Zippered Pickleball Paddle Case

Handle remains exposed

Skill Level: Beginner

A sturdy zippered sleeve that covers the face of a standard pickleball paddle. The handle stays out in the open. Worked in worsted cotton with half double crochet — no shaping beyond a simple oval, no mesh, no bag handles.

Finished Measurements

Case (lying flat): 9¼ in (23.5 cm) wide × 12 in (30.5 cm) long, from paddle tip to handle opening.

Fits: Most standard pickleball paddles up to about 8¼ in (21 cm) wide. The handle (typically 4–5½ in / 10–14 cm) remains exposed.

Interior depth: about 1–1½ in (2.5–4 cm) when the case is opened around the paddle.

To match your paddle, the case should be about 1 in (2.5 cm) wider than the face and ½–1 in (1–2.5 cm) longer than the face (tip to where the handle begins). Add or subtract even rows for length before the edging.

Materials

Yarn: Worsted weight (medium #4) cotton or cotton blend, 300 yd (275 m). Cotton is strongly recommended for durability and stitch definition.

Hook: US H/8 (5 mm), or size needed to obtain gauge.

Notions:

• 12 in (30 cm) all-purpose zipper (nylon coil is easy to sew)
• 4 stitch markers
• Yarn needle
• Sewing needle and thread to match the zipper or extra yarn for whipstitching the zipper
• Scissors
• Your paddle, for a length check (optional but helpful)

Gauge

13 hdc and 10 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in hdc with US H/8 (5 mm) hook.

Work a 5 in (12.5 cm) swatch, measure the center 4 in (10 cm), and change hook size if needed. A slightly tighter fabric is better than a looser one for this case.

Abbreviations (US terms)

• ch — chain
• hdc — half double crochet
• sc — single crochet
• sl st — slip stitch
• st(s) — stitch(es)
• rnd(s) — round(s)
• RS — right side
• WS — wrong side
• rep — repeat

Notes

• US crochet terms throughout.
• The case is worked from the paddle-tip end toward the handle opening.
• Ch 2 at the start of a round or row does not count as a stitch. Always work the first hdc into the first hdc of the round or row.
• Join rounds with a sl st to the first hdc. Do not turn during the closed (in-the-round) section.
• Stitch count is 60 hdc every round and every row. Count at the end of Round 1 and again after the first few even rounds.
• The side zipper lets you open the case, slide the paddle in tip-first, and zip it shut with the handle sticking out.
• Length is given by measurement first; round/row counts are a guide. Cotton hdc fabric does not stretch much, so measure against your paddle.

Pattern

Base (Paddle Tip)

Foundation: Ch 28.

Rnd 1: Work 3 hdc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in each of next 25 ch, 5 hdc in last ch; rotate the chain so you can work along the unused loops of the foundation, hdc in each of next 25 unused loops, 2 hdc in same ch as beginning 3 hdc. Join with sl st to first hdc. (3 + 25 + 5 + 25 + 2 = 60 hdc ✓)

You now have an oval about 9¼ in (23.5 cm) long and 1½ in (4 cm) wide: 5 hdc at each end, 25 hdc along each long side (5 + 25 + 5 + 25 = 60 ✓). Place a marker in the first hdc of the round and move it up as you go.

Body — Closed Section (no zipper)

Work even in joined rounds. This closed tube sits at the paddle tip so the zipper does not run all the way to the end.

Rnd 2: Ch 2, hdc in first hdc and in each hdc around. Join. (60 hdc ✓)

Rnds 3–6: Rep Rnd 2. (60 hdc each rnd ✓)

5 even rounds after Rnd 1 = 5 / 10 × 4 in = 2 in (5 cm) ✓

Piece should measure 2 in (5 cm) from the foundation chain to the live edge. Work 1 more or 1 fewer round if needed so this section is 2 in (5 cm).

Do not fasten off.

Body — Zipper Opening

From here you work back and forth in rows so a slit opens along one long side for the zipper. The 60 stitches are unchanged — you simply stop joining.

Row 1 (WS): Ch 2, turn, hdc in first hdc and in each hdc across. (60 hdc ✓)

Rows 2–25: Ch 2, turn, hdc in first hdc and in each hdc across. (60 hdc each row ✓)

25 rows = 25 / 10 × 4 in = 10 in (25.5 cm) ✓

Closed 2 in + zipper section 10 in = 12 in (30.5 cm) total length ✓

Work extra rows or fewer rows until the piece measures 12 in (30.5 cm) from the foundation chain (the paddle tip) to the live edge.

