I did this once three years ago, and didn’t get time to do it again in the past two years.
This year the knitting club at work will be participating, so I am in! Coworker found this pattern from Allicrafts (click here) and I love it. I made 2 trying out the pattern differently, using Caron Simply Soft.
First one, I used 5mm crochet hook, and follow the pattern until round 4. I did purple and pink yarn alternatively.
Round 1 (use purple yarn): Make a magic ring, ch 3 (as part of the first cluster), then yarn over (yo), insert the hook into the magic ring, yarn over, draw the yarn through the stitch, yarn over, draw the yarn through 2 loops on the hook. Two loops remain on the hook. One half-closed double crochet is complete. A half-closed stitch is one that’s only worked partway, and then finished at the end of the combination. Repeat the preceding step once. You should end up with 3 loops on the hook. Yarn over and draw the yarn through all 3 loops on the hook, chain 2. The first cluster is completed. *yarn over (yo), insert the hook into the magic ring, yarn over, draw the yarn through the stitch, yarn over, draw the yarn through 2 loops on the hook. Two loops remain on the hook. One half-closed double crochet is complete. A half-closed stitch is one that’s only worked partway, and then finished at the end of the combination. Repeat the preceding step twice. You should end up with 4 loops on the hook, chain 2.* Now you finished the 2nd cluster. Repeat from * 3 times. Pull magic ring tight. sl st to top ch of ch 3, sl st in next st, sl st in ch-2 space. (5 clusters)
Round 2 (change to pink yarn): This round you will make 2 clusters in each ch-2 space, making 10 clusters. Ch 3 (as part of the first cluster), then yarn over (yo), insert the hook into the ch-2 space, yarn over, draw the yarn through the stitch, yarn over, draw the yarn through 2 loops on the hook. Two loops remain on the hook. One half-closed double crochet is complete. A half-closed stitch is one that’s only worked partway, and then finished at the end of the combination. Repeat the preceding step once. You should end up with 3 loops on the hook. Yarn over and draw the yarn through all 3 loops on the hook, chain 2. The first cluster is completed.. In the same ch-2 space, *yarn over (yo), insert the hook into the magic ring, yarn over, draw the yarn through the stitch, yarn over, draw the yarn through 2 loops on the hook. Two loops remain on the hook. One half-closed double crochet is complete. A half-closed stitch is one that’s only worked partway, and then finished at the end of the combination. Repeat the preceding step twice. You should end up with 4 loops on the hook, chain 2.* Now you finished the 2nd cluster. Repeat from * twice in each ch-2 space. sl st to top ch of ch 3, sl st in next st, sl st in ch-2 space. (10 clusters)
Round 3 (purple): This round you will make 2 clusters in first ch-2 space, then 1 cluster in next ch-2 space alternatively, making 15 clusters. Ch 3 (as part of the first cluster), then yarn over (yo), insert the hook into the ch-2 space, yarn over, draw the yarn through the stitch, yarn over, draw the yarn through 2 loops on the hook. Two loops remain on the hook. One half-closed double crochet is complete. A half-closed stitch is one that’s only worked partway, and then finished at the end of the combination. Repeat the preceding step once. You should end up with 3 loops on the hook. Yarn over and draw the yarn through all 3 loops on the hook, chain 2. The first cluster is completed.. In the same ch-2 space, *yarn over (yo), insert the hook into the magic ring, yarn over, draw the yarn through the stitch, yarn over, draw the yarn through 2 loops on the hook. Two loops remain on the hook. One half-closed double crochet is complete. A half-closed stitch is one that’s only worked partway, and then finished at the end of the combination. Repeat the preceding step twice. You should end up with 4 loops on the hook, chain 2.* Now you finished the 2nd cluster. The next ch-2 space you will only make 1 cluster, so repeat from * once. Then repeat from * twice in next ch-2 space, then once until the end. sl st to top ch of ch 3, sl st in next st, sl st in ch-2 space. (15 clusters)
