Crochet Music: Beginner's Guide To Musical Patterns

Music and crochet are both ways to express yourself creatively, so why not combine the two? Crocheting music notes is a fun and easy project for beginners. There are plenty of free patterns available online, ranging from simple amigurumi and bookmarks to pillow covers and scarves. You can use these patterns to create gifts for music teachers or students, or to add a musical touch to your home. So, if you're a music lover or simply looking for a new hobby, give crochet music notes a try!

Crocheting a musical note scarf

Materials

To make a musical note scarf, you will need yarn, a crochet hook, a yarn needle, and scissors. You can choose any colour yarn you like, but black and white are classic music note colours. You will also need to choose an appropriate hook for your yarn weight. A free crochet scarf pattern that looks like a piano keyboard can be found on the Crochet Spot Blog.

Crochet Notes

Before you start, you will need to crochet some musical notes. You can find free patterns for musical notes online, ranging from simple to more complex. For example, Elisa's Crochet offers a free pattern for colourful and cheerful musical notes that can be used as rattle toys or mobile attachments. Storyland Amis also offers a free pattern for a musical eighth note. These notes can be made in any colour and would make great keychains or Christmas ornaments.

Sewing Notes to Scarf

Once you have crocheted your musical notes, you can sew them onto your scarf. You can space them out evenly or cluster them together, depending on your preference. Use a yarn needle and the same colour yarn as your scarf to sew the notes in place securely.

Finishing Touches

When you have finished crocheting your scarf and sewing on your notes, use your scissors to weave in any loose ends and trim any excess yarn. Your musical note scarf is now ready to wear or gift to a music-loving friend!

Making a musical note pillow cover

This guide will take you through the process of making a musical note pillow cover using crochet techniques. The pattern is suitable for beginners and is a fun way to create a unique and personalised pillow cover.

Materials

• Medium Weight Cotton Yarn (Lace 4) in Yellow, Red and Black. You can also use Worsted weight (4 ply) yarn in any colour.
• Polyester Fibre Filling
• Six 6mm Black Plastic Safety Eyes
• Yarn Needle
• Size E/3.25 mm or Size F (3.75mm) crochet hook
• Small amount of black or grey embroidery floss (for the mouth)

Stitches and Abbreviations

• Magic ring (mr)
• Chain (ch)
• Slip stitch (sl st)
• Single crochet (sc)
• Half double crochet (hdc)
• Decrease (dec)
• Increase (inc)
• Fasten off (F/O)

Dimensions

The pillow cover is designed to fit an 18" x 18" pillow insert.

Instructions

Work in rounds (join with a sl st and ch1 at the end of each round) unless otherwise instructed.

Note Head (Yellow Yarn)

• Sc inc around (16)
• *1 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat around (24)
• *2 sc, 1 sc inc*, repeat around (32)

Insert plastic safety eyes between rounds #7-8, 6 stitches apart.

• *2 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat around (24)
• *1 sc, 1 sc dec*, repeat around (16); stuff the head firmly
• Sc dec around (8); F/O, close the hole, cut and hide the yarn.

Embroider the eyebrows with black yarn between rounds #4-6.

Embroider the mouth with black yarn between rounds #9-11.

3 hdc, 3 slst (6); F/O and leave a long tail of yarn.

Stem (Black Yarn)

Ch 2, 4 sc in 2nd ch from hook

R2-11: Sc in all 4 sts (10 rounds total - 4 sts)

Now, make a small flap that can be sewn to the side of the note head. R12-13 are worked in rows instead of rounds:

R12: Ch 1, turn, sc 2 (leave the last 2 sts unworked) (2 sts)

R13: Ch 1, turn, sc 2 (2 sts)

Finish off leaving a long tail of yarn for sewing. No need to stuff. Sew to the side of the note head over R5-9.

