Apple Checkered Tube Pencil Case

A zippered tube pencil case with apple-shaped ends and a checkered body. The left and right ends are solid apple silhouettes (not circles), each finished with a stem and leaf. The tube between them is a two-color checkerboard. Worked in US single crochet at a firm gauge so the case holds its shape. Cotton worsted is recommended.

Skill level: Intermediate (tapestry colourwork, apple shaping, zipper insertion)

Finished measurements

One size.

• Case length (between apples): 8" (20.5 cm)
• Apple ends: about 4" (10 cm) wide × 4" (10 cm) tall, not counting stem
• Circumference: about 14" (35.5 cm)
• Fits standard pencils, pens, and small supplies

To lengthen or shorten the case, add or remove 4-row checkerboard bands on the body. Each band changes the length by about ⅞" (2 cm). Keep the zipper length matched to the finished body.

Yarn

Worsted weight (Category 4) cotton, or a cotton blend with similar wrap and stitch definition.

Yardage (all approximate):

• Color A (checker light): 65 yd (60 m)
• Color B (checker dark): 65 yd (60 m)
• Color C (apple): 80 yd (73 m)
• Color D (stem): 8 yd (7 m)
• Color E (leaf): 12 yd (11 m)

Suggested palettes (pick one, or your own):

• Red apple: A cream, B charcoal, C red, D brown, E leaf green
• Green apple: A cream, B sage, C apple green, D brown, E dark green

A small scrap of off-white is optional for a highlight dash on each apple.

Hook and notions

• US H/8 (5 mm) hook, or size needed to obtain gauge
• 8" (20 cm) all-purpose zipper, color to match A, B, or C
• Yarn needle
• Sewing needle and thread to match the zipper tape
• 4–6 stitch markers
• Scissors
• Optional lining: 9 × 15" (23 × 38 cm) cotton fabric and matching thread
• Optional: sewing pins or wonder clips

Gauge

16 sc and 18 rows = 4" (10 cm) in single crochet, before blocking.

A 4-st × 4-row checkerboard square measures about 1" × ⅞" (2.5 × 2.2 cm).

Work a 20-st × 20-row swatch in sc and measure the center 16 sts / 18 rows. Firm fabric is better than drapey fabric for this case. Change hook size if needed.

Abbreviations (US)

• ch — chain
• sc — single crochet
• sc2tog — single crochet 2 together (decrease 1)
• sc3tog — single crochet 3 together (decrease 2)
• hdc — half double crochet
• dc — double crochet
• sl st — slip stitch
• st(s) — stitch(es)
• RS — right side
• WS — wrong side
• rep — repeat

Special stitches

sc2tog: Insert hook in next st, yarn over, pull up a loop (2 loops on hook); insert hook in following st, yarn over, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook); yarn over, draw through all 3 loops. (1 st decreased)

sc3tog: [Insert hook in next st, yarn over, pull up a loop] 3 times (4 loops on hook); yarn over, draw through all 4 loops. (2 sts decreased)

Tapestry crochet (checkerboard): Work sc as usual. Lay the unused color along the top of the stitches you are working into and encase it inside each sc so it travels across the row on the WS. Change color in the last yarn-over of the stitch before the new color. Do not pull the carried yarn tight or the fabric will pucker.

Pattern notes

• US crochet terms throughout. Imperial measurements are given first; metric in parentheses.
• Turning ch-1 does not count as a stitch.
• The two apple ends are identical. Stems point toward the zipper (the top of the case).
• Colourwork on the body is a repeating checkerboard of equal squares in A and B. Each apple is a solid C silhouette with a D stem and an E leaf — not circular end caps.
• If a colourwork chart is used for the body, read RS rows from right to left and WS rows from left to right, and stack colours in vertical columns. The written checkerboard below is complete on its own.
• Body stitch count must stay a multiple of 8 so the 4-and-4 checker repeats evenly.
• Weave in tapestry tails as you go where practical; leave long tails at the 56-st edges for seaming if you prefer to sew with yarn.

Apple ends (make 2)

With C, ch 7.

