Stacked Disc Neon Nest Bed: Free Crochet Pattern for Medium Dogs

Stacked Disc Neon Nest Bed: Free Crochet Pattern for Medium Dogs

Introduction

If you have never picked up a crochet hook before, this is the perfect first "big" project to fall in love with. The Stacked Disc Neon Nest Bed is a shallow, Scandinavian-inspired nesting bowl for medium dogs, built from a flat Tunisian simple stitch base and two stacked circular rings in bold neon and pale bands. It is special because every single stitch is a simple, repeating motion — no complicated shaping, no confusing lace — yet the finished piece looks like something from a designer pet boutique. When it is done, you will have a soft, structured rim that keeps small paws and tired heads comfortably cradled, with a dense, slightly ribbed texture that feels wonderful under a paw. The crisp neon yellow-green, pale cream, and neon coral-pink stripes make it a cheerful pop of color in any room, and the firm upright rim means it holds its shape instead of flopping flat.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Worsted weight (CYC 4) acrylic yarn, approximately 1,050 yds total: 420 yds neon yellow-green (Color A), 330 yds pale cream (Color B), 300 yds neon coral-pink (Color C).
• Main hook: 6.0 mm (J-10) Tunisian crochet hook with cable, 80 cm / 32 in or longer.
• Second hook: 5.5 mm (I-9) standard crochet hook for seaming and edging.
• Stitch markers (at least 8) to pin and track your rings.
• Tapestry needle (blunt tip, large eye) for seaming and weaving in ends.
• Scissors for cutting yarn.
• Finished size: Base diameter 56 cm / 22 in. Rim height 12 cm / 4.75 in. Overall bed height 15 cm / 6 in. Inner bowl depth 6 cm / 2.4 in. Suitable for medium dogs up to approximately 12 kg.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

• ch – chain: make a loop with the yarn, then pull a new loop through it. Each loop you pull through is one chain.
• Tss – Tunisian simple stitch: insert your hook under the next vertical bar (the little upright post on the front of the work), yarn over, and pull up a loop. Leave that loop on the hook.
• Tks – Tunisian knit stitch: like Tss, but you insert the hook between the front and back of the vertical bar instead of under the front. (Not used in this pattern, listed for reference.)
• yo – yarn over: wrap the yarn from back to front over your hook.
• sl st – slip stitch: insert hook into the stitch, yarn over, and pull that loop straight through the loop already on your hook. It makes a joining stitch with no height.
• sc – single crochet: insert hook into the stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), yarn over again, and pull through both loops. One loop remains.
• sc2tog – single crochet 2 together: a decrease. Insert hook into the next stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (2 loops on hook). Insert hook into the following stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through all 3 loops. Two stitches become one.
• Fwd – forward pass: the first half of a Tunisian row, worked from right to left, keeping all loops on the hook.
• Ret – return pass: the second half of a Tunisian row. Yarn over and pull through one loop, then *yarn over and pull through two loops* across until one loop remains.
• st(s) – stitch(es).
• Whipstitch – a simple seaming stitch: bring the needle through both layers from front to back, then over the top and through again, making small diagonal stitches.
• Right side – the side of the work meant to face outward (the pretty side).

Gauge

14 Tunisian simple stitches x 13 rows = 10 x 10 cm / 4 x 4 in in Tunisian simple stitch with the 6.0 mm hook, after light blocking.

Why gauge matters: Gauge is how big your stitches turn out. If your stitches are bigger than the pattern expects, your bed will be too large and the rings will not line up; if they are smaller, the bed will be too tight. Checking gauge first saves you hours of rework.

How to make a gauge swatch: With your 6.0 mm Tunisian hook, chain 20. Work Tss rows until the piece measures about 12 cm / 5 in tall, working the return pass each row. Bind off. Lay the swatch flat, mist it lightly with water, and let it dry. Measure across the middle: count how many stitches fit in 10 cm / 4 in and how many rows fit in 10 cm / 4 in. If you have more stitches than 14, go up a hook size; if you have fewer, go down a hook size.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Use stitch markers to track your rings. Place a marker at the start of each ring and at every 8th point when pinning. It keeps your circles even and stops you losing your place.
• Do not pull your yarn too tight. Tunisian crochet tightens easily. Keep your loops relaxed and slide them along the cable so the fabric stays soft and the rings stay the right size.
• Always skip the first vertical bar directly below the loop on the hook. This is the most common beginner mistake and it makes your stitch count creep upward.
• Count your stitches at the end of every forward pass. If you are one off, fix it right away rather than discovering it 20 rows later.
• Carry colors loosely. When you change colors, twist the yarns once and leave a little slack so the fabric does not pucker.
• Work in good light and take breaks. Tunisian crochet uses both hands actively; short sessions keep your tension even and your hands happy.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Tunisian Notes (read first)

Work each row in two passes. Forward pass: work from right to left, keeping all loops on the hook. Return pass: yarn over and pull through one loop, then *yarn over and pull through two loops* across until one loop remains. The loop remaining on the hook counts as the first stitch of the next forward pass. Always skip the first vertical bar directly below the loop on the hook.

