The thing about crochet, as opposed to knit, is getting a nice clear straight pattern is pretty near impossible, since the stitches form diagonal lines. This can be a good thing, sometimes, but when you’re trying to make a cat, well. That’s just not going to work.

However, there is an easy workaround. By crocheting a simple back and forth panel of single crochet, you can create a canvas for a cross stitch image of your choice. This can be done with any weight of yarn and made to any size, using any cross stitch pattern. I’ve included instructions for the cat pillow, but you could also cross stitch a hot air balloon, if you like. Just make sure that you’ve made enough stitches/rows to fit the number of stitches required by the cross stitch pattern.

I am totally obsessed with hot air balloons. There, I said it. I think it started with the line “I’m a hot air balloon” etc. from “Happy” by Pharrell Williams (yeah, I know, it’s a cliché, but I do love that song). After that I bought this incredible dress titled “haute air balloons” from ModCloth (the people who name the items at ModCloth have the best job in the world!). I would be wearing that dress right now if I hadn’t gained a few pounds over the summer (I will start loosing them next week! I will, I will!). I even crocheted several hot air balloons, but they seem to have magically disappeared (floated away into space maybe?), so the post and pattern for those will have to wait a bit.

So, you may remember that I got a cross stitch phone cover for my birthday half a million years ago? I couldn’t decide what to embroider on it, so I waited and waited and waited and then bam! I realized that a hot air balloon would be perfect. I told you I’m obsessed.