Crochet Pattern: Hacky Sack
By Erin Burger – 20 Comments| Hacky Sacks are great for children to toss around or for an impromptu game at a bonfire. Teach kids the rules of hacky sack (a variation found here) and they’ll have something to keep them busy at the bus stop or waiting in line at an amusement park!
The pattern shows two colors, but this type of pattern is great to experiment with many colors. It’s also a great way to use up scrap yarn. Thinner cotton is suggested for this pattern because it makes the hacky sack much lighter. Dried lentils are used to stuff this particular hacky sack, but you could use any small dried bean or mix of beans instead of lentils. |
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Finished Size: hacky sack in photo is 3″ (7.62 cm) X 3″(7.62 cm)
| Materials: Sport Weight Yarn (preferably cotton) approx. 12 yards of Color A and 10 of Color B Crochet Hook E (3.50 mm) lentils or any other small dried beans for stuffing sack |
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Gauge: isn’t important to this pattern.
Need help understanding the abbreviations and symbols? Check out the crochet abbreviation chart!
Crochet Pattern: Hacky Sack
Note: This pattern does not use joins at the end of each round. Use stitch markers (see All About Stitch Markers for more info) at the beginning of each round if needed.
Round 1: With Color A, ch 2, 8 sc in 2nd ch from hook, place marker: 8 sc
Round 2: 2 sc in each sc around: 16 sc
Round 3: (2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc) around: 24 sc
Round 4: (2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc) around: 32 sc
Round 5: change to Color B, (2 sc in next sc, sc in next 3 sc) around: 40 sc
Round 6: change to Color A, sc in in each sc around: 40 sc
Round 7: sc in each sc around: 40 sc
Round 8: change to Color B, sc in each sc around: 40 sc
Round 9: change to Color A, sc in each sc around: 40 sc
Round 10: sc in each sc around: 40 sc
Round 11: change to Color B, (sc2tog, sc in the next 3 sc) around: 32 sc
Round 12: change to Color A, (sc2tog, sc in next 2 sc) around: 24 sc
Round 13: (sc2tog, sc in next sc) around: 16 sc
Fill hacky sack with dried beans until firm, but still pliable (it will help to use a funnel, if one is available to you).
Round 14: sc2tog in each sc around: 8 sc
Round 15: sc2tog in each sc around, finish off: 4 sc
If there is a hole big enough for lentils to escape from at the top of your hacky sack, add a few whip stitches (See How To Whip Stitch in Crochet) across the hole in order to prevent the lentils from leaking out.
Have any questions or comments about this pattern? Fill up our comment section! We love to hear from you!
Thanks, Rachel! I’m going to make a ton of these for my grand-nephews and grand children! Will make a great gift, along with a copy of the instructions and a link to the video!
I made a bunch of these last Christmas for my nephews! I made 3 for each boy so they’d have a juggling set. To keep the beans from leaking out, I put them in knee-high stockings knotted at the open ends. It’s a lot more secure than just putting beans straight in.
The boys LOVED them and my sister-in-law keeps asking for more.
Playing Hacky Sack is soooo much fun! And crocheting a Hacky Sack such a good idea! So you can give away an individual present of which you know that it will not collect dust! 🙂
Fantastic idea about putting them into knee-high stockings first so they don’t leak out! Perhaps you could also use a fold-over plastic sandwich baggie and tape it shut to avoid having the knot you would get in the knee highs.. ? Just a thought 😀 I might have to try both ways and see what works better for me. 🙂
I stuff plastic stuffing pellets into a balloon and tie it shut. I find this is more durable since it is not stretched and withstands a lot more rough action from the kicks.
This is the best tutorial for a hacky sack I’ve found! It’s simple, easy to follow and worked great. I used dried chickpeas instead of lentils and it worked just as well.
im on the 9th row now and im not getting the dome like you would with a hacky sack, it look’s more like a pringle. im not sure if i did it wrong. please help me!
Hi Nick, after each row try counting the number of stitches you made to make sure you are making the correct number of stitches on each row. If that is correct, then you are probably doing it correctly. Keep on with the pattern and it should take shape.
I’m on the 11th row and not sure what is meant by sc2tog. I realize it means together but not sure how I’m supposed to do that. Help! Thanks!
Debbie, here’s the link to the tutorial: How to Crochet: Single Crochet Decrease (sc2tog)
Mine is cOmmig out way tiny and only two stripes of my second color… I was expecting an outcome like the picture I’m super disappointed 🙁
I did 11 of the ’40’ rows, and played around with the colour patterns. I also cut a toe off some old panty hose to line it, I couldn’t imagine the rice staying secure without that. I gathered the top of the panty hose pouch and pulled tight to secure, I thought there might be a lump at one end, but it seems pretty even to me. I stuffed it really full and it stretched nicely into a familiar hacky sack shape.
If you are disappointed with how yours is turning out, count your stitches, its super important in order to get an even shape. Use a stitch marker as well – a small piece of yarn will do. Also, try increasing the number of 40’s and fill it up really well, it’ll get bigger with the filling too. The pattern is great, I wouldn’t be blaming that.
Thank you so much for this pattern, im going on a mission trip next summer and this will be a great gift to give the kids down there. But i did have a question, is there a certain type of yarn that you can use for this project that is easy to clean??? They have to pavement, just dirt roads and gravel where im gonin, so there probaly gonna get dirty really easily.
Jane: I find cheapie cotton “kitchen” yarn labeled Sugar and Creme – available in Walmart or Ben Franklin or anywhere that sells yarn — easy to rinse out — and I;ve been using a smaller hook — size E — so that I get a tighter fabric.One color only..
I think the best ever lining is to fill a toe part of a cut off panty hose self tie it shut so I don’t have to sew it . I’m still trying to perfect what to fill it with.
These are being made for little girls of 8 and 10; I dont want to hurt their feet by using small fish tank pebbles. . Any ideas,anyone? Ive used Northern white beans. Too large and rain might make them soup 🙂 ????
When it says something like (2sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc) around 32 sc, do I count the amount in the brackets for one lot as 4 sc stitches, or as three stitches? Have been counting it as three, but it has now occured to me that that may be wrong. I’m now about to do round 5. Will carry on like this for the sake of consistency, and it looks ok so far…
Hi Dawn, it would count as making 4 stitches on that round. The 3 stitches is what you are using on the previous round.
Ok, that’s all good. I figured last night my interpretation really was wrong when I got half way through and the hacky sack was tiny, so I just made up what to do a bit to make it much bigger. It looks really good now though, so I’m pretty pleased as that was the first time I’ve ever crocheted anything, so I had expected a tangled disaster or something. I’ll make another one this afternoon while actually reading the instructions correctly. Thank you.
ok so mine is coming out more of a doily than a ball? when it says to sc into sc is that the chain or the actual single crochet? Help I’m new at this and this is a Christmas Present for my son!
Hi Kendra, the sc in next sc means to work into the single crochet stitch. Let me know what round you are stuck on and I can help you better.
I have used bird seed in a panty hose as filling. Works great and easy to find and use!