Candy Cane Sugar Cookie Crochet Pattern

November 30, 2013 by Squirrel Picnic 13 Comments

Do you remember making “snakes” (either with clay or dough) when you were a kid? Kids love rolling the dough on the table or between their hands until a snake appears, seemingly by magic. Many things can be made with these “snakes.” There’s coffee mugs if you’re using clay and pretzels if you’re using dough, but we’re talking Christmas here, so we’ll concentrate on my personal favorite use of a dough snake… the candy cane sugar cookie.

To re-create this classic Christmas cookie in yarn, I would need to make two long snakes in red and white. That was easy – just make I-cords! But then came the question of how to twist them together. I deliberated over adding wire or sewing the two strands together, until my husband provided a great solution – torsion! This tutorial will show you how by twisting one cord really tight and tying it to the other, the two cords become entwined and stay that way. (But don’t ask me to explain the physics. I like to believe it’s just magic.)

Visit the Great Cookie Countdown Page for the story behind this series and a complete directory of Christmas cookie ornaments.

Candy Cane Cookie

Finished size: 5” tall

Materials:

D-3 (3.25 mm) crochet hook or size 3 double-pointed knitting needles
Small amount of worsted-weight yarn in red (Caron Simply Soft Autumn Red)
Small amount of worsted-weight yearn in off white (Caron Simply Soft Bone)
2 twist ties
Tapestry needle

Instructions:

Make two 4-ch (or 4-st) I-cords 7” long, leaving long tails on the ends of the red cord.

There are several ways to make an I-cord. You could knit them, crochet them with just a hook, or crochet them with a hook and a tapestry needle.

Twist the red cord 18-20 times. Align both cords and bind them together at each end with a twist tie, maintaining the twist in the red cord while doing so.

The twisted cord will automatically entwine with the other.

Sew each end together, covering the ends with several stitches.

Shape into a candy cane and hang on your tree or display on a cookie platter.