Cosmic Tic Tac Toe Free Crochet Pattern
Introduction
This Cosmic Tic Tac Toe set is a playful, portable game you can crochet in a weekend, and it is perfect for beginners who have already mastered the single crochet and are ready to try shaping in the round. Instead of Xs and Os, you get a circular orbit board and two teams of planets: five mustard Saturns with coral rings and five striped coral Jupiters. The board is a flat navy disc with a purple ring, a teal edge, and crisp white grid lines, so it looks just like a little slice of deep space. The pieces are soft, lightly stuffed spheres that feel squishy and satisfying in the hand, and the whole set tucks neatly into a drawstring pouch for travel.
Materials Needed
- Yarn: (4) Medium worsted weight acrylic: Navy (A) 120 yd, Deep Purple (B) 60 yd, Teal (C) 40 yd, Mustard Yellow (D) 35 yd, Coral Orange (E) 35 yd, Pale Blue (F) 20 yd, White (G) 10 yd
- Hooks: 4 mm (G/6) for the pieces, grid lines, orbit ring, and pouch; 5.5 mm (I/9) for the board
- Notions: Stitch marker, tapestry needle, scissors, small amount of polyester fiberfill for stuffing, pins for positioning the grid lines
- Finished size: Board 9 in (23 cm) diameter; each planet piece 2.25 in (5.7 cm) diameter
Abbreviations
- ch – chain: yarn over and pull through the loop on your hook
- sc – single crochet: insert hook, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through both loops
- inc – increase: work 2 sc into the same stitch
- dec – decrease: work 2 stitches together into 1 sc
- sl st – slip stitch: insert hook, yarn over, pull through both the stitch and the loop on your hook
- MR – magic ring: an adjustable loop you crochet into to start a round
- sts – stitches
- Rnd – round
- sp(s) – space(s)
Gauge
With the 4 mm hook, 16 sc x 18 rnds = 4 in (10 cm) in sc; with the 5.5 mm hook, 12 sc x 13 rnds = 4 in (10 cm) in sc. Work a small swatch in the round with each hook and measure the center of the fabric to check that your board and pieces come out to the listed sizes.
Tips Before You Start
- Use a stitch marker in the first stitch of every round, since the board and pieces are worked in continuous spirals with no joining chain.
- Stuff the planet pieces lightly and only after the decrease rounds begin, so they stay round and firm without stretching the stitches.
- Pin all four grid lines in place and check the spacing before you sew, so the squares stay even and centered.
- Keep your tension a little tighter on the small pieces so the stuffing does not show through the fabric.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Board (5.5 mm hook, Navy A)
Rnd 1: MR 6 sc (6 sts)
Rnd 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [sc, inc] x6 (18 sts)
Rnd 4: [2 sc, inc] x6 (24 sts)
Rnd 5: [3 sc, inc] x6 (30 sts)
Rnd 6: [4 sc, inc] x6 (36 sts)
Rnd 7: [5 sc, inc] x6 (42 sts)
Rnd 8: [6 sc, inc] x6 (48 sts)
Rnd 9: [7 sc, inc] x6 (54 sts)
Rnd 10: [8 sc, inc] x6 (60 sts)
Rnd 11: [9 sc, inc] x6 (66 sts)
Rnd 12: [10 sc, inc] x6 (72 sts)
Rnd 13: [11 sc, inc] x6 (78 sts)
Rnd 14: [12 sc, inc] x6 (84 sts)
Rnd 15: [13 sc, inc] x6 (90 sts)
Rnd 16: [14 sc, inc] x6 (96 sts)
Rnd 17: [15 sc, inc] x6 (102 sts)
Rnd 18: [16 sc, inc] x6 (108 sts)
Rnd 19: sc (108 sts)
Change to Deep Purple (B).
Rnd 20: sc (108 sts)
Change to Teal (C).
Rnd 21: sc (108 sts)
Fasten off and weave in ends.
Grid Lines (4 mm hook, White G) – make 4
Row 1: ch 26, sl st in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across (25 sl st). Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. Pin 2 lines vertically and 2 horizontally across the board face, spaced 2.25 in (5.7 cm) apart and centered. Whipstitch in place through the back loops only.
Orbit Ring (4 mm hook, Teal C)
Row 1: ch 40, sl st in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across (39 sl st). Fasten off. Whipstitch around the board's outer edge, overlapping the ends.
Saturn Pieces (4 mm hook, Mustard Yellow D) – make 5
Rnd 1: MR 6 sc (6 sts)
Rnd 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [sc, inc] x6 (18 sts)
Rnd 4: [2 sc, inc] x6 (24 sts)
Rnds 5-8: sc (24 sts)
Rnd 9: [2 sc, dec] x6 (18 sts)
Stuff lightly.
Rnd 10: [sc, dec] x6 (12 sts)
Rnd 11: dec x6 (6 sts)
Close the opening. Fasten off and weave in ends.
Saturn Rings (4 mm hook, Coral Orange E) – make 5
Rnd 1: ch 22, join with sl st to form a loop, sc in each ch (22 sts)
Rnd 2: [sc, inc] x11 (33 sts)
Rnd 3: sc (33 sts)
Fasten off. Slip the ring over a Saturn body and position it at Rnd 5. Whipstitch the inner edge to the body at 4 evenly spaced points.
Jupiter Pieces (4 mm hook, Coral Orange E) – make 5
Rnd 1: MR 6 sc (6 sts)
Rnd 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [sc, inc] x6 (18 sts)
Rnd 4: [2 sc, inc] x6 (24 sts)
Rnds 5-6: sc (24 sts)
Change to Mustard Yellow (D).
Rnd 7: sc (24 sts)
Change to Coral Orange (E).
Rnd 8: sc (24 sts)
Change to Mustard Yellow (D).
Rnd 9: sc (24 sts)
Change to Coral Orange (E).
Rnd 10: sc (24 sts)
Rnd 11: [2 sc, dec] x6 (18 sts)
Stuff lightly.
Rnd 12: [sc, dec] x6 (12 sts)
Rnd 13: dec x6 (6 sts)
Close the opening. Fasten off and weave in ends.
Pouch (5.5 mm hook, Deep Purple B)
Rnd 1: MR 6 sc (6 sts)
Rnd 2: inc x6 (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [sc, inc] x6 (18 sts)
Rnd 4: [2 sc, inc] x6 (24 sts)
Rnd 5: [3 sc, inc] x6 (30 sts)
Rnds 6-14: sc (30 sts)
Rnd 15: [ch 2, skip 1, sc] around (15 ch-2 sps)
Rnd 16: sc in each sc and 2 sc in each ch-2 sp (45 sts)
Fasten off and weave in ends.
Drawstring (4 mm hook, Deep Purple B)
Row 1: ch 60. Fasten off. Weave the chain through the Rnd 15 spaces of the pouch and knot the ends together.
Assembly and Finishing
No further assembly is needed beyond the grid lines, orbit ring, and Saturn rings already attached in the instructions above. Weave in all remaining yarn ends on the board, pieces, and pouch, working them through the inside of the fabric so they stay hidden. Block the board lightly by misting it with water and pinning it flat into a perfect circle to dry, which helps the grid lines lie straight. Roll the planet pieces gently between your palms to even out the stuffing, and press the pouch flat so the eyelet round sits neatly.
Pro Tips and Variations
- Swap the yarn colors for each team to make a holiday or birthday version, or use two shades of the same color for a subtle set.
- Add a small loop of chain to the top of the board so it can hang on a wall between games.
- Make a second drawstring pouch in a contrasting color so each player has their own bag of pieces.
