Monday, January 9, 2023

Crochet King Snake - FREE CROCHET PATTERN

I was attending a craft fair earlier this month, and I needed to make a variety of items at reasonable prices. HOWEVER, the market needed a raffle item valued at $25+, and none of my items were priced that high. My items were all smaller plushies priced with kids in mind. So I began searching some crochet groups on Facebook to try and get some ideas. I saw a really cool snake pattern that everyone was commenting on. When I initially attempted the pattern, I found it was just WAY to big for the blanket yarn, and while I needed a larger finished product, I didn't want one THAT large. So I went to work trying different possibilities to make a smaller, BABY snake. Then I needed to decide on color combinations... and I decided to make this one more realistic! I looked up a ton of different snake color combinations to find one that would look amazing in crochet, and I found one- the KING SNAKE!





But I didn't stop there, I also admired the color combinations of a CORAL snake, which is similar to the King Snake, but with different sized stripes. So I made adjustments to the first pattern to make a realistic looking coral snake. 




The coral snake color option is only available in the PAID PDF version of the pattern. It is exactly the same pattern, just different color changes in different rows. It looks awesome, so I hope you check it out! You can get the pattern on ETSY:




I hope you enjoy this pattern! If you are wondering, I ended up making 6 of these snakes in a variety of colors for the market and I SOLD OUT, and got two more custom order requests that I filled in the weeks after the event. I'd say that's a pretty successful design!




Materials Needed:

  • 36 Yds (54g): Red - Bernat Blanket Yarn
  • 20 Yds (30g): Black - Bernat Blanket Yarn
  • 10 Yds (15g): White - Bernat Blanket Yarn
  • 8mm Crochet Hook
  • Polyfill
  • Sewing Needle
  • 16mm Safety eyes (or embroider eyes)

Gauge:

Using Bernat Blanket yarn and an 8mm Crochet hook the snake measures 34” long with a 2” diameter.

Pattern Notes:

  • To create clean & crisp stripes this pattern is worked in the round, one row at a time. Start each row with a ch 1, and sc in the same space as the ch-1, or slip stitch from the previous row. The ch-1 does not count as a stitch. End each row with a slip stitch into the first sc from that row.
  • When you sc2tog, make the initial ch1 and then draw a loop through the same space, and draw another loop through the next sc, and then yarn over and draw through the 3 loops on the hook. This will decrease the row by one sc.
  • Fasten off yarn at each color change. Then start the new color with a slip knot already on the hook, working the single crochet directly into the same space you ended the previous row.
  • Lightly stuff after every 4-5 rows. Do not stuff excessively, or it will not bend or pretzel.
  • Make one in every color! These are a big hit at markets!


Written Pattern:

Head & Body

With RED ch 2.

Rnd 1: Work 6 sc in first ch. Sl st in top of first sc.

Rnd 2: 1 sc in same st, *2 sc in next st, sc in next st, rep from * around, Sl st to first sc. (9 sts)

Rnd 3: 1 sc in each st around, Sl st to top of first sc. (9 sts)

Rnd 4: 1 sc in next 2 sts, 3 sc in next st, 1 sc in next 3 sts, 3 sc in next st, 1 sc in next 2 sts. (13 sts)

Rnd 5: 1 sc in next 2 st, sc 3 tog, 1 sc in next 3 sts, sc 3 tog, 1 sc in next 2 sts. (9 sts)

Rnd 6: 1 sc in each st around. (9 sts) 

Insert safety eyes or embroidered into the middle SC of the 3SC increase stitch in row 4.

Rnd 7: 1 sc in each st around. (9 sts)

Change to black yarn.

Rnd 8-9: 1 sc in each st around. (9 sts)

Change to white yarn.

Rnd 10-11: 1 sc in each st around. (9 sts)

Change to black yarn.

Rnd 12-13: 1 sc in each st around. (9 sts)

Change to red yarn (or main body color).

Rnd 14-17: 1 sc in each st around. (9 sts)

Repeat rows 8-17 FOUR times (5 times the pattern repeats).


Tail:

Rnd 58: Sc 2 tog, 1 sc in next 7 sts. (8 sts)

Rnd 59: 1 sc in each 8 sts. (8 sts)

Rnd 60: Sc2tog, 1 sc in next 6 sts. (7 sts)

Rnd 61: 1 sc in each 7 sts. (7 sts)

Rnd 62: Sc2tog, 1 sc in next 5 sts. (6 sts)

Rnd 63: 1 sc in each 6 sts. (6 sts)

Rnd 64: Sc2tog, 1 sc in next 4 sts. (5 sts)

Rnd 65: 1 sc in each 5 sts. (5 sts)

Rnd 66: Sc2tog, 1 sc in next 3 sts. (4 sts)

Rnd 67: 1 sc in each 4 sts. (4 sts)

Rnd 68: Sc2tog, 1 sc in next 2 sts. (3 sts)

Rnd 69: 1 sc in each 3 sts. (3 sts)

Rnd 70: Sk 1st st, Sl st into next 2 sts, fasten off, and weave in tail.


If you are using a thinner yarn it can sometimes be difficult to keep crocheting in the round with so few stitches. Feel free to end the tail and weave in ends once you cannot make any additional rounds. 


Need more help?? Purchase the PDF version of this pattern to get access to additional photographs and instructions on how to make clean color changes!