My son is obsessed with rocket ships and pretty much turns anything into one, even my 25 mm knitting needles! So, I figured he would really get a kick out of some crocheted rocket ships … and oh, boy, did he! Want to make some too? I have included both variations of these Rocket Ship Crochet Patterns for you here. Not only are they great for indoor play but would also be perfect for patriotic decor!
Rocket Ship Crochet Patterns
Here’s what you need:
- paper towel tube, cut in two equal pieces (or a similar size sturdy wrapping or other tube)
- crumpled newspaper (optional)
- red, white, and blue worsted weight yarn, approx. 218 yd each (shown here in Knit Picks Brava Worsted in Red #25712, White #25694, and Solstice Heather #25702)
- US H-8 / 5 mm crochet hook
- fiberfill stuffing
- tapestry needle and scissors for finishing
Resources and tutorials you may find helpful in following this crochet pattern: Crochet Abbreviations, U.S. to U.K. Crochet Conversion Chart, How to Make a Magic Ring {photo & video tutorial}.
Add this pattern to your Ravelry library.
I used an empty paper towel tube to make my rocket ships, but you can use other types of tubes if you wish such as a wrapping paper tube, etc. I stuffed mine with newspapers to make them a little sturdier and keep them from caving in during play.
Base of USA Rocket Ship Pattern
Starting with blue, make a magic ring (as an alternative to the magic ring, you can ch 4 and join with a slip stitch in furthest chain from hook to form a ring).
Round 1: Ch 1 (does not count as st here and throughout), work 6 sc in ring, join — 6 sts.
Round 2: Ch 1, work 2 sc in same st as join and in each st around, join — 12 sts.
Round 3: Ch 1, work 2 sc in same st as join, 1 sc in next, *2 sc in next, 1 sc in next, rep from * around, join and drop blue — 18 sts.
Round 4: Join white, ch 1, working in back loops only, work 1 sc in same st as join and each st around, join — 18 sts.
Round 5: Ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and each st around, join and drop white — 18 sts.
Round 6: Join blue, ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and each st around, join and drop blue — 18 sts.
**Check your fit around cardboard tube. I prefer to then keep the tube placed and continue crocheting around it from here.**
Round 7: Join red, ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and each st around, join and drop red — 18 sts.
Rounds 8 and 9: Join white, ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and each st around, join — 18 sts.
**Rounds 10 through 20 complete the USA color work, you can also work off the color grid below Round 20 if you prefer. Please refer to my post How to Seamlessly Change Colors for a clean color change.**
Round 10: Ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and the next 5 stitches, drop white and pick up blue, work 5 sc, drop blue and pick up white, work 1 sc in remaining 7 sts, join — 18 sts.
Round 11: Ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and the next 5 stitches, drop white and pick up blue, work 1 sc, drop blue and pick up white, work 1 sc in remaining 11 sts — 18 sts.
Round 12: Ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and the next 5 stitches, drop white and pick up blue, work 5 sc, drop blue and pick up white, work 1 sc in remaining 7 sts, join — 18 sts.
Round 13: Ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and each st around, join — 18 sts.
Round 14: Ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and the next 5 stitches, drop white and pick up blue, work 1 sc, drop blue and pick up white, work 1 sc, drop white and pick up blue, work 3 sc, drop blue and pick up white, work 1 sc in remaining 7 sts — 18 sts.
Round 15: Ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and the next 5 stitches, drop white and pick up blue, work 1 sc, drop blue and pick up white, work 1 sc, drop white and pick up blue, work 1 sc, drop blue and pick up white, work 1 sc, drop white and pick up blue, work 1 sc, drop blue and pick up white, work 1 sc in remaining 7 sts — 18 sts.
Round 16: Ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and the next 5 stitches, drop white and pick up blue, work 3 sc, drop blue and pick up white, work 1 sc, drop white and pick up blue, work 1 sc, drop blue and pick up white, work 1 sc in remaining 7 sts — 18 sts.
Round 17: Ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and each st around, join — 18 sts.
Round 18: Ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and the next 5 stitches, drop white and pick up blue, work 5 sc, drop blue and pick up white, work 1 sc in remaining 7 sts, join — 18 sts.
Round 19: Ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and the next 7 stitches, drop white and pick up blue, work 1 sc, drop blue and pick up white, work 1 sc, drop white and pick up blue, work 1 sc, drop blue and pick up white, work 1 sc in remaining 7 sts — 18 sts.
Round 20: Ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and the next 5 stitches, drop white and pick up blue, work 5 sc, drop blue and pick up white, work 1 sc in remaining 7 sts, join — 18 sts.
