Dating from Classical Roman times, bocce is a sort of modified bowling game where players aim small weighted balls toward a smaller target ball, the pallino. Teams alternate turns attempting to place these heavy wood balls closest to the pallino from a short distance away.This crocheted set softens the game, making it safe to share with the whole family, or to allow kids to play without adult supervision. These bocce balls are regulation size and very nearly regulation weight as well.If bocce isn’t your game, crocheted balls also make fantastic toys on their own, or working them in a thinner weight wool yarn will allow you to felt them into festive dryer balls.NOTE: The selected yarn needs to have some give in order to accommodate being stretched around a ball form. Acrylic, wool, or other springy fibers are recommended; cotton and linen, while quite durable, don’t have the same elasticity which makes this pattern work.