Have you had enough passive screen-time and want to make something with your hands, maybe learning a new skill in the process? Join us in contributing to a gallery display of Griffith Park in crochet, with the help of these how-to videos.   

As part of our exhibition Investigating Griffith Park we’re inviting the Autry community to make pieces to represent various aspects of the park, from nature to recreational activities, and mail them into the Autry (or drop them off in person once the museum re-opens, if you prefer). We’ll then add your art to the gallery, around a crocheted Griffith Park sign, to capture the essence of the park and create a post-pandemic community display.  

This week’s video shows you how to make an earthworm, an essential part of any ecosystem as a food source for animals and birds, as well as through digesting their diet of micro-organisms into nutrient-rich fertilizer for plants. Although California’s native earthworms are being displaced by introduced species in human-dominated areas such as suburban gardens and farms, they are still commonly found in undisturbed oak savannas and chaparral, habitats which make up much of Griffith Park.    

You don’t need experience with crochet, as instructor Julie Kadoi walks you through the basic stitches, and for those more comfortable with working from written instructions we have included the pattern below. So, pick up those hooks and yarn, make an earthworm (or maybe make a leafy daisy , a kite, a butterfly,  a California poppy , an elderberry leaf , a red-tailed hawk or a party sign from previous videos), and look for future videos in the coming weeks.    

Download Directions as PDF File

Materials

• DK-weight (#3) pink yarn  
• 3.5mm (E) crochet hook 
• Tapestry needle (optional) 
• Scissors 

Glossary of Terms, Stitches and Techniques:  

• chain stitch (ch): To make, draw yarn through the active loop on the hook.
• fasten off: Cut the yarn 3 to 4 inches from the last stitch and draw the end through the active loop. Pull tightly to secure.
• half-double crochet stitch (hdc): To make, yarn over, insert hook into indicated stitch, draw up a loop, (there should be three loops on the hook) yarn over and draw through all three loops.
• half-double crochet increase (2 hdc): To make, place two hdc in same stitch. 
• single crochet stitch (sc): To make, insert your hook into the indicated stitch, draw up a loop, yarn over and draw through both loops. 
• single crochet decrease (sc2tog): To make, insert hook in the first stitch and draw up a loop. Insert hook in the next stitch and draw up a loop. There will be three loops on the hook. Yarn over and draw through all three loops. The decrease forms a curve like the bottom of a hill.  
• single crochet 3-together decrease (sc3tog): To make, insert hook in the first stitch and draw up a loop. Insert hook in the next stitch and draw up a loop. Insert hook in the next stitch again and draw up a loop. There will be four loops on the hook. Yarn over and draw through all four loops. 
• single crochet increase (2 sc): To make, place two sc in same stitch. The increase forms a curve like the top of a hill. 
• slip stitch (sl st): To make, insert your hook into the indicated stitch, draw up a loop, draw the top loop on the hook through the bottom loop. 

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PATTERN

Pattern Notes

• This pattern creates a worm shape which can be altered by adding chains at the beginning, single crochet stitches, increases or decreases to make the worm “squiggle” in whichever way you like. For example, if you have three increases in a row (over three chain stitches), the worm will curl more than only two increases in a row (over two chain stitches). 
• You will be working on the front side of the worm the entire time, even after turning.  
• The “adding bulk” section at the end of the pattern is optional and provides more of a general idea of how slip stitches can fill in the dimensionality of the earthworm. This part can also be carried out according to the pattern or according to one’s own intuition. 

Pattern

• Using pink yarn, 
• Ch 30 (foundation chain). 

Body: 

• (For all st in this row, crochet in back ridge of each ch) Sl st in the 2^nd ch from hook, sc in each of next 2 ch, 2 sc in each of next 2 ch, sc in each of next 3 ch, (sc2tog over next 2 ch) twice, sc in next 3 ch, 2 sc in each of next 2 ch, sc in each of next 3 ch, (sc2tog over next 2 ch) twice.  

Clitellum (thickened part): 

• hdc in each of the next 3 ch, 2 hdc in each of next 2 ch. 

Extension of worm:  

• Ch 8. Then working in back ridge (still on the front side of the worm), sl st in 2^nd ch from hook, sc in each of next 3 ch, sc3tog sc over the next 3 ch, sl st to the last hdc made in the clitellum.   

Adding some bulk to the worm (optional): 

• Sl st in each hdc once until you get to the end of the clitellum (thickened part) of the worm. Remove hook and insert it in the opposite direction through the active loop. Sl st in each hdc once and then continue with sl st through each of the sc. Do not stitch into the sl st at the end of the worm. Remove hook, insert into the opposite side of the loop and sl st all the way to the other end of the worm stopping just before the last st (which is a sl st). Remove the hook, turn, insert the hook on the opposite side of the loop. Sl st in each st until the end of the thick section. Turn and sl st one last time through the length of the thick section.  Fasten off.  

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Mailing Submissions 

Please mail your Earthworm submissions to:  

YARNSCAPE AT THE AUTRY 
Autry Museum of the American West 
4700 Western Heritage Way 
Los Angeles CA 90027 

If you prefer you may drop them off when the Autry reopens to the public.