Polyhedral Balls is an original crochet pattern by June Gilbank.

Not only fun to roll, stack, throw, and catch, these Polyhedral ('many-faced') Balls are very special: they are crocheted versions of the five Platonic solids; the only five geometric solid shapes possible where every face is identical and the same number of faces meet at each vertex (corner). Fun and educational!

Make all 5 Platonic solids with this pattern: Tetrahedron (4 sides); Cube (6 sides); Octahedron (8 sides); Dodecahedron (12 sides); Icosahedron (20 sides).

• All 5 finished balls are approximately the same size
• Special construction and edging techniques to keep the sides relatively flat
• A no-sew pattern: 100% crocheted and minimal ends to weave in
• Yarn and stuffing only (no hidden reinforcements) - so it's completely child-safe 

Size: All 5 balls are approx 3.5-4" (9-10cm) in diameter

Difficulty: easy/intermediate

Yarn: worsted weight yarn
A harder, more robust yarn (e.g. normal non-soft acrylics, or cotton) creates stiffer, more rigid balls, that don't bulge out too much when stuffed. For my samples, I used Lion Brand Vanna's Choice and Vanna's Choice Baby yarns.

Hook: E US/3.5mm crochet hook (use the smallest hook you can comfortably manage with the yarn you choose - you may need a smaller hook with a softer/lighter weight yarn)

Pattern Details: This modular pattern is 16 pages long and includes:

• Crochet instructions for the 5 component shapes
• A step-by-step photo tutorial for how to crochet the special edging
• Right- and left-handed step-by-step assembly diagrams, if you'd like to assemble your balls in the same order I did (leaving the minimum number of ends to weave in)
• Tips for speedier assembly and less yarn ends
• A special technique to improve the look of the finished corners

To save on paper and ink, you can choose to print only the pages with the pieces you need. If all you want to print is the crochet patterns for the 5 component shapes, that's all included on one page!

SPECIAL OFFER: Buy Polyhedral Balls together with the Gaming Dice and/or Cuboctahedron Expansion Packs and save! To take advantage of the special offer, simply select whichever optional add-ons you'd like, below, before you add the pattern to your shopping cart.

Please see the Gaming Dice and Cuboctahedron pattern listings for details of the Expansion Packs.