Punk Stitched Eye Patch: Free Crochet Pattern

Punk Stitched Eye Patch: Free Crochet Pattern

Introduction

This little crochet-thread eye patch is the perfect finishing touch for a pirate, a post-apocalyptic wanderer, or anyone who likes a bit of grunge with their handmade accessories. Worked in olive-drab size 10 thread with a single black ladder-stitch line across it, it looks like a stitched scar without any actual sewing of scars. The patch is a flat, firm disc about 2.5 inches across, and the thin black strap loops around the head to hold it in place. It is small, quick, and satisfying to make, and it works up in an evening from scraps of thread you probably already have.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Lace weight (0) crochet thread, size 10. Color A: olive drab, about 10 yards. Color B: black, about 10 yards.
• Hook: 1.9 mm US 5 steel hook.
• Notions: Tapestry needle for weaving in ends and sewing the strap, scissors, and a stitch marker (optional, for marking the start of rounds).
• Finished size: Patch approx. 2.5 inches (6.5 cm) in diameter; strap 12 inches (30 cm) long unstretched.

Abbreviations

• ch – chain: make a loop of yarn and pull it through the loop on your hook.
• sc – single crochet: insert hook, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through both loops.
• inc – increase: work 2 single crochet stitches into the same stitch.
• sl st – slip stitch: insert hook, yarn over, pull through both the stitch and the loop on your hook in one motion.
• MR – magic ring: an adjustable loop you crochet into, then pull closed.
• st(s) – stitch(es).
• rnd – round: one complete circle of stitches.

Gauge

16 single crochet stitches and 16 rounds = 2 inches (5 cm) in a flat circle. To check, work a small flat circle and measure across the middle; if your circle is larger than 2 inches, go down a hook size, and if it is smaller, go up.

Tips Before You Start

• Work the patch in continuous rounds (spiral) without joining, so mark the first stitch of each round with a stitch marker or a scrap of contrasting thread.
• Keep your tension firm but even; thread crochet shows every loose stitch, and a firm fabric helps the patch hold its flat shape.
• Count your stitches at the end of every round. The counts below are your safety net, and a missed increase will make the disc cup or ruffle.
• For the ladder line, plan the path before you start: work straight across the patch, skipping exactly one stitch between slip stitches so the dashes stay even.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Patch (Color A)

Rnd 1: Make a magic ring, work 6 sc into the ring, pull the ring closed (6 sts).

Rnd 2: Inc in each st around (12 sts).

Rnd 3: [sc, inc] x6 (18 sts).

Rnd 4: [2 sc, inc] x6 (24 sts).

Rnd 5: [3 sc, inc] x6 (30 sts).

Rnd 6: [4 sc, inc] x6 (36 sts).

Rnd 7: [5 sc, inc] x6 (42 sts).

Rnd 8: [6 sc, inc] x6 (48 sts).

Rnd 9: Sc in each st around (48 sts). Do not fasten off.

Edging: Sc in each st around (48 sts). Fasten off and weave in ends.

Stitch Line (Color B)

With the right side of the patch facing you, join B with a sl st at the edge of the patch. Work sl sts in a straight line across the patch to the opposite edge, skipping 1 st between each sl st to create the ladder effect. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Strap (Color B)

Row 1: Ch 60, sc in the 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across (59 sts). Fasten off, leaving a 6-inch tail.

Assembly and Finishing

Sew one end of the strap to the patch at the 3 o'clock position and the other end at the 9 o'clock position, adjusting the strap length to fit the head before you anchor the second end. Weave in all remaining ends on the wrong side. Block the patch lightly by misting it with water and pinning it flat to a padded surface to dry, which smooths the circle and sets the ladder line.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Swap the olive drab for charcoal gray or blood red for a different character, keeping the black stitch line for contrast.
• Make the strap adjustable by working a slightly longer chain and tying the ends rather than sewing them, so the patch fits any head.
• Add a second ladder line at an angle for a more heavily stitched, battle-worn look.