Free Crochet Pattern: Hot Potato

Here's a quick pattern for a potato to add to your child's play food collection or use it for a game of hot potato!

Materials:
- Worsted weight acrylic yarn in brown or taupe and off-white
- Size E4 crochet hook
- Polyester fiberfill
* Optional: bean bag filler or polypellets (to give the potato a little more weight)
- Yarn needle

Abbreviations:
single crochet (sc)
single crochet together/decrease (sc2tog)

The potato is worked in continuous rounds without joining.
With brown or taupe yarn
Rnd 1: 6 sc into a double loop start and pull the loop closed (6).
Rnd 2: [1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc] 3 times (9).
Rnd 3: [1 sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 3 times (12).
Rnd 4: [Sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (18).
Rnd 5: [Sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (24).
Rnd 6: [Sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 6 times (30).
Rnds 7-19: sc in each sc around (30).
Rnd 20: [sc in next 3 sc, sc2tog] 6 times (24).
Rnd 21: sc in each sc around (24).
Rnd 22: [sc in next 2 sc, sc2tog] 6 times (18).
Rnd 23: sc in each sc around (18).
Rnd 24: [sc in next sc, sc2tog] 6 times (12). Stuff.
Rnd 25: [sc2tog] 6 times (6).
Finish off leaving a 6” tail. Weave tail through rem 6 sc and pull up firmly to close hole. Weave in ends.

To make an “eye” on the potato:
Cut a 12” length of off-white yarn
Using a tapestry needle, insert the off-white yarn into the potato, leaving about 4” sticking out of the potato, pick up a stitch on the opposite side of the potato and pull the needle back out near the insertion point. Tie the loose ends into a knot and trim. Repeat in random spots around the potato.