[Free Pattern] Chinese New Year: Pineapple Tart Ball Amigurumi Crochet Pattern・农历新年: 钩针编织黄梨挞球

Chinese New Year is here again, and 2025 is the Year of the Snake. This year, I made another batch of pineapple tarts.

For the Year of the Tiger two years ago, I made crochet open-faced pineapple tarts. In that post, I wrote a rather lengthy exposition about the history and symbolism of the pineapple tart. So I won't be rehashing that here.

Well, for the Year of the Snake, I made pineapple tart balls and pineapple tart rolls. Here are my crochet pineapple tart balls. Do they kind of look like small tangerines with their little clove tops? I added a pastry leaf to some of them, just for fun. They are a lot simpler and plainer than their open-faced siblings, but they are much easier to make.

Welcoming the Year of the Snake with tangerine-inspired pineapple tart balls, kueh bangkit and tangerine orange (this one's free-handed but here's a cute mandarin orange pattern by My Amigurumi Farm!)

PINEAPPLE TART (BALL) CROCHET PATTERN

This pattern is for the ball-shaped pineapple tart. For the open-faced style, please refer to the CNY 2022 pattern. The nastar-style rolls will be posted at a later date.

Materials & Tools:

• Yarn in yellow and dark brown
• 2.5mm or 3mm crochet hook
• Stuffing
• Stitch markers
• Scissors
• Yarn needle
• Safety eyes (optional)
• Embroidery thread (optional)

For my amigurumi, I used a 3mm crochet hook, Scheepjes Catona No.522 Primrose and 6mm × 5mm oval safety eyes.

Abbreviations (US Terms):

R : round or row (as the case may be)
MR : magic ring
ch : chain
sl st : slip stitch
st(s) : stitch(es)
sc : single crochet

hdc : half double crochet
inc : increase
dec : decrease/invisible decrease
(...) : a set of pattern instructions
[...] : total number of sts in round/row

Finished Size:

Approx. 3.3cm × 3.3cm × 3cm
(The finished size will depend on the yarn weight, hook size and crochet tension.)

Pattern Notes:

• The pattern for the Pastry is actually the same as the Ondeh Ondeh amigurumi pattern, and consists of a simple sphere.

PASTRY

Using yellow yarn, work in rounds,
R1. 6 sc in MR. [6]
R2. 6 inc. [12]
R3. (1 sc, inc) 6 times. [18]
R4. (2 sc, inc) 6 times. [24]
R5-9 (5 rounds). 24 sc. [24]
If using safety eyes, insert them between R6 and R7, 3-4 sts apart, before continuing.
R10. (2 sc, dec) 6 times. [18]
Stuff,
R11. (1 sc, dec) 6 times. [12]
R12. 6 dec. [6]
Fasten off and leave a tail.
Weave the tail through the front loops of the 6 sts in R12, and pull tight to close. Insert the tail into the centre and pull through to the base of the work.
If needed, use the tail to shape the work. From the base, pass the tail through 1 or 2 stitches (ensuring it is hidden), then bring it up to the top of the work, pass it through 1 or 2 stitches, re-insert into the work and bring it through to the base. Pull gently to flatten the base slightly. Secure the tail and hide it inside the work.

LEAF (optional)

Using yellow yarn, work in rows,
R1. Ch 4, 1 sc in the 2nd ch from hook, 2 hdc in the next ch, sc in the last ch, ch 2 and 1 sl st in the 2nd ch from hook, then working on the other side of the ch, 1 sc in the last ch, 2 hdc in the next ch, 1 sc.
Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.

CLOVE

Using dark brown yarn or embroidery thread, sew an × in the centre of the top of the Pastry.
Tie off the yarn or thread and hide the ends inside the work.

TO COMPLETE

1. Using the tail, sew the Leaf to the top of the Pastry, next to the Clove.

2. Secure and hide all ends inside the work.

3. If desired, use embroidery thread to embroider faces on the Pineapple Tart Balls. See these tutorials by Little World of Whimsy, Nicole Chase, The Woobles and Tiny Curl for how to sew faces on amigurumi. I didn't add any on mine; oops! I intended to but forgot to add some pink blusher under their eyes.

Make as many or as few as you please!

Pineapple Tart Ball amigurumi for the Year of the Snake. They're sitting on an Ao-Oribe plate made by Seto-based ceramic artist Yamaguchi Makoto.

To be honest, I was not looking forward to CNY. I'm still tired from the Christmas and New Year festivities and, as I mentioned in the kagami mochi post, 2024 was unsettling. The end of 2024 saw a major change that I'm still working on. (We are in the midst of renovation and moving. Long story.)

But I had fun creating these crochet pineapple tart balls. The positive reception of the crochet open-faced pineapple tarts I made in 2022 surprised me. Some fellow crocheters tagged me on IG and I was stoked to see their versions — @kennygeekegg, @annyhappycrafts, @kaemakesthings, @yarnitbunny, @litoknots, @leo.n.stitch and @ohmyamigurumi... I apologise if I missed out anyone. I thank the people who wrote to me and who tagged me.

These home-baked pineapple tarts are by my MIL.

Of the different forms that pineapple tarts are made, the open-faced style is still my favourite. Although the pastry is delicate and crumbles quite easily, IMO it looks the prettiest and daintiest. That said, this year I received a box of Shangri-La yuzu pineapple tarts and these come in a pretty pineapple-shaped closed tart form. Maybe some day, I will recreate that in crochet form!

Well, I'm off to sneak one pineapple tart in before I get some shuteye. I hope to dream up other crochet sweets and snacks to make.

Until next time, 新年快乐! 龙蛇飞舞, 蝉蜕蛇解, 螣蛇无足而飞!

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Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have fun making this. As with all my other patterns, I would love to see how your finished amigurumi turned out, so do share a picture of it and please tag me with my Instagram handle @yotsuba_blythes.

While I'm happy to share my pattern without charge and would be delighted to see it being used, please note that my pattern is for personal use only. Please respect my legal and moral rights as the author with respect to this pattern and all the images herein. This pattern and images are not for commercial use, sale or distribution. The sale of this pattern or any of the images is not permitted without my prior written consent. If you wish to share this pattern, please link to this post and my Instagram profile @yotsuba_blythes. You are welcome to sell limited quantities of the finished items you have made from this pattern. Thank you.