A health professional from Florida wanted to teach her students about Sickle Cell Anemia using hands-on toy models, so she asked me to create a sickle cell crochet pattern. You can team it with my Red Blood Cell, White Blood Cell, and Platelet crochet patterns for more plasma-inspired teaching toys.

Finished Sickle Cell is about 8 inches from end to end, and about 4.5 inches in diameter when curved. You can add a face (see photo) or leave it plain. You will need an E/3.5mm hook, red worsted-weight yarn, 10 inches of 16-gauge wire (optional), and about 24 inches black embroidery floss (optional).

Pattern is for those with beginning to intermediate crochet skills and basic needle-work skills. Parts are made in spiral rounds. To make cell, you will need to know how to:
-- read a crochet pattern
-- chain
-- single crochet
-- single crochet decrease or invisible decrease
-- optional: magic adjustable loop
-- basic needlework such as whipstitch

Pattern includes:
-- definitions of stitch abbreviations
-- materials list, including recommended yarn and where to find mat’ls
-- instructive photos
-- links to helpful online crochet tutorials

I am happy to answer questions via email. You may sell your cells if you give written credit to “JanaGeek on Ravelry” as the designer.