A column of five rainbow balls with a slim spiral ribbon winding around them, hung from a twisted cord with a little curl at the bottom. It’s a striking shape and it photographs beautifully.
One honest note before the instructions. I first saw this shape in a picture where the spiral floated around the balls with nothing holding it, which yarn will simply not do. Left unattached, the ribbon collapses inward and rests against the column, and you lose the whole effect. So this version uses a fine wire inside the spiral and stitches it to the balls at the points where it passes them. It looks the same hanging up, and it actually stays that way.
What you’ll need
DK cotton in six colours running through a rainbow. I used magenta, purple, blue, teal, green and orange, with the balls picking up one colour each and the spiral running through all of them.
A 2.5 mm hook, held fairly tight so the stuffing stays hidden in the balls.
You’ll also want polyester fibrefill, about a metre of 0.8 mm florist wire, strong cotton cord for the central column, a long doll needle or bodkin, and a tapestry needle.
Finished length is about 40 cm from the hanging loop to the bottom curl.
Abbreviations are US terms. ch is chain, sl st is slip stitch, sc is single crochet, hdc is half double crochet, dc is double crochet, inc is two stitches in one, dec is an invisible decrease, MR is magic ring.
Part 1. The balls, make five
One each in magenta, blue, teal, green and orange.
Round 1. 6 sc in MR (6)
Round 2. Inc six times (12)
Round 3. Sc, inc, repeated six times (18)
Round 4. Sc twice, inc, repeated six times (24)
Round 5. Sc three times, inc, repeated six times (30)
Rounds 6 to 11. Sc around (30)
Round 12. Sc three times, dec, repeated six times (24)
Round 13. Sc twice, dec, repeated six times (18)
Round 14. Sc, dec, repeated six times (12). Stuff firmly now, and firmly means firmly. A soft ball squashes under the weight of the ones above it and the column starts to lean.
Round 15. Dec six times (6). Close and fasten off.
Each ball should end up around 5 cm across. If yours are noticeably bigger, go down a hook size, because loose balls are the main reason these come out looking baggy.
Part 2. The spiral ribbon
This is deliberately narrow. A wide ruffle looks wrong wrapped around a column of balls, and it also weighs too much.
The foundation chain is worked in colour blocks so the ribbon shifts through the rainbow as it descends. Change colour on the final pull through of the last chain in each block.
Starting with magenta, ch 20. Change to purple and ch 20. Then blue, teal, green and orange, 20 chains each, giving 120 chains in total.
Row 1. Ch 1, then work 2 hdc into the second chain from the hook and 2 hdc into every chain across, matching your yarn colour to the chain colour underneath as you go. Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Two half doubles per chain gives you a slim tight coil rather than a frill. It will twist up as you work, which is right.
Part 3. Wiring the ribbon
Thread florist wire through the base of the stitches along one long edge of the ribbon, weaving in and out every few stitches for the whole length. Fold about a centimetre over at each end and tuck it back inside the stitches so nothing sharp can work its way out.
The wire is what lets the spiral stand away from the balls instead of drooping against them. Without it this design does not work, so do not skip it.
Part 4. The central column
Cut a length of strong cord about 60 cm long. Thread your long needle and knot the far end.
Push the needle straight up through each ball, entering at the closed base and exiting through the magic ring at the top. Aim for the middle and wiggle rather than force.
Thread them in rainbow order, magenta at the top down to orange at the bottom. After each ball, tie a small firm knot in the cord directly above it. Those knots stop the balls sliding and compressing, and they are what keeps the column standing straight.
Leave a gap of about 1 cm between each ball. That gap is where the spiral will cross, so you need the space.
At the top, make a hanging loop by chaining 30 in purple and slip stitching back along the chain to firm it up. Tie the cord to it and stitch the join closed so nothing can slip.
Part 5. Putting it together
Hold the column upright and start winding the ribbon around it from the top, magenta end first, so the colours line up roughly with the ball colours as you descend.
Set the spiral so it passes through the gap between each pair of balls, then swings out wide before coming back in at the next gap. Wide out, close in, wide out. That rhythm is what gives the piece its shape.
Once you are happy with the winding, stitch it in place. At every point where the ribbon passes through a gap between two balls, sew two or three firm stitches through the ribbon and into the balls on either side. Five or six attachment points down the whole length is enough.
Use matching thread and keep the stitches small. They will be almost invisible once the piece is hanging.
At the bottom, let the last 8 cm of ribbon hang free below the orange ball and curl it into a loose spiral with your fingers. The wire holds it. That little curl at the bottom finishes the piece and stops it looking like it was cut off.
Part 6. Checking the balance
Hang it up before you weave in the last ends.
If it leans, one of your balls is understuffed, and it will be the one at the lean. Unpick its closing round, add filling and close it again.
If it spins and then wobbles, the hanging loop is not centred over the top ball. Move it a stitch or two.
If the spiral touches the balls anywhere it should not, ease it out with your fingers. The wire lets you adjust this endlessly, which is the reason it is in there.
Notes and variations
Pastels make a much softer version and work well in a nursery, though you should leave out the wire in that case and hang it where it cannot be reached, since wire and small children do not mix.
An ombre version using five shades of one colour looks more grown up and suits a living room better than the full rainbow.
For a bigger statement piece, use seven balls and lengthen the foundation chain to 170.
For a smaller one, stop the balls at round 4 for a 24 stitch ball and shorten the chain to 90.
Questions I get asked
How long does it take? Around six hours. The balls are about four of those, and they are good undemanding crochet.
Why does my spiral flatten against the balls? Either you skipped the wire, or the wire is too thin. Go up to 1 mm.
Can I use acrylic yarn? Yes. The balls will be softer and slightly less crisp, but the wire is doing the structural work so it holds fine.
Does it actually spin? Slowly, in a real breeze. It is heavier than a thread wind chime, so treat it as a hanging decoration that happens to turn rather than a proper wind spinner.
Can I make it without the wire? You can, but you will need to stitch the spiral to the balls at many more points, and it will sit tight against the column instead of standing away from it. Different look, still nice, just not this one.
Crochet Rainbow Wind Spinner Pattern
