Is your yarn stash full of colorful scraps you just can’t bring yourself to throw away? It’s perfectly good yarn, after all, right? This mini moon cactus is the perfect solution! Turn those scraps into the perfect no-maintence plant in no time.
One of my favorite activities on the weekend is going to the local garden center with my equally plant-loving mom. The store we visit always has a sweet little table for all these tiny succulents in the cutest baby pots you’ve ever seen. And they’re so cheap too! The only problem is that those little $10 purchases have a nasty habit of adding up, and even the hardiest of cacti can defy their nature and croak with ease.
In response, I thought up this little guy! Never needs water, never turns brown, and never loses its beautiful bloom. Provided you have all the necessary scraps (and let’s be honest, you probably do), it’s completely free to make too. Designed to be semi-mindless, this project is perfect for working on during lectures, meetings, or just some good old binge watching.
A bit of advice: Something to keep in mind with scrap yarn is that, even if you have the right colors, they might not all have matching weights/textures. Personally, I’m all for experimentation here! I say use what you have to the best of your abilities, and if it turns out a little funky, it’s just part of each plant’s natural variations. <3
However, using different yarn weights than this pattern calls for will change the amount of yarn needed, as well as the potential size of your cactus. Here is a helpful guide to gauge if you have enough material in your different yarn weight! I would definitely recommend sticking somewhere between sport and worsted, but fingering weight was what I personally had on hand, so I used that.
Materials and Terminology
To follow this project the way I made it, you’ll need:
- ~50 yards fingering weight green yarn (roughly ¼ of a standard ball)
- ~20 yards fingering weight yarn, I used yellow
- Very small amount of fingering weight white yarn for detail
- 2.5 mm crochet hook (or your next closest size)
- Polyfill or similar material for stuffing
Refer to the link above for yardage guides if you’re using different weights of yarn. Your standard ball of fingering weight yarn is about 200 yards, so I really meant it when I said we’d be using scraps! For 50 yards, think a little smaller than a golf ball in terms of visual size, and 20 yards might generously look like a large grape.
This pattern is written in US crochet terms, and the abbreviations are as follows:
- sl st = slip stitch
- ch = chain
- sc = single crochet
- hdc = half double crochet
- dc = double crochet
- inc = increase
If you’re used to UK terms, here is a crochet terminology chart that shows the differences so you don’t get confused.
Rows are indicated simply with R#, and repeats are placed within square brackets [like these].
The Magic Circle: Yes, before you start, be aware that this pattern does make use of a magic circle, specifically for the ‘bloom’ at the top of our cactus. If you already know how that works, great! Feel free to proceed. If not, don’t worry, it’s easier than you think. Here is my personal method:
- First, make a standard slip knot on your crochet hook like normal, but don’t tighten it all the way.
- From here, chain one.
- Congratulations, you just made a magic circle! No, I’m not kidding, that’s the whole thing! From here, you’re able to work stitches into this loop, then pull on the tail (not your working yarn) to close the loop when you’re done adding stitches.
On the off chance that you’re still confused, or my explanation just plain didn’t work for you, here is an extremely comprehensive magic circle guide with pictures to help you along.
Pattern
Cactus body:
Working with your chosen green yarn,
Start: ch 31
R1: starting in the second st, dc in next 22, then hdc in next 3, sc in next 3, sl st in next 2, ch 1 turn (30 stitches not counting the turning chain)
R2: sl st 2, sc 3, hdc 3, dc 22, ch1, turn (same as R1 but backwards)
R3: working in front loops only (those closest to you), dc 22, hdc 3, sc 3, sl st 2, ch 1, turn
R4-R16: repeat rows 2 and 3
Connecting: The ‘front loop only’ rows should have created a pattern of loops running up the right (as in ‘correct’/outward facing) side of your cactus. With the wrong side out, use the front loops only to connect R1 with R16 using either slip stitches, if working with a crochet hook, or sewing, if using a yarn needle for this step.
Tie off end.
The small hole left at the top of our cactus body will allow us to attach and stuff the bloom!
Bloom:
With the yarn for your bloom,
Start: Magic circle (refer to guide above if unfamiliar) and sc 10, sl st to first sc to connect, then tighten circle
R1: ch 1, sc in each st around, sl st to connect
R2: ch 2, [dc 1, dc 2 in same st] around, sl st to connect (15 st total)
R3: ch 2, dc in each st around, sl st to connect
R4: ch 2, [dc 1, dc 2 in same st] around, sl st to connect (22 st total)
R5: ch 1, sc in each st around, sl st to connect
R6: ch 1, [sc 1, decrease every other] around, sl st to connect (15 st total)
Note: by “decrease” here, I mean to pull loops through two stitches, then pull a loop through all three loops on your hook to make one single crochet, thereby decreasing the stitch count.
R7: repeat R6 (10 st total)
Connecting to cactus: with wrong sides facing out, sl st your bloom to the small hole in the top of your cactus. Keep in mind you’re working with 10 rows on the bloom but 16 on the cactus, so try to space things out. This step is a bit tricky!
Finishing touches:
Turn your cactus so the right sides are face out. With your white yarn, thread it through the loops running up the cactus (those left behind by our “front loop only” work, which should hopefully be easy to spot). This step can be down with a crochet hook if you have the patience, but a yarn needle will give you the cleanest look. For nice spirals, try to keep a fairly loose tension overall. This might take a bit of trial and error to get it looking nice. Thread the remaining yarn into the cactus just under the bloom and tie off both ends to prevent it from coming out. Repeat x7, one for each column of loops for a total of 8 little fake cacti-spines!
Stuff both the bloom and cactus body with your chosen stuffing material. The large hole in the bottom can either be stitched up, finished with an attached crochet circle, or fastened to some nice yarn-soil in a little plant pot! Completely up to you.
On that note, your cast-offs cactus is done!
Final Notes
Still sitting on scrap yarn? Not every Moon Cactus has a perfect little bobble like the one we just made. Or maybe your creation needs a friend! Add a couple more offshoots by shrinking the bobble pattern and attaching on the side, mix up your colors, or make a whole colony of little cacti!