Flag (Black Yarn)

Ch 8, starting in 2nd ch, sl st 2, sc 2, hdc 1, dc 1, make 2 dc in the last ch

Finish off leaving a long tail of yarn for sewing. With the "wrong" side of the flag facing out so that the flag points down, sew to the side of the stem at the very top. Weave in all ends.

And that's it! You now have a musical note pillow cover. Feel free to experiment with different colours and sizes to create your own unique design.

Creating a musical note bag

Materials

To create a musical note bag, you will need the following materials:

• Medium weight cotton yarn (Lace 4) in yellow, red and black.
• Polyester fibre filling.
• Six 6mm black plastic safety eyes.
• Yarn needle.
• E/3.25 mm crochet hook.
• Small amount of black or grey embroidery floss (for the mouth).
• Stitch marker.
• Tapestry/yarn needle.
• Scissors.

The Pattern

The crochet music note bag pattern by Nordic Hook is a great option for beginners. It is a quick project and a good way to practice tapestry crochet. The pattern includes written instructions, a colour chart, and detailed photo guidelines.

The Note Head (Using Black Yarn)

• Round 1: Chain 2, 6 single crochet in 2nd chain from hook (you can use the magic circle/ring if you prefer as it won't make a difference in the end).
• Round 2: Increase 6 times (12 stitches).
• Round 3: Single crochet 1, increase 6 times (18 stitches).
• Round 4: Single crochet 2, increase 6 times (24 stitches).
• Round 5: Single crochet 3, increase 6 times (30 stitches).
• Rounds 6-12: Single crochet in all 30 stitches (7 rounds total - 30 stitches).
• Round 13: Single crochet 3, decrease 6 times (24 stitches).
• Insert safety eyes between rounds 11 & 12, 6 stitches apart.
• Using grey (for a black note) or black (for other colours) embroidery floss, embroider a small smile about 2 stitches wide onto round 12. Start to stuff, continuing as you go.
• Round 14: Single crochet 2, decrease 6 times (18 stitches).
• Round 15: Single crochet 1, decrease 6 times (12 stitches).
• Round 16: Decrease 6 times (6 stitches).

Finish off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Finish stuffing, then sew up the hole neatly as it will be visible.

The Stem (Using Black Yarn)

• Round 1: Chain 2, 4 single crochet in 2nd chain from hook.
• Rounds 2-11: Single crochet in all 4 stitches (10 rounds total - 4 stitches).

Now, make a small flap that can be sewn to the side of the note head. Rounds 12-13 are worked in rows instead of rounds.

• Round 12: Chain 1, turn, single crochet 2 (leave the last 2 stitches unworked) (2 stitches).
• Round 13: Chain 1, turn, single crochet 2 (2 stitches).

Finish off, leaving a long tail for sewing. No need to stuff. Sew to the side of the note head over rounds 5-9.

The Flag (Using Black Yarn)

Chain 8, starting in 2nd chain, slip stitch 2, single crochet 2, half double crochet 1, double crochet 1, make 2 double crochet in the last chain.

Finish off, leaving a long tail for sewing. With the "wrong" side of the flag facing out so that the flag points down, sew to the side of the stem at the very top. Weave in all ends.

Final Steps

And that's it! You can add a lining to your bag, or simply sew the two sides together, leaving enough space at the top to add a drawstring. You can also add a strap to make it a crossbody bag, or add two shorter straps to create a backpack.

Crafting a musical note bookmark

Materials

• Medium weight cotton yarn (Lace 4) in yellow, red, and black.
• Polyester fibre filling.
• Six 6mm black plastic safety eyes.
• Yarn needle.
• Size E/3.25 mm crochet hook.
• Stitch markers.
• Small amount of black or grey embroidery floss (for the mouth).

