorful containers. No matter how much we parents love neutral or pastel tones, kids love sharp contrasting colors. So, if you find containers at home that fit the description, just go for it. Containers have to be age-appropriate and safe for children. In my case, I happened to have colorful muffin forms. One could use small colorful plastic bowls or containers, preferably BPA-free ones.
  • Yarn. You will also need matching color cotton yarns. One could go for organic cotton if desired.
  • Crochet hook. Look at the label of the yarn and choose the corresponding size of the crochet hook. I used a 3 mm crochet hook.

Additionally, you will need a fiberfill, stitch marker, scissors, and yarn needle.

Tips: 1) You can get an inexpensive pillow and use the fiberfill from there. One pillow should be enough for many different projects. So, if you want to continue crocheting, it will be a good investment. It is convenient to have a polyester filling to be able to machine wash the balls when they get dirty. 2) You can use a short piece of a different color yarn as a stitch marker. 

Abbreviations

  • st =stitch
  • sc = single crochet
  • inc = increase (2 sc in one st)
  • dec = decrease (2 sc together)
  • […] = total number of stitches (numbers in the squred brackets after each round)
  • (…) = repeat the instructions in the brackets

Cotton yarn I used:

  • Purple: Bumbo by Mayflower, color 231
  • Light Green: Bumbo by Mayflower, color 446
  • Orange: Portugisisk bomuld 8/4, color 926385
  • Red: Anna & Clara, color 171635

Note: The yarn was bought in Denmark and might not be accessible in another location. However, it should not be a problem to find matching colors in hobby stores.

The pattern

R1 6 sc in magic ring [6]
R2 (inc)repeat 6 times [12]
R3 (sc in 1 st, inc) repeat 6 times [18]
R4 (sc in 2 st, inc) repeat 6 times [24]
R5 (sc in 3 st, inc) repeat 6 times [30]
R6 (sc in 4 st, inc) repeat 6 times [36]
R6 – R12 sc in all 36 st [36]
R13 (sc in 4 st, dec) repeat 6 times [30]
R14 sc in all 30 st [30]
R14 (sc in 3 st, dec) repeat 6 times [24]
R15 (sc in 2 st, dec) repeat 6 times [18]. Stuff the ball with a fiberfill and add more filling as you continue.
R16 (sc in 1 st, dec) repeat 6 times [12]
R17 (dec) repeat 6 times [6]
Finish with a slip stitch and close the hole by sewing front loops of the last 6 stitches together.

In the future, I plan to record the video tutorials to help complete beginners to follow the project.

Enjoy the pattern!