Picot Taco Cart Wheel Free Pattern: A Crochet Baby Mobile in Moss and Lichen

A Calm, Rustic Crochet Mobile for a Toddler's Room

If you have never held a crochet hook before, this is a wonderful place to start. The Picot Taco Cart Wheel is a small, decorative mobile made from a flat moss-green hub, six thin yarn "spokes," and six tiny taco shells finished with soft picot scallops. It is perfect for absolute beginners because every piece is small, every stitch is a basic single crochet or slip stitch, and nothing needs to fit a body. The finished mobile looks like a rustic farmhouse wheel: matte cotton in muted moss and lichen greens, with a gentle, tactile texture that catches the light. It feels soft and slightly nubby in the hand, and it hangs about 7 inches (18 cm) from top to lowest taco tip. Best of all, there are no beads, no wire, and no glue — just yarn, a hook, and your own two hands.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Sport weight (CYC 2 / fine) cotton yarn, approximately 120 yd total: 70 yd moss green (MC), 30 yd lichen green (CC1), 20 yd pale sage (CC2).
• Main hook: 3.0 mm crochet hook (US D-3) — for the hub and the cords.
• Small hook: 2.5 mm crochet hook — for the taco shells (a smaller hook makes a firmer fabric so the shells hold their shape).
• Stitch marker (or a scrap of contrasting yarn) — to mark the first stitch of each round.
• Tapestry needle — a blunt, large-eyed needle for sewing pieces together and weaving in ends.
• Scissors — for trimming yarn tails.
• Optional: a 6 in / 15 cm wooden embroidery hoop or dowel for hanging.
• Finished sizes: Hub = 3 in / 7.5 cm diameter. Each cord = 5 in / 12.5 cm long. Each taco shell = 1.5 in / 4 cm wide and 1.25 in / 3 cm tall. Overall drop from hub to lowest taco tip = approximately 7 in / 18 cm.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

• ch — chain. Make a loop of yarn on your hook, wrap the yarn over the hook, and pull it through the loop. That is one chain. A row of chains is the foundation you build on.
• sc — single crochet. Insert your hook into the next stitch, wrap the yarn over the hook, pull up a loop (you now have 2 loops on the hook), wrap the yarn over again, and pull it through both loops. One single crochet made.
• sl st — slip stitch. Insert your hook into the next stitch, wrap the yarn over, and pull it through both the stitch and the loop on your hook in one motion. It makes a flat, tight joining stitch.
• sc2tog — single crochet 2 together (a decrease). Insert your hook into the first stitch and pull up a loop, insert your hook into the next stitch and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), wrap yarn over and pull through all 3 loops. Two stitches become one. (Not used in this pattern, but good to know.)
• st(s) — stitch or stitches.
• rnd — round. One complete circle of stitches worked around a center point.
• magic ring — an adjustable loop of yarn you crochet into, then pull tight to close the center hole. Make a loop, hold the crossing point, and work your stitches into the loop.
• 2 sc in next st — work two single crochets into the same stitch. This is an increase and makes the circle grow.
• ch-3 picot — chain 3, then slip stitch into the third chain from the hook (the very first chain you made). This creates a tiny loop that stands up from the edge. No beads needed.
• fasten off — cut the yarn leaving a tail, then pull the tail all the way through the last loop on your hook to lock it.
• weave in ends — thread a yarn tail onto a tapestry needle and sew it back and forth through the fabric so it disappears and cannot unravel.

Gauge

Hub gauge: 22 sc x 24 rounds = 4 in / 10 cm in single crochet, worked in the round.
Taco shell gauge: 24 sc x 26 rows = 4 in / 10 cm.

Why gauge matters: Gauge is simply how big your stitches come out. If your stitches are looser than the gauge, your hub will be too big and floppy; if tighter, it will be stiff and small. For this mobile, gauge is not critical for fit, but a firm, dense fabric is needed so the shells hold their shape.

How to make a gauge swatch: With your 3.0 mm hook and MC, chain 26. Work 24 rows of single crochet. Lay the swatch flat and measure a 4 in / 10 cm square in the middle. Count how many stitches across and rows down fit in that square. If you have more stitches than 22, try a larger hook; if fewer, try a smaller hook. Repeat with the 2.5 mm hook for the shell gauge.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Use a stitch marker. Place it in the first stitch of every round of the hub. When you reach the marker again, you know you have completed one full round. This prevents the spiral from drifting.
• Do not pull the yarn too tight. Tension should feel relaxed. If your hook squeaks or the stitches are hard to insert, you are pulling too hard — loosen your grip on the yarn.
• Count out loud. Count your stitches at the end of every round and row. The stitch count in parentheses tells you exactly what you should have.
• Work the hub in a continuous spiral. Do not join rounds unless the pattern says to. The spiral gives the hub its smooth, flat look.
• Keep the taco shells firm. Use the smaller 2.5 mm hook for the shells. A tight, dense fabric is what lets the curved edge stand up.
• Make one piece at a time. Finish and block the hub before starting the cords, and finish all six shells before assembly. Small pieces are easier to manage when you are learning.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Part 1: The Hub (make 1 in MC)

Worked in a flat spiral with the 3.0 mm hook. Do not join unless instructed. Place your stitch marker in the first stitch of each round.