The Note Head

Using yellow yarn:

• Chain (ch) 2, then single crochet (sc) 6 times in the second chain from the hook. (You can use the magic circle/ring if you prefer as it won't make a difference in the end.)
• Single crochet (sc) increase (inc) 6 times. (12 stitches)
• Single crochet 1, then single crochet increase, repeat 6 times. (18 stitches)
• Single crochet 2, then single crochet increase, repeat 6 times. (24 stitches)
• Single crochet 3, then single crochet increase, repeat 6 times. (30 stitches)

6-12: Single crochet in all 30 stitches. (7 rounds total)

Single crochet 3, then single crochet decrease (dec) 6 times. (24 stitches)

Now, insert the safety eyes between rounds 7 and 8, leaving 6 stitches apart. Using grey embroidery floss (for a black note) or black floss (for other colours), embroider a small smile, about 2 stitches wide, onto round 12. Begin to stuff the head, continuing as you go.

Shaping the Head

• Single crochet 2, then single crochet decrease, repeat 6 times. (18 stitches)
• Single crochet 1, then single crochet decrease, repeat 6 times. (12 stitches)
• Single crochet decrease 6 times. (6 stitches)

Finish off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Finish stuffing, then sew up the hole neatly, as it will be visible.

The Stem

Using black yarn:

Chain 2, then single crochet 4 times in the second chain from the hook.

2-11: Single crochet in all 4 stitches. (10 rounds total)

Now, we'll make a small flap that we can sew to the side of the note head. Rounds 12-13 are worked in rows instead of rounds.

12: Chain 1, turn, then single crochet 2 times (leave the last 2 stitches unworked). (2 stitches)

13: Chain 1, turn, then single crochet 2 times. (2 stitches)

Finish off, leaving a long tail for sewing. No need to stuff. Sew the flap to the side of the note head over rounds 5-9.

The Flag

Using black yarn:

Chain 8, starting in the second chain from the hook, slip stitch (sl st) 2 times, single crochet 2 times, half double crochet (hdc) 1 time, double crochet (dc) 1 time, then make 2 double crochet in the last chain.

Finish off, leaving a long tail for sewing. With the "wrong" side of the flag facing out so that the flag points down, sew it to the side of the stem at the very top. Weave in all ends.

And there you have it—a musical note bookmark! You can make a whole set of notes in different colours and give them to your music-loving friends.

Crocheting a musical note blanket

Planning Your Project:

Before you begin crocheting, it is important to plan your project. Decide on the size of your blanket, the colours you want to use, and the type of yarn and hook you will need. You can find free crochet music note patterns online, or you can design your own. If you are a beginner, look for patterns labelled as "beginner-friendly" or "easy."

Gathering Your Materials:

Once you have chosen your pattern, gather all the materials you will need. This may include different coloured yarns, a crochet hook, a yarn needle, scissors, and any other additional materials specified in your pattern. Make sure you have enough yarn in each colour to complete your project.

Starting Your Blanket:

Follow the instructions in your chosen pattern to begin crocheting your musical notes. If you are a beginner, take your time and follow the pattern step-by-step. Don't be afraid to ask for help or refer to online tutorials if you get stuck. Remember to count your stitches and check your gauge periodically to ensure your blanket is the correct size.

Creating the Musical Notes:

Musical notes can be created using a variety of crochet stitches and techniques. You can find free patterns for different types of notes, including whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, and beamed notes. You can also add details such as flags and stems to your notes to make them more realistic. Play around with different colours and yarn weights to create variety and dimension in your blanket.

Assembling Your Blanket:

Once you have crocheted all the individual musical notes, it's time to assemble them into a blanket. You can arrange the notes in a pattern or random order, depending on your preference. Use a yarn needle to sew the notes together securely. If you want to add a border to your blanket, choose a complementary colour and crochet a simple edge around the perimeter.

Finishing Touches:

Finally, take the time to weave in any loose ends and block your blanket if needed. Blocking will help your blanket lie flat and give it a more polished look. Now you can snuggle up with your musical note blanket or gift it to a music-loving friend!

Frequently asked questions