Festive Diwali Diya: Free Crochet Pattern

This little diya lamp was designed for my friends' mum. I stayed with them when I first moved to London and when she realised I was a crafty type, she took out lots of beautiful fabric scraps (leftovers from sari blouses), braids, ribbons, lace and all kinds of trimmings and asked me to help make decorations for her household shrine. This isn't quite such a pretty make as those decorations but I know she appreciates handmade things. Happy Diwali if you are celebrating!

I'd like to share the pattern in case anyone else finds it fun to make. It's here for you in both UK and US terms and NEW for 2023, there's a video tutorial I recorded during a recent livestream! You can use whichever you find easier.

Requirements

• Cotton dk yarn in 3 shades. I ’ve used smooth, shiny Drops Muskat in mine as MC along with some unidentified scraps.

20m/yds in main colour (MC)

1m/yd in flame contrast colour (CC1)

0.25m/yd in wick contrast colour (CC2). I

• 3.25mm hook (US D-3) or suitable hook to achieve a firm fabric, usually a lower size than the yarn band suggestion

• Yarn needle and scissors

Abbreviations

dc double crochet (for US and UK) ch chain rep repeat R/rs row/rows/round/rounds slst slip stitch sc single crochet (for US only) ml magic loop tr treble crochet (for UK only) htr half treble crochet (for UK only) hdc half double crochet (for US only) P4 Picot of 4 ch: 4 ch, slst to back loop of 1st ch

Item description

Size

Height (including flame): 5cm (2”) Circumference: 5cm (2”)

Working method

The base is worked motif style and the flame and wick added through a picot.

Pattern notes

The right side is the inside as you look down into the lamp and the wrong side is the exterior. I suggest using magic loop to start this pattern. That’s because I think it’s easier to get a secure finish with cotton yarn that way. If you prefer to work a tight centre by starting with an extra chain and working into that or making a loop of four chains to work into, and then tighten by weaving the ends in around right around the loop and tightening it, that’s fine too as long as you can get it really secure. This pattern has UK terms and US terms; be sure to follow your preferred version!

Method UK terminology

Lamp

Worked motif style in rounds from the right side, i.e. fasten each round with a slst and work a rising chain and the first stitch of each new round into the same stitch as the slst. If it feels a little crowded in that st, you can try working the sts through its back loop only.

With MC, form your magic loop

R1 (RS) 1 ch, 6 dc into ml, slst in 1st dc of round, tighten ml. 6 dc

R2 1 ch, 2 dc in each st, slst in 1st dc of round. 12 dc

R3 1 ch, *1 dc, 2 dc in next st, rep from * five more times, slst in 1st dc of round. 18 dc

R4 1 ch, *2 dc in same st, 2 dc, *2 dc in next st, 2 dc, rep from * four more times, slst in 1st dc of round. 24 dc

R5 1 ch, *3 dc, 2 dc in next st, rep from * five more times, slst in 1st dc of round. 30 dc

R6 1 ch, dc in each st, slst in 1st dc of round. 30 dc

R7 1 ch, dc in each st to last 3 sts, 1htr, (tr, P4, tr) in next st, htr, slst in 1st dc of round. 31 sts

Fasten off.

Wick and Flame

Hold CC2 at centre use a hook to draw centre a little way between the R7 tr sts from RS to WS and then back through the P4 from WS to RS without drawing the lengths through. Thread the lengths though the loop you created at the centre of the CC2 yarn and pull tight. Trim ends to 7 cm (3”).

Attach CC1 in R7 P4, (2 ch, tr, P4, tr in R7 P4) 2 ch, slst in R7 P4. Fasten off.

Method US terminology

Lamp

Worked motif style in rounds from the right side, i.e. fasten each round with a slst and work a rising chain and the first stitch of each new round into the same stitch as the slst. If it feels a little crowded in that st, try working the sts through its back loop only.

With MC, form your magic loop

R1 (RS) 1 ch, 6 sc into ml, slst in 1st dc of round, tighten ml. 6 sc

R2 1 ch, 2 sc in each st, slst in 1st dc of round. 12 sc

R3 1 ch, *1 sc, 2 sc in next st, rep from * five more times, slst in 1st dc of round. 18 sc

R4 1 ch, *2 sc in same st, 2 sc, *2 sc in next st, 2 sc, rep from * four more times, slst in 1st dc of round. 24 sc

R5 1 ch, *3 sc, 2 sc in next st, rep from * five more times, slst in 1st dc of round. 30 sc

R6 1 ch, sc in each st, slst in 1st dc of round. 30 sc

R7 1 ch, sc in each st to last 3 sts, 1hdc, (dc, P4, dc) in next st, hdc, slst in 1st dc of round. 31 sts

Fasten off.

Wick and Flame

Hold CC2 at centre use a hook to draw centre a little way between the R7 dc sts from RS to WS and then back through the P4 from WS to RS without drawing the lengths through. Thread the lengths though the loop you created at the centre of the CC2 yarn and pull tight. Trim ends to 7 cm (3”).

Attach CC1 in R7 P4, (2 ch, dc, P4, dc in R7 P4) 2 ch, slst in R7 P4. Fasten off.

Finishing

Weave in ends, pinch and pull flame into shape and arrange wick in base.

Method Video Tutorial

Make it your own

You could try this in different weights of yarn, always with a small size hook for the yarn, to get a different size of diya.

The diya could look equally good in a single solid bold colour, a variegated yarn or made from small quantities of similar weight scrap yarn in a wide range of colours for a festive look.

How did it go?

I love to hear from anyone who uses one of my patterns to create a project. Any feedback you give about the pattern will help me develop future patterns that are easy to follow and it’s always exciting to see in-progress or finished projects created using my patterns. Let me know here in the comments or on social media. I'd love to see your version!

If you are looking for more quick and easy free patterns to decorate for a celebration or just for day to day cheeriness, you might also like my Crochet Flower Garland shown here in a pretty autumnal colourway.