Row 1 (RS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (6 sc)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn, 2 sc in first st, sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in last st. (2 increases → 6 + 2 = 8 sc ✓)

Row 3: Ch 1, turn, 2 sc in first st, sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in last st. (8 + 2 = 10 sc ✓)

Row 4: Ch 1, turn, 2 sc in first st, sc in next 8 sts, 2 sc in last st. (10 + 2 = 12 sc ✓)

Row 5: Ch 1, turn, 2 sc in first st, sc in next 10 sts, 2 sc in last st. (12 + 2 = 14 sc ✓)

Row 6: Ch 1, turn, 2 sc in first st, sc in next 12 sts, 2 sc in last st. (14 + 2 = 16 sc ✓)

Rows 7–12: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (16 sc; 6 even rows)

Row 13: Ch 1, turn, sc2tog, sc in next 12 sts, sc2tog. (16 − 2 = 14 sc ✓)

Row 14: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (14 sc)

Row 15: Ch 1, turn, sc2tog, sc in next 10 sts, sc2tog. (14 − 2 = 12 sc ✓)

Row 16: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (12 sc)

The top of the apple is split here for the dimple. The 12 sts divide as 5 (right lobe) + 2 (dimple, left unworked) + 5 (left lobe). (5 + 2 + 5 = 12 ✓)

Right lobe

Row 17: Ch 1, turn, sc2tog, sc in next st, sc2tog; leave remaining 7 sts unworked. (3 sc; 5 sts used, 7 left = 12 ✓)

Row 18: Ch 1, turn, sc3tog. (1 sc). Fasten off.

Left lobe

Skip the next 2 unworked sts of Row 16 (the dimple). Join C with a sl st in the next st.

Row 17: Ch 1, sc2tog over the same st as the join and the next st, sc in next st, sc2tog over the last 2 sts. (3 sc; 5 sts used ✓)

Row 18: Ch 1, turn, sc3tog. (1 sc). Fasten off.

The apple is about 4" (10 cm) wide at Row 6–12 and about 4" (10 cm) tall including the lobes.

Apple edging

With RS facing, join C at the bottom-right corner (end of the foundation chain). Work 1 rnd of sc around the entire apple, as evenly as possible:

• 6 sc across the foundation-chain edge (bottom)
• 18 sc up the first side (1 sc in each row-end of Rows 1–18)
• 10 sc across the top (3 sc on the first lobe tip, 4 sc into and out of the dimple, 3 sc on the second lobe tip)
• 18 sc down the second side

(6 + 18 + 10 + 18 = 52 sc ✓)

Increase 4 sts evenly in this same round: 1 extra sc at each outer lobe curve and 1 extra sc at each bottom corner, so the edge lies flat. (52 + 4 = 56 sc ✓)

Join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off.

Place a stitch marker in the dimple (top center / stem position) and another at the bottom center (the 6-sc edge). These two markers align the apple to the body and zipper.

If your edging count is not 56, add or skip 1–2 sc on the outer curves until you have 56, or any multiple of 8. The body foundation must match this count.

Make the second apple the same way, including markers.

Stem (make 2)

With D, ch 8.

Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each of next 5 ch, sl st in last ch. Fasten off, leaving a 8" (20.5 cm) tail. (6 sc + 1 sl st)

Sew the sl-st end into the apple dimple so the stem sits between the two lobes and points away from the apple. On the finished case the stems point toward the zipper.

Leaf (make 2)

With E, ch 8.

Sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in each of next 3 ch, hdc in next ch, 3 sc in last ch. Rotate and work along the opposite side of the foundation chain: hdc in next ch, dc in each of next 3 ch, hdc in next ch, sc in last ch. Join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off, leaving a tail.

Sew one leaf next to each stem at a slight angle. Optional: surface-sl-st a short vein down the center of the leaf with E.

Optional highlight: with off-white scrap, embroider or surface-sl-st a short curved dash on the upper side of each apple.

Checkered body

The body is a rectangle 56 sc wide × 36 rows long, worked in tapestry crochet. Width 56 sc = 14" (35.5 cm) wraps around the apple. Length 36 rows = 8" (20.5 cm) is the case length.

Colour placement in words: seven squares of 4 sc across each row, alternating A and B. After every 4 rows, swap the colours so a B square sits on top of an A square and an A square sits on top of a B square. Nine 4-row bands make 36 rows. (7 × 8 sts = 56 sc ✓; 9 × 4 rows = 36 rows ✓)

With A, ch 57.