Length check: Lay your paddle on the case. The live edge should sit at or just past where the handle begins. Add rows if your paddle face is longer (elongated paddles).

Do not fasten off if you can continue into the edging from this corner. If the working yarn is not at a zipper-slit corner, fasten off and rejoin as directed below.

Edging

You will now put a firm sc edge on both zipper sides and across the handle opening. This keeps the zipper from stretching and gives the handle opening a clean finish.

With RS facing, join yarn with sl st at the tip end of one zipper slit (where Round 6 met Row 1), if you are not already there.

Zipper edge 1: Work 35 sc evenly along the row-ends of the 10 in (25.5 cm) zipper slit (about 3 sc for every 2 row-ends). (14 sc = 4 in → 35 sc = 10 in ✓)

Handle opening: Sc in each of the 60 hdc across the last row. (60 sc ✓)

Zipper edge 2: Work 35 sc evenly along the remaining zipper slit, ending at the tip end of the slit (opposite the first zipper edge). (35 sc ✓)

(35 + 60 + 35 = 130 sc on the C-shaped opening ✓)

Fasten off. Weave in all yarn ends except a 12 in (30 cm) tail if you plan to whipstitch the zipper with yarn.

Lightly steam-block the piece flat, especially the two zipper edges, so they are the same length. Do not stretch the oval out of shape.

Finishing

Install the zipper

You need the 12 in (30 cm) zipper, pins, and either matching sewing thread or a yarn needle and matching yarn.

The zipper sits on the 10 in (25.5 cm) slit. Extra zipper length is folded to the WS at the paddle-tip end. The zipper pull sits at the handle opening so you unzip from the handle toward the tip.

1. Close the zipper. Mark 10 in (25.5 cm) of teeth, leaving the extra at the stop end (the end opposite the pull).
2. Open the zipper. Pin one zipper tape to the WS of one 35-sc zipper edge, with the teeth just peeking past the sc edge. The pull should sit at the handle opening. At the tip end, fold the extra zipper tape to the WS and pin it down.
3. Pin the second zipper tape to the other 35-sc edge the same way, lining up the top and bottom of the teeth so the case will zip without puckering.
4. With the zipper closed, check that the two sc edges meet neatly over the teeth and that the handle opening is still fully open. Adjust pins if needed.
5. Open the zipper. With sewing thread (backstitch) or yarn (whipstitch), sew each zipper tape to its sc edge, working through the sc stitches and the zipper tape only — do not sew the case shut. Stitch the folded extra tape at the tip end securely to the WS so it cannot catch on the paddle.
6. Close and open the zipper several times. The fabric edges should nearly meet when the zipper is closed, and the handle opening should stay a clean 9¼ in (23.5 cm) wide mouth.

Handle opening

The 60-sc edge is the handle opening. Do not close it. When the paddle is in the case, the handle comes out through this opening and stays exposed.

If the opening feels loose, you may work 1 extra row of sc across those 60 sts, or weave a short length of yarn through the sc edge as a simple optional tie. Neither is required.

Weave in ends

Weave in any remaining ends on the WS. Trim.

Schematic (lying flat, zipper on the right)

Handle opening, 9¼ in (23.5 cm)  →   ┌─────────────○ zip pull
Handle stays exposed                 │             │
                                     │             ║  zipper, 10 in (25.5 cm)
                          12 in      │             ║
                         (30.5 cm)   │             ║
                                     │             │  2 in (5 cm) closed
Paddle tip (oval base)           →   └─────────────┘
                                     9¼ in (23.5 cm) wide

To Use

Unzip the side, slide the paddle in tip first, and zip toward the tip. The face is covered; the handle remains out.

Care

Cotton: machine wash cold, gentle cycle, in a mesh bag. Lay flat to dry. Do not high-heat dry, which can shrink the case. Zip the zipper before washing so it does not catch.

Custom fit (optional)

Wider or narrower paddle: Add or subtract 2 foundation chains (which adds or subtracts 4 hdc on the oval — 2 per long side). Every 4 hdc changes the flat width by about 1¼ in (3 cm). Keep the end-of-round count even.

Longer face (elongated paddle): Work extra even rows in the zipper section until the case is ½–1 in (1–2.5 cm) longer than your paddle face. Use a longer zipper if the slit grows past 11 in (28 cm).