Rnd 1: Make a magic ring, work 6 sc into the ring. Place marker in first st. (6 sc)

Rnd 2: 2 sc in each st around. (12 sc)

Rnd 3: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next st] around. (18 sc)

Rnd 4: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 2 sts] around. (24 sc)

Rnd 5: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 3 sts] around. (30 sc)

Rnd 6: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 4 sts] around. (36 sc)

Rnd 7: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 5 sts] around. (42 sc)

Rnd 8: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 6 sts] around. (48 sc)

Rnd 9: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 7 sts] around. (54 sc)

Rnd 10: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 8 sts] around. (60 sc)

Rnd 11: Sc in each st around. (60 sc)

Rnd 12: Sc in each st around, then sl st into the first st of the round. Fasten off, leaving a 6 in / 15 cm tail. Weave the tail through the back loops of the final round and pull gently to close any gap. The hub should measure approximately 3 in / 7.5 cm across. Block lightly.

Part 2: The Radiating Cords (make 6 in MC)

Each cord is a simple slip-stitch chain worked with the 3.0 mm hook.

Row 1: Leaving a 4 in / 10 cm starting tail, ch 26.

Row 2: Sl st in the second ch from the hook and in each ch across. (25 sl sts) Fasten off, leaving a 4 in / 10 cm tail. The cord measures approximately 5 in / 12.5 cm.

Repeat to make 6 cords total.

Part 3: Joining the Cords to the Hub

Mark 6 evenly spaced points around the hub edge, approximately 30 sts apart. Using the starting tail of each cord, sew the first end of one cord firmly to each marked point with 3–4 small stitches. Knot on the wrong side and weave in ends. The cords should radiate outward like spokes.

Part 4: The Taco Shells (make 6)

Worked flat in rows with the 2.5 mm hook. Each shell is a small half-moon shape: a curved outer edge and a straight folded base. Use CC1 for the shell body and CC2 for the picot edging.

With CC1, ch 10.

Row 1: Sc in the second ch from the hook and in each ch across. (9 sc) Turn.

Row 2: Ch 1, sc in each st across. (9 sc) Turn.

Row 3: Ch 1, sc in first st, 2 sc in next st, sc in each of next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in each of next 2 sts, 2 sc in last st. (12 sc) Turn.

Row 4: Ch 1, sc in each st across. (12 sc) Turn.

Row 5: Ch 1, sc in first st, 2 sc in next st, sc in each of next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in each of next 4 sts, 2 sc in last st. (15 sc) Turn.

Row 6: Ch 1, sc in each st across. (15 sc) Turn.

Row 7: Ch 1, sc in first st, 2 sc in next st, sc in each of next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in each of next 5 sts, 2 sc in last st. (18 sc) Turn.

Row 8: Ch 1, sc in each st across. (18 sc) Do not turn. Fasten off CC1.

The shell should measure approximately 1.5 in / 4 cm wide at the base and 1.25 in / 3 cm tall at the center.

Part 5: The Picot Edging (bead-free)

Join CC2 with a sl st at the right corner of the curved outer edge (the last row of the shell).

Set-up: Ch 1, sc in the same corner st.

Picot round: *Ch 3, sl st into the third ch from the hook (picot made), skip 1 st, sc in next st; repeat from * along the entire curved outer edge, ending with a picot and a sl st in the final corner. Do not work along the straight base edge. Fasten off and weave in ends.

The picot loops should sit evenly along the curved rim, approximately 1/8 in / 3 mm tall, giving a soft scalloped silhouette without any beads.

Assembly and Finishing

1. Block each taco shell lightly. Pin the straight base flat and shape the curved edge into a gentle taco fold. Let dry completely. Blocking means dampening the piece slightly and pinning it into shape so it dries flat and even.

2. Attach one taco shell to the free end of each cord. Thread the cord tail through the center of the shell's straight base, sew securely with 3–4 stitches, and knot on the inside. Trim tails.

3. Check that all six cords hang evenly and that the hub lies flat. Adjust cord lengths by 1/4 in / 6 mm if needed.

4. Optional hanging loop: With MC, ch 20, sl st in each ch across, and sew the loop to the center back of the hub. Alternatively, tie the mobile to a wooden hoop or dowel with a 12 in / 30 cm length of MC yarn.

5. Weave in all remaining ends. Thread each tail onto the tapestry needle and sew it back and forth through the fabric for about 1 in / 2.5 cm, then trim close. Do not add beads, wire, or glue. The mobile is intended as a decorative piece for a toddler's room and should be hung out of reach.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the colors. Swap the moss and lichen greens for soft blush, cream, and oatmeal for a warmer nursery palette. Keep one color as the hub and cords so the wheel reads clearly.
• Adjust the size. To make a larger mobile, add one more increase round to the hub (Rnd 13: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 9 sts] around = 66 sc) and lengthen each cord by chaining 6 more stitches.
• Substitute yarn. Any sport weight cotton works. Avoid fuzzy or slippery yarns, which make the picot loops droop. If you use a thicker yarn, go up one hook size and check your gauge swatch again.
• Vary the shells. Work some shells in CC1 and some in CC2, then edge them all in MC for a mixed, hand-collected look. Keep the picot edging on the curved rim only so the base stays flat for sewing.