Up, up, and away we go on a crocheted hot air balloon adventure!

Make this amazing crocheted mobile for a baby’s nursery or change the colors and create a crocheted art installation for your home.

SIZES
Finished Mobile: 17” 43 cm height of charms hung from mobile frame 24” 61 cm wide – this can be easily customized to your space depending on size and shape hoop used for mobile frame and level at which you hang your mobile charms

Hot Air Balloon A (small) Balloon Top: 4.25” 11 cm total length; 2.75” 7 cm width; 8.25” 21 cm circumference at fullest point

Balloon Basket: 0.75” 2 cm total length; 1” 2.5 cm width; 3.5” 9 cm circumference at fullest point

Hot Air Balloon B (medium) Balloon Top: 6.5” 16.5 cm total length; 4” 10 cm width; 12.5” 32 cm circumference at fullest point

Balloon Basket: 1.25” 3 cm total length; 1.5” 4 cm width; 5” 12.75 cm circumference at fullest point

Hot Air Balloon C (large) Balloon Top: 9” 23 cm total length; 5.5” 14 cm width; 16.5” 42 cm circumference at fullest point

Balloon Basket: 1.5” 4 cm total length; 2” 5 cm width; 6.5” 16.5 cm circumference

Clouds: 2.5” 6.5 cm length; 5.25” 13.5 cm width

YARN
For Balloon Tops, Baskets, and Basket Ropes: Baby Bee Sweet Delight (60% Acrylic/40% Polyamide; 377 yds 345 m;4 oz 115 g): 1 skein each color. Colors: A: Sand Castle #404 (used in Hot Air Balloon color stripes and Baskets) B: Bashfull #76 C: Pooltime #59 D: Flannel Marled #402 E: Sunkisses #16 F: Boo Pink # 40 G: Sugarplum #60 H: Surf Baby # 66 I: Teddy #14 (for Basket Rope)
3 of 13

For Clouds: J: Yarn Bee Cotton XXL (100% cotton; 50 yd 46 m; 3.5 oz 100g; White #100; 1 skein.

Yarn Substitutions: For Balloon Tops, Baskets, and Ropes: #3 Light Weight Yarn (DK weight) in 9 colors. For Clouds: #5 Bulky Weight Yarn (Chunky weight) in white.

CROCHET HOOKS
For Balloon Tops, Baskets, and Ropes: Size G/6 4.0 mm For Clouds: Size L/11 8.0 mm

TOOLS Yarn needle

SPECIAL TOOLS for Glue-Blocking and Mobile Installation
3 latex balloons –12” latex balloons
White school glue such as Elmer’s
Washable container that you don’t mind getting messy OR freezer paper to cover your work surface. If you use the shiny side of the freezer paper, the glue does not stick to it as pieces dry.
Waste yarn/string for hanging your Balloon Tops to dry.
Spray starch for pressing clouds (optional)
Balloon pump (optional)
Sewing needle and white or light-colored sewing thread for attaching Balloon Tops to Baskets and hanging Hot Air Balloons and Clouds to mobile frame
12” x 20” Quilter’s Wooden Embroidery Hoop to serve as mobile frame
Mug Hook for ceiling installation

GAUGE 15 sts and 12.75 rows = 4” in granny row half double crochet after glue-blocking.

Note: Gauge does not need to be precise for this project. Use a hook size appropriate for the yarn you choose—check the yarn label for guidance. Feel free to go down a hook size for a denser fabric texture.

SPECIAL ABBREVIATIONS
increase shell inc sh(s): 6 hdc worked in sp indicated

long shell long sh(s): 3 hdc worked worked over/around the ch-sp of previous rnd and in the sp of 2nd previous rnd indicated

shell(s) sh(s): 3 hdc worked in any sp indicated space(s) sp(s): not the same as a conventional chain-space; refers to the area between shells or between individual stitches of increase shells

NOTES
 This pattern uses US crochet terminology.
 This pattern is worked in the round with Right Side of the work facing you at all times.
 Weave in ends as you go to reduce finishing: optional, but helpful when you are changing colors with each round!
 Allow several days for the glue to dry completely depending on the humidity level in your workspace.
 If your glue-blocked balloon is not hard enough or still has soft spots, you can repeat the stiffening process by adding more glue wherever needed and allowing it to dry completely.