Crochet Chinese New Year Lantern | Pattern Review

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Chinese New Year is approaching! Time to make some decorations. Let’s start with a crochet Chinese New Year Lantern

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Chinese New Year is always a time for family and food! Let’s make a crochet Chinese New Year Lantern.

If you are new to crochet amigurumi, don’t worry. I’ve got you covered. Check out my amigurumi tips.

Crochet Chinese New Year Lantern Pattern

I discovered the Sweet Softies blog when I decided to crochet dim sum. I used a pattern of hers and then went down the rabbit hole to discover other patterns.

The Sweet Softies Blog has two crochet Chinese New Year Lantern Patterns – regular and mini. Both are crochet amigurumi, and both are free patterns! I made them both.

Both patterns have stripes down the sides, have a hanger and a tassel.

Mini Crochet Chinese New Year Lantern

I made the mini one first. The mini one is cute and has a little face. It worked up quickly using super bulky yarn and my 5.0 mm crochet hook.

As I continue on with my quest to use up yarn in my stash, I was lucky to find some super bulky red yarn, but I did not have any super bulky yellow yarn. So I decided to crochet with two strands of worsted-weight yarn (category 4) in yellow. It worked! Crocheting with 2 strands of yarn at the same time was a bit weird, but it worked up well.

When making the mini crochet Chinese lantern, you start at the bottom and work your way up. You will start crocheting with the yellow yarn, switch to the red and then switch back to the yellow. Because of that, it is not necessary to cut the yellow yarn once you’ve completed the base.

Regular-Sized Crochet Chinese New Year Lantern

This pattern is interesting and is made from the top down, opposite from the mini one. Similarly, you can carry the yarn through and do not need to cut until it is all done.

I did things in a slightly different order. While the pattern has you sew on the bottom right away, I waited until the very end. I found it easier to do the stripes when it was still open. It was also easier to tuck the ends in when doing the surface crochet.

Although the mini one is cute, I prefer this pattern as I like the extra details – specifically the surface crochet stitching. It makes it look much nicer and is a nicer finish.

Looking for other Chinese New Year crafts? Be sure to check these out.

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