Round 21: Ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and each st around, join — 18 sts.
Round 22: Ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and each st around, join and drop white — 18 sts.
Round 23: Join red, ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and each st around, join and drop red — 18 sts.
Round 24: Join blue, ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and each st around, join and drop blue — 18 sts.
Rounds 25 through 27: Join white, ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and each st around, join and fasten off — 18 sts.
See below for top pattern.
Base of Striped Rocket Ship Pattern
Starting with blue, make a magic ring (as an alternative to the magic ring, you can ch 4 and join with a slip stitch in furthest chain from hook to form a ring).
Round 1: Ch 1 (does not count as st here and throughout), work 6 sc in ring, join — 6 sts.
Round 2: Ch 1, work 2 sc in same st as join and in each st around, join — 12 sts.
Round 3: Ch 1, work 2 sc in same st as join, 1 sc in next, *2 sc in next, 1 sc in next, rep from * around, join — 18 sts.
Round 4: Ch 1, working in back loops only, work 1 sc in same st as join and each st around, join and drop blue — 18 sts.
Rounds 5 through 11: Join white, ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and each st around, join and drop white after Round 11 — 18 sts.
**Check your fit around cardboard tube. I prefer to then keep the tube placed and continue crocheting around it from here.**
Rounds 12 through 15: Join blue, ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and each st around, join and drop blue after Round 15 — 18 sts.
Rounds 16 through 19: Join white, ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and each st around, join and drop white after Round 19 — 18 sts.
Rounds 20 through 23: Join blue, ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and each st around, join and drop blue after Round 23 — 18 sts.
Rounds 23 through 27: Join white, ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and each st around, join and fasten off — 18 sts.
See below for top pattern.
Tops of Rockets
With red, make a magic ring (as an alternative to the magic ring, you can ch 4 and join with a slip stitch in furthest chain from hook to form a ring).
Round 1: Ch 1 (does not count as st here and throughout), work 4 sc in ring, join — 4 sts.
Round 2: Ch 1, work 2 sc in same st as join and in each st around, join — 8 sts.
Round 3: Ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and in each st around, join — 8 sts.
Round 4: Ch 1, work 2 sc in same st as join, 1 sc in next st, *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next st, rep from * around, join — 12 sts.
Round 5: Ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and in each st around, join — 12 sts.
Round 6: Ch 1, work 2 sc in same st as join, 1 sc in each of the next 2 sts,*2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of the next 2 sts, rep from * around, join — 16 sts.
Round 7: Ch 1, work 1 sc in same st as join and in each st around, join — 16 sts.
Round 8: Ch 1, work 2 sc in same st as join, 1 sc in each of the next 3 sts,*2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of the next 3 sts, rep from * around, join and fasten off — 20 sts.
Using a long length of red yarn and a tapestry needle, sew top to base of rocket by joining through Round 6 or 7 of top to the last row of your base. Weave in ends.
Wings (make 3 per rocket)
With blue, ch 9.
Row 1: Work 1 sc in second ch from hook and each ch across, turn — 8 sts.
Row 2: Ch 1, sc2tog, 1 sc in each of the next 4 sts, sc2tog, turn — 6 sts.
Row 3: Ch 1, work 1 sc in each st across, turn — 6 sts.
Row 4: Ch 1, sc2tog, 1 sc in each of the next 2 sts, sc2tog, turn — 4 sts.
Row 5: Ch 1, work 1 sc in each st across, turn — 4 sts.
Row 6: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc2tog, turn — 2 sts.
Row 7: Ch 1, work 1 sc in each st across, fasten off leaving a long enough tail to attach wing to base — 2 sts.
Fold triangle in half to form the wing and attach to base of rocket at approximately Rounds 4 through 9. Space wings equally around.
Tassels (make 4)
For a photo tutorial see How to Make a Tassel … Quickly and Easily.
Using yellow and orange yarn, cut about 6 lengths of yarn each measuring approximately 10 in. long. Holding the strands together, fold them in half to form a loop on one side. Insert hook into any st of Round 2 of your rocket base, pull through the loop you created just enough to be able to pull the ends of the yarn through. Tug gently to tighten. Repeat with next 3 tassels spacing them evenly around Round 2.
Those are so cute! The 4th of July is my husband’s favorite holiday because it involves the three B’s: beer, barbeque, and blowing up stuff. I will definitely be making some of these to add to our decorations.
The 3 Bs … I love that! So glad you like it 🙂
Super cute! My son loves rocket ships too! Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure! So glad you like them 🙂