Happy Extraterrestrial Hanukkah!

UFO from Crochet World Omnibook Christmas Special, 1980

I know it’s hard to tell from this grainy, faded photo, but that’s not a plant hanger. That button down flap would guarantee my plants would die ... faster than usual.

I supposed you could store your dried herbs in this not-a-pot-hanger, but this isn’t a handy device for keeping your illicit substances out of the reach of your cats, either. And trust me, you’ll want to keep your weed away from Mr. Whiskers. It’s not a pretty sight when kitties get the munchies.

Where was I? Oh yes, this pattern is not a pot hanger, it’s a UFO. It says so right beneath the picture. UFO!

Which means it’s the perfect gift for your beloved Jewish nephew or niece this Hanukkah. After all, Hanukkah and outer space go together like latkes and sour cream.

Don’t believe me? Read on!

For the complete pattern (and proof of Hanukkah’s extraterrestrial awesomeness):

Tah dah, it’s a flying saucer menorah!

Clearly, the reason why the menorah stayed lit for eight whole days in the Temple of Jerusalem in 168 BCE was because God secretly spiked the tiny flask of olive oil with rocket fuel.

UFO!
Another toy in our Christmas collection is the whimsical space ship whose passengers are a tiny bunny, mouse and duck. UFO anyone?

Pay no attention to the word Christmas. Due to Santa’s longtime relationship with NORAD, it’s been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that there’s no such thing as a Christmas UFO.

Not even in Nanaimo, British Columbia.

HANGING SPACE SHIP WITH POCKET TOYS/PILLOW TOY by Betty L. Leach

MATERIALS: No. 1 hook, 4-ply knitting worsted weight yarn, 4 oz. color A for bottom and hatch cover, 2 oz. color B for top section, 1 oz. color C for inside section. One half-pound polyester fiberfill for stuffing, scraps of pink, orange and black felt, 6 moveable eyes, ¼’’ diameter; white glue, 3 buttons or bone rings (1/2’’); one ounce each of yellow, gray & white yarn for toys; 1 yard carpet warp for whiskers.

SIZE: Base diameter 10 ½’’; hatch cover diameter 6’’.

I have no idea why a bunny, mouse and duck have gone for a ride in the UFO. However, I’m sure it bolsters my argument that this is a Hanukkah UFO, not a Christmas one.

After all, everyone knows duckies are an integral part of Hanukkah celebrations.

LOWER SECTION: With color A, ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook – do not join.
RND 2: 2 sc in each sc – 12 sc.
RND 3: * Sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc. Repeat from * around – 18 sc.
RND 4: * Sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc. Repeat from * around – 24 sc.
RND 5: * Sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc. Repeat from * around – 30 sc.
NEXT RNDS: Repeat round 5, increasing 6 sts evenly spaced, until piece measures approximately 11’’ or you have a total of 120 sts.

But don’t exactly repeat round 5, or you’ll end up with many more than 6 increase sts around your UFO. And then it won’t fly.

Well, your UFO won’t fly anyway, but you’ll still want it to look flight worthy. Otherwise, you’ll never get a government grant.

Go ahead, click on the cartoon. You know you want to!

LAST RND: Sc in first point, ch 5, sc in next sc, sc in each sc around making ch 5 loops in every other increase point – 3 points with ch 5 loops. Join with sl st and end off. Set aside.

UPPER SECTION: With color B ch 54, join with sl st to form ring. Ch 3, dc in each ch around. Join with sl st to top of ch 3.
RND 2: Ch 3, dc in each dc around, join as before.
RND 3: Repeat rnd 2.
RND 4: * Sc in next 8 dc, 2 sc in next dc, repeat from * around – do not join.
RND 5: * Sc in next 9 sc, 2 sc in next sc. Repeat from * around.
Continue increasing 6 sc evenly spaced around in this manner, until there are a total of 120 scs.
LAST RND: Sc in each sc around, join with sl st – do not end off. Match points of top and bottom sections, wrong sides together, “reverse” sc around matching stitches of both sections and making sure the ch 5 loops are to the outside. End off.

COCKPIT: With color C with right side facing, join yarn in any dc. Ch 3, dc in each st around, join in top of ch 3. 54 dc (counting ch 3 as first dc).
RND 2: Ch 1, * sc in next 6 dc, decrease 1 st. Repeat from * around, join in ch 1 – 48 sc.
RND 3: Ch 1, * sc in next 3 sc, dec 1. Repeat from * around. Join as before.
RND 4: Repeat rnd 3.
RND 5: Repeat rnd 3. Stuff lower section firmly up to rnd 1 of top section, make divot in center to hold pocket toys.
RND 6: Repeat rnd 3 until 2 sts remain, end off. Sew opening closed. Push inside of cockpit down.

When you’re done crocheting the cockpit of your spacecraft, don’t forget to drop a tiny dreidel inside for the ducky, bunny and mouse to play with. Astronauts love playing with dreidels.

So do certain other spacemen, though I’m a bit concerned about the way Kirk is looking at Spock.

HATCH COVER: With color A, work as lower section until cover measures approximately 7’’ or will cover cockpit area.
LAST ROW: Sc in each sc, making ch 5 loops at every other corner, as before on lower section. Join, end off.

FINISHING: Take 1 strand of colors A and B, leave a 5’’ length, ch 200. End off leaving another 5’’ length. Go back to center of ch length, join yarn in center st and ch 100. End off leaving a 5’’ length of yarn. Join each of the 3 ends of chain to ch 5 loops on lower edge of space ship, tie securely. Sew buttons or crochet covered bone rings to top edge of space ship. Button on hatch cover.

FOR PILLOW TOY: Omit hanging chain and ch 5 loops on lower section.

POCKET TOYS: Make three 2 ½’’ pompons, 1 gray, 1 yellow, 1 white. Trim evenly. Cut ears for bunny and mouse from pink felt and beak for duck from orange felt. Sew felt pieces into position on pompons.

Good luck sewing anything onto a pompon!

What’s wrong with glue, anyway?

Glue eyes on each pompon,

Glue’s good enough for the eyes!

...arrange in cockpit. Make 1 – 1’’ pompon for bunny tail. Ch 20 for mouse tail.
Use white carpet warp for bunny whispers and black or brown carpet warp for mouse whiskers.

And now you’re all ready to launch your fuzzy friends into space for an out-of-this world Hanukkah celebration!

Just don’t do it in front of your planet bound pets, or they’ll sulk for eight days straight.

Click here for the printable pattern.