Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Bird cage/Japanese lantern pattern


I wanted to make a Japanese Lantern to hang from the hook in the ceiling. Of course there are no patterns available so here is my first attempt. It turned out longer than I had anticipated so I should have made another pattern repeat and made the "roof" larger or made the sides shorter, but now I know! ;-)  My son asked why I crocheted a cage, hence the title!  Anyway, to get what I have in the pic, this is what I did.

Using size D crochet hook and size 10 cotton thread in color of choice (I chose a color that matched the overall theme of our living room).

sides:  chain 37. sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across (36 sc)
2-6.  ch 1(counts as first sc), turn. sc through both loops in each sc across. (26 sc)
7-9.  ch 2 turn. (dc in next st, ch 2) repeat11 x. dc in last 2 st.
repeat rows 2- 9 6 times. sew or sl st edges together to form a tube (I ironed the piece flat before I did this)

top ("roof") ch 2. 5 sc in 2nd ch from hook. do not join
in back loop only, 
2. 2 sc in each sc (10 sc)
3. (sc, 2 sc in next ) 5 x (15 sc)
4. (sc in next 2, 2 sc) 5 x (20 sc)
5. (sc in next 3, 2 sc) 5 x (25 sc)
6. (sc in next 4, 2 sc) 5 x (30 sc)
7. (sc in next 5, 2 sc) 5 x (35 sc)
8. (sc in next 6, 2 sc) 5 x (40 sc)
9. (sc in next 7, 2 sc ) 5 x (45 sc)
10. (sc in next 8, 2 sc) 5 x (50 sc)
11. (sc in next 9, 2 sc) 5 x (55 sc)
12. (sc in next 10, 2 sc) 5 x (60 sc)
13 (sc in next 11, 2 sc) 5 x (65 sc)
14. (sc in next 12, 2 sc) 5 x (70 sc)
15. (sc in next 13, 2 sc) 5 x (75 sc)
16 (sc in next 14, 2 sc) 5 x (80 sc)
17. (sc in next 15, 2 sc) 5 x (85 sc)
18. (sc in next 16, 2 sc) 5 x (90 sc)
19. (sc in next 17, 2 sc) 5 x (95 sc)
20. (sc in next 18, 2 sc) 5 x (100 sc)
21. (sc in next 19, 2 sc) 5 x (105 sc)
sl st in next 2, fasten off.  Sew sides to underside (where the "ridges" are made by the rows) of row 18 of top.

bottom/floor
ch 2. 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook. do not join
in back loop only, 
2. 2 sc in each sc (12 sc)
3. (sc, 2 sc in next ) 6 x (18 sc)
4. (sc in next 2, 2 sc) 6 x (24 sc)
5. (sc in next 3, 2 sc) 6 x (30 sc)
6. (sc in next 4, 2 sc) 6 x (36 sc)
7. (sc in next 5, 2 sc) 6 x (42 sc)
8. (sc in next 6, 2 sc) 6 x (48 sc)
9. (sc in next 7, 2 sc ) 6 x (54 sc)
10. (sc in next 8, 2 sc) 6 x (60 sc)
11. (sc in next 9, 2 sc) 6 x (66 sc)
12. (sc in next 10, 2 sc) 6 x (72 sc)
13 (sc in next 11, 2 sc) 6 x (78 sc)
14. (sc in next 12, 2 sc) 6 x (84 sc)
15. (sc in next 13, 2 sc) 6 x (90 sc)
16 (sc in next 14, 2 sc) 6 x (96 sc)
17. (sc in next 15, 2 sc) 6 x (102 sc)
18. (sc in next 16, 2 sc) 6 x (108 sc)
sl st in next 2, fasten off. Sew to bottom of sides.

Hanging loop:
attach thread in point of roof, chain 12, attach thread to point of roof. fasten off.