Crochet Lavender Stress Balls

These cute little stress balls are the perfect crochet projects for weekends and beginners. They also make perfect gifts. The patterns is very simple, requiring only the basic knowledge of single crochet in the round and the creation of a foundation magic circle, along with simple increasing and decreasing. Make one, two, or as many as you like (I made three!). ​

I made these stress balls as a stash buster project from leftover yarn I had from a blanket project.  I was lucky to have purples that were well suited to a lavender inspired pattern. I have been working on a few different lavender inspired projects over the past few months, mostly because purple is my favorite color, but also because I have a bag of dried lavender buds that I have been looking to use up for some time now. Not only did I decided to use the lavender for patterns, but I also have been using it for cooking, since it is food grade and organic. If you would like to read my blog post on lavender ice cream, click here.

For anyone who does not crochet, I am in the process of making a knit version and a sewn version of this pattern. I am also working on making finished versions of the stress balls to sell on my storefront, for anyone who does not want to make their own. I will post updates on these endeavor in the coming weeks, until then, enjoy the free version of the  crochet lavender stress balls below.

This pattern is also available as a free download PDF through Ravelry, as well as LoveCrafts. You can access the Ravelry version through the link below.

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© Kari-Elyssa Designs 2020-2022. All Rights Reserved. This pattern is strictly for personal use only. You are not permitted to sell finished versions of the stress balls without written consent to do so. Do not copy, translate, alter, reproduce, redistribute, share, sell, repost, or distribute the pattern or pattern page in any way or any media format. Use of the feature photographs is prohibited.  Thank you!

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Difficulty Level

Easy/Beginner

Materials

• Worsted weight yarn, shown here in Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted (100% Wool; 245yd/224m per 100g/3.5oz) 1 skein of Butterfly Blue #N59, 1 skein of Purple Splendor #N60, 1 skein of Regal Purple #205, and 1 skein of Natural #730, 
• US size G (4 mm) crochet hook (or smaller size to achieve tight tension)
• Dried lavender buds (organic is best)
• Stuffing​

Gauge

9 sts and 10 rows= 2”/5cm using larger needles over single crochet in the round*
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*Gauge is not important for this pattern. However, make sure to keep a tight tension to prevent the dried lavender from falling out of the stress balls.

Finished Measurements

• Height from bottom center to top center: 4.25 in. (10.9cm) 
• ​Circumference around center: 8.5 in. (21.5cm) 
• Circumference around top and bottom: 4.25 in. (10.9cm)

Pattern Notes

• The pattern is worked continuously in the round, from the bottom up. 
• The stress balls are filled with both lavender and stuffing to help them keep their shape. 
• Any yarn color and fiber can be used for this project; the stress balls do not have to be purple. 
• Slip stitch at the beginning of each round unless otherwise stated. The slip stitch at the beginning does not count as the first stitch. 
• The balls can also be used as sachets. If this is the intended sole use, omit the stuffing and only fill with dried lavender. 
• Gauge is not important for this pattern. However, make sure to keep a tight tension to prevent the dried lavender from falling out of the stress balls. 
• US crochet terminology is used for the pattern.​​

Abbreviations

• Mc: magic circle
• Sc: single crochet
• Inc: increase (2 single crochet in one stitch)
• Dcr: decrease (1 single crochet across two stitches)
• Rnd: Round 
• Sl st: Slip stitch
• X: indicates the number of repeats

Directions

Rnd 1: Create a magic circle. 6 sc in mc. (6 sts). 
Rnd 2: Inc in all sts. (12 sts). 
Rnd 3: (1 sc, 1 inc) x 6. (18 sts). 
Rnd 4: (2 sc, 1 inc) x 6. (24 sts). 
Rnd 5: (3 sc, 1 inc) x 6. (30 sts). 
Rnd 6: (4 sc, 1 inc) x 6. (36 sts). 
Rnds 7-15: Sc in all sts. 

If you would like a central stripe, switch to another color (I used white, as shown in the above pictures) for rounds 10 and 11, then return to the original color for the remainder of the ball. 

Rnd 16: (4 sc, 1 dcr) x 6. (30 sts). 
Rnd 17: (3 sc, 1 dcr) x 6. (24 sts). 
Rnd 18: (2 sc, 1 dcr) x 6. (18 sts). 

At this point, begin adding filling, using about equal parts dried lavender buds and stuffing. I layered the filling from top to bottom as follows: 1/4 stuffing, 1/2 dried lavender buds, 1/4 stuffing. You can also use dried lavender only. You may adjust the amount of filling as desired. 

Rnd 19: (1 sc, 1 dcr) x 6. (12 sts). 
Rnd 20: Dcr around. (6 sts). 

Finishing 
Finish by securing the top opening, then weave in any remaining strings on the inside of the ball. For a tutorial on how to close crochet in the round, click here. For a tutorial on how to make a magic circle, click here.

I hope you enjoyed these stress balls/sachets! If you have any questions or concerns regarding the pattern, please feel free to contact me here. While I work extensively to make sure patterns are free of errors, no one is a perfect machine, and mistakes happen from time to time. I will gladly make an update or post an errata link if needed.
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Happy crocheting!