Row 1 (RS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (56 sc). Join B at the first colour change as directed below; you may work Row 1 in A only and begin the checker on Row 2 if you prefer a cleaner foundation, but the 56-st count does not change.

Begin the checkerboard on Row 1 (or Row 2 if you worked a solid foundation row — then work 35 remaining rows of checker so the total is still 36 rows).

Odd bands (Rows 1–4, 9–12, 17–20, 25–28, 33–36):

• RS rows: *4 sc in A, 4 sc in B; rep from * across. (7 repeats → 56 sc ✓)
• WS rows: *4 sc in B, 4 sc in A; rep from * across, so the colours stack in vertical columns.

Even bands (Rows 5–8, 13–16, 21–24, 29–32):

• RS rows: *4 sc in B, 4 sc in A; rep from * across.
• WS rows: *4 sc in A, 4 sc in B; rep from * across.

Carry the unused colour inside the stitches. At each turn, bring both yarns up so they are ready for the next row; do not cut at the end of every square.

After Row 36, fasten off A and B, leaving 12" (30.5 cm) tails if you will sew the apples on with yarn.

Place markers on Row 1 in the first st, the 28th st, and the last st. Place the same three markers on Row 36. The two end markers are the zipper/stem points; the center marker is the bottom of the apple. (28 + 28 = 56 ✓)

Assembly

1. Block the apples and the body lightly, WS down, so the checkerboard squares sit square and the apple edges are smooth. Do not stretch the apples out of shape.

2. Orient both apples with stems pointing the same way (this is the top / zipper side). The two apples sit at the left and right ends of the tube.

3. Pin or clip Row 1 of the body to the 56-sc edging of the first apple, RS of body to RS of apple if you are whipstitching from the inside, or WS together if you prefer an exterior sl-st join:

   • Body first st and last st sit on either side of the dimple/stem (the zipper will run between them).
   • Body 28th st sits at the bottom-center marker of the apple.
   • Ease any extra body width into the outer lobe curves, not into the dimple.

4. Join with whipstitch (yarn needle, C or matching body colour) or with sl st through both layers, stitch for stitch. (56 sts joined ✓)

5. Repeat for Row 36 and the second apple, matching stem to stem so both apples face the same way when the case is zipped.

The two 8" (20.5 cm) sides (the row-ends of the body) remain open. That opening is the zipper slot and runs from stem to stem.

Zipper

Pin the 8" (20 cm) zipper into the opening, zipper teeth facing the inside of the case when closed, tape against the WS of the crochet. Align the top zipper stop with one apple (just beside the stem) and the bottom stop with the other apple. The tape should not extend onto the apple faces.

With sewing needle and thread, backstitch the zipper tape to the crochet along both long edges, close to the teeth. Catch the zipper tape only — do not sew the case shut. Reinforce a few extra stitches at each end.

Crochet option: Clip the zipper in place and sl st through the body row-ends and the zipper tape with matching yarn. Keep the sl sts snug but not tight enough to ripple the teeth.

Open and close the zipper to check that the apples meet cleanly at both ends and that the checkerboard columns still line up across the opening.

Optional lining

A lining keeps pencil tips from poking through the crochet.

1. Cut fabric 9" × 15" (23 × 38 cm).
2. Fold RS together so the 9" (23 cm) sides meet. Sew a ½" (1.3 cm) seam along that 9" edge to form a tube 8" (20.5 cm) long and about 14" (35.5 cm) around.
3. Turn RS out. Press. Tuck raw edges ½" (1.3 cm) to the WS at both open ends.
4. Insert the lining into the case. Whipstitch or slip-stitch the lining’s long opening to the zipper tape (not to the zipper teeth) and tack the short ends to the WS of each apple, just inside the edging.

Finishing

Weave in every remaining end on the WS. Trim. If the apples cup, steam-block them again from the WS, shaping the lobes and dimple with your fingers.

Check:

• Stems and leaves sit at the zipper, one apple at each end.
• Checkerboard squares stack in columns (A under B, B under A).
• Zipper opens fully and the tube holds pencils without collapsing.

Care

Cotton: machine wash cool, gentle, in a bag; lay flat to dry. Remove pencils first. If you used a metal zipper, air dry only. Do not iron the zipper teeth. Reshape the apples while damp if needed.