Crochet Candy Cane Steering Wheel Cover

Show your holiday spirit even while you're driving down the street. Use this free crochet pattern and make a candy cane steering wheel cover. It'll make your hands warm while driving, too.  This Crochet Candy Cane Steering Wheel cover also makes a great gift for a new driver or a stocking stuffer for any teenager who loves to drive.  Easy to crochet in any color combination you'd like, this steering wheel cover is a quick and fun weekend project for anyone who has the itch to crochet this weekend!

Materials:

• 1 skein Bernat Holiday Sparkle in Red
• 1 skein Bernat Holiday Sparkle in White
• Size H / 5.00 mm Crochet Hook
• 1 yd. of satin ribbon 1½“ to 2” wide
• Tapestry Needle

Abbreviations:

• Ch = chain
• Sc = single crochet
• Scd = single crochet decrease
• WS = wrong side RS = right side
• Finish Off = cut yarn and pull through loop snuggly

Notes:

• First measure the circumference of your steering wheel and follow the pattern below until your cover is 5 inches shy of this measurement.
• Example: Mine was 49” and I crocheted a length of 44” un-stretched. Pattern is worked diagonally so it has a lot of stretch. My finished width and length was 3½” wide by 44” long.
• You’ll be crocheting this at a diagonal so that the stripes will look more candy cane like and it will have lots of stretch. My thickness dimension for the hand grip size was 3½” wide. If yours is thicker/thinner you will need to add/subtract 1 to 2 stitches to/from the directions below. Just crochet a swatch first to be sure. It should fold almost around the thickness, but pull easily to seam.

Instructions:

1. Row 1: (WS) Ch 13, sc in 2nd ch from hook and *sc to the last 2 stitches (chains for first row) and then work a single crochet decrease by pulling up a loop in first sc, then pull up a loop in last sc, yarn over and pull through all three loops on hook. Ch 1 and turn.* = 11 sc total
    
2. Row 2: (RS) Sc in each stitch across to last sc, then work 2 sc in that last stitch. When working the last sc and you have 2 loops on your hook, drop the white yarn (don’t cut, just leave attached) and join in the red yarn, ch 1 and turn. = 12 sc total  TIP: When turning on this row and starting row 1 again, it’s easy to miss that first sc, just be sure and check your stitch count at rows end. You’ll always be decreasing at the end of row 1 and increasing and changing color at the end of row 2.
    
3. Remember to alternate dropping white/red yarn on row 2 each time. You’ll be carrying the dropped yarn up one side of your work. Be sure it isn’t tight, but not too loose either.
   
   
    
4. Continue and repeat row 1 * to * and row 2 until the length will go around your steering wheel, minus about 5 inches. (for a snug fit)
    
5. Now is a good time to trial fit it to your steering wheel. Test the length and amount of stretch before seaming the two short ends. It should stretch around your steering wheel and should be very snug after it’s seamed. So hold it around and pull the ends until you think after seaming it will be snug. Take out or add rows as needed. In this photo you can see that I held it together temporarily with crochet stitch markers to test the fit.
   
   
    
6. When you are sure of fit fold this long piece and seam the two short ends together by whip stitching the cast on row and ending row.
   
   
   
   
    
7. Now using a long length of yarn the circumference of your steering wheel + half again (about 2 yds.) of that measurement, (either the red or white) sew it on to your steering wheel. Leave about a 6” tail for tying a bow at the end. I started at the 3 o’clock position and seamed around counter clockwise. When you reach the part of the steering wheel that is flat, just drag the yarn at the back and come back up where you need to start seaming again. When seaming use your tapestry needle and sew through the holes made by crocheting your rows. This will make it easier to remove the yarn later!
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
8. Once you get back to the beginning tie a bow with the 2 ends of your yarn and smoosh the yarn bow up and under the back side. This way all you have to do when you need to wash your cover or take it off to use again next year, is untie the bow and pull out the long length of yarn you used to seam it to the steering wheel.
    
9. Now take your ribbon and tie a pretty bow to the side and you’re done!