Crocheted Necklace DIY – with yarn and rocks
A crocheted necklace with a rock pendant has been on my list of Want-To-Dos for a while now. Do you ever have one of those projects that you’ve been WANTING to make?
As with many of the projects on this site there are several ways you can create this.
THE ROCK (no, not Dwayne Johnson)
First up was finding a rock. I had some rocks from a recent trip to Michigan. These were like river rocks, smooth and with beautiful coloring.
I chose a rock that was about the size of a quarter-ish because the bigger the rock, the heavier it usually is. And I didn’t want to feel like I literally had a rock hanging around my neck! I also started with a small enough rock but not too small because until you get the hang of crocheting around it, a pebble is usually just too small to handle. So I chose one I could work with without fumbling with it too much.
Pick a rock that might have some sentimental value. A rock from a beach trip, or a hiking trip. A rock from the house you are moving from. A rock from the new house you just built. A rock from the marathon you just ran in another state. The ideas are endless. The sentimentality of it is what makes this such a memorable idea.
When someone says ‘I love your necklace. Where did you get it?’, your response can be ‘Oh, thank you. I made it from a rock I saved from our trip to Europe.’ Or Mexico. Or wherever else you found it that also has special meaning. What a unique souvenir of a special trip or place!
SIZING
Second, is to decide on the length of the crocheted necklace. I wanted a longer styled necklace. One way to accomplish this (and the way I used) was to crochet a series of chains for the rope part of the necklace, and do so to the desired length of the necklace.
Another option would be to do the crocheted chain method and use a jewelry clasp and closure.
And a third option would be to attach the crocheted rock ensemble to an existing jewelry chain.
SUPPLIES
Let’s move on to the supplies and the pattern. The supplies I list here will make the necklace as shown. If you would like to use a jewelry chain or a jewelry hook and closure of some sort, then you will want to add those to your list of supplies. Same with any embellishments you might choose. This will just make the basic necklace.
- 1 hank of 6-strand embroidery floss, or you could use sock weight yarn
- Crochet hook – I used a 2.25mm hook
- Scissors
- Other embellishments, optional
PATTERN
Finally, here is the basic pattern I came up with to crochet around the rock. I wanted something open and airy so you could still see and even touch the face of the rock.
- Ch 3, slip stitch to first chain to join
- Ch 1, 6 SC in the hole. Slip stitch to first chain.
- Chain 4, Slip stitch in SC, CH 4, around. Slip stitch in 3rd chain.
- Chain 4, slip stitch in ch4 space of prior row, chain 4, around.
- Repeat row 4.
- Slip stitch in the ch4 spaces around the top.
- DO NOT FASTEN OFF.
For the crocheted “rope” of the necklace, begin crocheting chains until you can have the pendant at your desired length, the chains go up and around your neck, and back down the other side to attach to the pendant. Mine was 202 chains, but be sure to measure it on you (or for whomever you’re making it for). Yours might be a little longer or a little shorter.
Once you’ve worked enough chains for your desired length, slip stitch it to the top of the rock ensemble and tie off. You can weave in this end through the chain stitches.
TASSEL
For the tassel, I used the remainder of the embroidery floss, rolled it around my hand like this, and tied it off. Cut through the loops of the bottom of the tassel.
Tie it to the bottom of the rock ensemble.
Weave the loose end from the top of the pendant (from attaching the chains to the top of the pendant) down through the stitches and out through the bottom to become part of the tassel. I secured the end by knotting it to a part of the tassel.
And there you have it. A beautiful pendant made from a simple rock and some embroidery floss.
MORE IDEAS
You can also layer these necklaces if you make multiples. Just keep in mind the weight of the rocks though.
Furthermore, you could use something other than a rock (preferably something lighter weight if you’re going to go with the layered effect). Maybe a lightweight, inexpensive gemstone (I’m thinking something from the aisles of your local craft store). Or what about a shell from your trip to the beach? Or a marble, though slightly heavier than most rocks.
Anything that is about the size of a quarter could work. And if the weight is light enough for the pendant you select, you could increase its size. What about an old necklace that might have busted? Could you use any piece(s) of it for the pendant?
What about adding dimension to the “chain” part of the necklace? Beads, or crocheted stitchwork, more tassels, charms from a broken piece of jewelry or from the jewelry aisle at Hobby Lobby or Michael’s.
How about a little locket that holds just a wee bit of sand from the beach vacation you went to on? Or if you have a locket (like one from the popular jewelry line such as Origami Owl), add a pressed flower in the locket, cute buttons, and voila, now you have a cute charm-style necklace.
The best part is knowing that it is a part of somewhere you’ve been, and helps to put a piece of that trip into your everyday wearables.
Do you enjoy crocheting? Here are a few more crocheted projects to try:
Who would have thought crocheting around…..a……rock (of all things) could produce such a cool little accessory! And a conversation piece! And now, this crocheted necklace with a rock pendant is moving from my list of Want-To-Dos to my list of Completed Projects.
What is something you’ve made that turned into a conversation piece? Or something you’ve had on your list of Want-To-Dos? Drop me a note in the comments! I would love to hear from you.
Crocheted necklace + Rock Pendant