Round 4 (pink): This round you will make 1 cluster in each ch-2 space, making 15 clusters. Ch 3 (as part of the first cluster), then yarn over (yo), insert the hook into the ch-2 space, yarn over, draw the yarn through the stitch, yarn over, draw the yarn through 2 loops on the hook. Two loops remain on the hook. One half-closed double crochet is complete. A half-closed stitch is one that’s only worked partway, and then finished at the end of the combination. Repeat the preceding step once. You should end up with 3 loops on the hook. Yarn over and draw the yarn through all 3 loops on the hook, chain 2. The first cluster is completed.. In the next ch-2 space, *yarn over (yo), insert the hook into the magic ring, yarn over, draw the yarn through the stitch, yarn over, draw the yarn through 2 loops on the hook. Two loops remain on the hook. One half-closed double crochet is complete. A half-closed stitch is one that’s only worked partway, and then finished at the end of the combination. Repeat the preceding step twice. You should end up with 4 loops on the hook, chain 2.* Now you finished the 2nd cluster. Repeat from * in each ch-2 space till the end. sl st to top ch of ch 3, sl st in next st, sl st in ch-2 space. (15 clusters)
Round 5 (purple): This round you will make 2 clusters in first ch-2 space, then 1 cluster in next 2 ch-2 space, then repeat the same process, making 20 clusters. Ch 3 (as part of the first cluster), then yarn over (yo), insert the hook into the ch-2 space, yarn over, draw the yarn through the stitch, yarn over, draw the yarn through 2 loops on the hook. Two loops remain on the hook. One half-closed double crochet is complete. A half-closed stitch is one that’s only worked partway, and then finished at the end of the combination. Repeat the preceding step once. You should end up with 3 loops on the hook. Yarn over and draw the yarn through all 3 loops on the hook, chain 2. The first cluster is completed.. In the same ch-2 space, *yarn over (yo), insert the hook into the magic ring, yarn over, draw the yarn through the stitch, yarn over, draw the yarn through 2 loops on the hook. Two loops remain on the hook. One half-closed double crochet is complete. A half-closed stitch is one that’s only worked partway, and then finished at the end of the combination. Repeat the preceding step twice. You should end up with 4 loops on the hook, chain 2.* Now you finished the 2nd cluster. The next 2 ch-2 space you will only make 1 cluster, so repeat from * once. Then repeat from * twice in next ch-2 space, then once in next 2 ch-2 space until the end. sl st to top ch of ch 3, sl st in next st, sl st in ch-2 space. (20 clusters)
Round 6 (pink): This round you will make 1 cluster in each ch-2 space, making 20 clusters. Ch 3 (as part of the first cluster), then yarn over (yo), insert the hook into the ch-2 space, yarn over, draw the yarn through the stitch, yarn over, draw the yarn through 2 loops on the hook. Two loops remain on the hook. One half-closed double crochet is complete. A half-closed stitch is one that’s only worked partway, and then finished at the end of the combination. Repeat the preceding step once. You should end up with 3 loops on the hook. Yarn over and draw the yarn through all 3 loops on the hook, chain 2. The first cluster is completed.. In the next ch-2 space, *yarn over (yo), insert the hook into the magic ring, yarn over, draw the yarn through the stitch, yarn over, draw the yarn through 2 loops on the hook. Two loops remain on the hook. One half-closed double crochet is complete. A half-closed stitch is one that’s only worked partway, and then finished at the end of the combination. Repeat the preceding step twice. You should end up with 4 loops on the hook, chain 2.* Now you finished the 2nd cluster. Repeat from * in each ch-2 space till the end. sl st to top ch of ch 3, sl st in next st, sl st in ch-2 space. (20 clusters)
Round 7-11 (purple): Loosely sl st around in back loops only. (60 st)
Fasten off and weave in ends.
Then I tried 5.5 mm crochet hook, following the pattern without changing anything, using pink and grey yarn alternatively. It turned out about the same size as what I did with the purple/pink one.
Which one do you like better, color/pattern wise? Stay tuned since I will be trying out different patterns when working on this project. 🙂
2KidslandKrafts 
They’re both great. I like them both.