Fly Away: Crochet Bear in Hot Air Balloon Pattern

Crochet Pattern: Fly Away: Crochet Bear in Hot Air Balloon Pattern

Materials

• Sport weight cotton yarn in Mustard Yellow, Teal Blue, Rust Orange, Cream, Medium Brown, Light Brown, and Red
• Scraps of dark brown, white, and sky blue yarn for details
• 2.25 mm crochet hook
• 6 mm safety eyes
• Fiberfill stuffing
• Tapestry needle
• Wooden toothpick or thin wire for the flag pole

Abbreviations

• ch – chain
• sc – single crochet
• inc – increase
• dec – decrease
• st(s) – stitch(es)
• BLO – back loops only
• MR – magic ring

Instructions

Hot Air Balloon:

The balloon is worked by alternating colors to create vertical panels. Work in continuous rounds using Mustard, Teal, Rust, and Cream yarn. Start at the top of the balloon.

• Rnd 1: With Mustard, 6 sc in MR (6)
• Rnd 2: inc in each st around (12)
• Rnd 3: [sc, inc] x6 (18)
• Rnd 4: Begin dividing into color sections (4 panels). Increase progressively in each section until you reach 72 stitches around.
• Rnd 5-20: Work even around (72), maintaining the striped color pattern.
• Rnd 21-30: Begin decreasing gradually to shape the bottom taper of the balloon [dec, 10 sc] around, and continue down to 18 stitches.
• Rnd 31-33: Switch to Mustard yellow, sc in each st around (18). Fasten off and stuff firmly.

The Basket:

Using Light Brown yarn:

• Rnd 1: 8 sc in MR (8)
• Rnd 2: inc in each st around (16)
• Rnd 3: [sc, inc] around (24)
• Rnd 4: [2 sc, inc] around (32)
• Rnd 5: BLO sc around (32)
• Rnd 6-12: sc around (32)
• Fasten off, leaving a long tail for assembly.

Aviator Teddy Bear:

Using Medium Brown yarn, crochet a simple sphere for the head (starting with 6 sc in MR, increasing to 24, and decreasing back down). Place 6 mm safety eyes between rounds 8 and 9. Crochet a tiny muzzle in cream, embroidering a dark nose. Work a small body and arms to fit inside the basket. Crochet a small aviator cap with ear flaps in medium brown, and sew two small white circles with dark borders onto the cap to look like goggles. Finish with a small chain of red yarn wrapped around the neck as a scarf.

Assembly & Details:

To assemble, crochet four separate chains of 25 stitches using Light Brown yarn. Use these cords to connect the rim of the basket to the lower portion of the hot air balloon, spacing them evenly. Place the stuffed bear inside the basket and secure with a few stitches. Complete the piece by crocheting a tiny blue and white flag, wrapping it around a toothpick, and inserting it into the top of the balloon.