You’ll need up to an ounce (28g) of worsted weight yarn per bulb, in two or three colors: bulb and base for incandescent and LED, bulb and one or two base colors for CFL. Your hook size actually matters here far more than in my usual patterns: you want a hook that makes a tube 5 sc around the right size to fit a pipe cleaner inside, easily but not loosely. For me this was an E/4 hook (3.5mm) but I crochet rather loosely so you may want an F/5 (3.75mm). I made all three bulbs with the same hook.

For the CFL, on that note, you need two pipe cleaners (assuming they are about 12″/30cm long). For all the bulbs you need some stuffing and, optionally, something with weight to put in the very base of the bulb and help it stand up. I have used pebbles, beads, coins, and tangled necklace chains for this purpose.

Stitches and techniques assumed: magic ring, slip knot, chain, single crochet and its decrease (standard or invisible), needle join specifically in the second stitch, slip stitch by itself or to attach new yarn, double crochet, sewing up openings, weaving in ends, sewing pieces together

Taught in pattern: Front post double crochet, though in brief. For alternative photos visit Mon Petit Violon.

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Materials: The barber pole lip balm cozy shown was made with embroidery floss and a size 1 steel hook (2.75mm), the darker lip balm cozy was made with fine yarn (weight class 2) and a D hook (3.25mm), and the candy stick was made with craft thread and a size 1 steel hook (2.75mm). The remaining pieces were made with worsted weight yarn: the barber poles with an F hook (3.75mm), the left-hand pen case with an H hook (5mm), and the right-hand pen case with a K hook (6.5mm).

Stitches and techniques assumed: magic ring, slip knot, chain, single crochet and its decrease (optionally: invisible decrease), slip stitch, attaching new yarn with slip stitch, half double crochet, weaving in ends, sewing up openings.

The pattern points you here in particular for links to pages on the needle join and running stitch closure.

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This pattern includes an improved write-up of the little big Pi pattern available on the blog. As with that pattern, big little pi’s legs are stitched directly onto openings left in the top bar. Directions are given to leave the top bar unstuffed until the legs are finished, to aid in bending the bar (and first leg, when stitching the second) out of the way.

The pointed foot and “horn” of the top bar curve through a combination of increasing or decreasing and a method I developed to collapse pairs of rounds into single rounds on the inside of the curve. The stitching takes some paying attention, but it isn’t difficult and all stitches are common (very common, in fact: slip stitch and single crochet).

Note that the plump foot ends with a 10-stitch round. This will close without any difficulty if you use a running stitch through the front loops, but may be a bit large for some methods.

Stitches and techniques assumed: magic ring, slip knot, chain, slip stitch, single crochet and its decrease (or invisible decrease), attaching new yarn with slip stitch, stitching in front loop or back loop only, sewing up openings.

More action shots may be seen on the blog.

Pattern extra: With less than an ounce (28 g) of yarn and instructions from the blog, you can make a tau from this pattern.

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