Base Disc (make 1)

With the 6.0 mm Tunisian hook and Color A, ch 2.

Row 1 (setup): Pull up 1 loop in each ch (2 loops on hook). Ret. (2 sts)

Row 2: Tss in first st, 2 Tss in last st. Ret. (3 sts)

Row 3: Tss across, 2 Tss in last st. Ret. (4 sts)

Rows 4–54: Continue increasing 1 st at the end of every forward pass until 55 sts. Ret each row. (55 sts) The work measures approximately 39 cm / 15.5 in across the straight edge.

Shape the circle with short rows:

Row 55: Tss in 40 sts, turn. Ret over 40 sts. (40 sts)

Row 56: Tss in 30 sts, turn. Ret over 30 sts. (30 sts)

Row 57: Tss in 20 sts, turn. Ret over 20 sts. (20 sts)

Row 58: Tss in 10 sts, turn. Ret over 10 sts. (10 sts)

Row 59: Tss across all 55 sts. Ret. (55 sts)

Bind off Tunisian style: *Insert hook under next vertical bar, yo, pull through bar and loop on hook* across. Fasten off, leaving a 60 cm tail.

Seam the shaped edge: Fold the short-row wedge to the wrong side and whipstitch the bound-off edge to the adjacent row ends with the tapestry needle, forming a flat circle 56 cm / 22 in in diameter. Weave in ends.

Ring 1 (lower ring, make 1)

With the 6.0 mm Tunisian hook and Color B, ch 2.

Rows 1–54: Work exactly as Base Disc Rows 1–54, increasing to 55 sts. Do not work short rows. (55 sts) Bind off Tunisian style. Fasten off, leaving a 100 cm tail.

Join the ring: Bring the two short ends together with right sides facing and whipstitch the row ends closed to form a circular band 56 cm / 22 in in circumference and 6 cm / 2.4 in tall. Turn right side out.

Ring 2 (upper ring, make 1)

With the 6.0 mm Tunisian hook and Color C, ch 2.

Rows 1–54: Work as Ring 1, increasing to 55 sts. (55 sts) Bind off. Fasten off, leaving a 100 cm tail. Join the short ends as for Ring 1 to form a second circular band 56 cm / 22 in in circumference and 6 cm / 2.4 in tall.

Color Bands

Work the color changes as narrow stripes within each ring: Ring 1 alternates 4 rows Color B and 2 rows Color A. Ring 2 alternates 4 rows Color C and 2 rows Color B. Carry the unused color loosely up the side of the work and twist the yarns at each change to avoid holes. The base disc is worked entirely in Color A.

Assembly

Step 1: Place the Base Disc flat, right side up. Center Ring 1 on top of the base with its lower edge aligned to the base edge. Pin at 8 evenly spaced points.

Step 2: Using the 5.5 mm standard hook and Color A, join with a sl st through both layers at any point. Sc evenly around the entire circumference through both layers, working 1 sc in each row end and 1 sc in each base stitch, approximately 112 sc. Join with a sl st to the first sc. Fasten off.

Step 3: Place Ring 2 directly on top of Ring 1, aligning the outer edges. Pin at 8 points. Join with the 5.5 mm hook and Color C: sc evenly through both layers around the top edge, approximately 112 sc. Join with a sl st. Fasten off.

Step 4: Seam the inner top edge of Ring 2 to the inner top edge of Ring 1 with a whipstitch using Color B, working through the back loops only to keep the seam flat. This closes the gap between the stacked rings and creates the shallow nesting bowl.

Edging

Round 1: With the 5.5 mm hook and Color B, join to any sc on the outer bottom edge. Ch 1, sc in each sc around, join with a sl st. (112 sc)

Round 2: Ch 1, *sc in next 3 sc, sc2tog* around, join with a sl st. (90 sc)

Round 3: Ch 1, sc in each sc around, join with a sl st. Fasten off. Weave in all ends.

Assembly and Finishing

Seaming: Thread your tapestry needle with the long tails you left. For the ring joins, hold the two edges together with right sides facing and work small whipstitches through both layers, catching one loop from each side, about 1 cm apart. Pull gently after every few stitches so the seam lies flat but does not pucker. For the inner bowl seam, work through the back loops only so the seam hides inside the bowl.

Weaving in ends: Thread each tail onto the tapestry needle and run it through the back of several stitches in one direction, then back through a few stitches in the opposite direction to lock it. Trim close to the fabric. Never knot your ends — knots create lumps that a dog can feel.

Blocking: Mist the finished bed lightly with water and shape the rings into perfect circles with your hands. Lay it flat on a towel and allow it to dry completely, away from direct heat. This sets the stitches, evens the texture, and helps the rim stand upright.

Final check: Reinforce any loose joins with the tapestry needle. The finished bed should sit flat with a firm, upright rim and a soft, shallow center.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the colors: Swap the neon trio for soft neutrals (oatmeal, sage, and dusty blue) for a calmer look, or use a single self-striping yarn for the rings to get the banded effect without changing balls.
• Adjust the size: For a smaller dog, work the base and rings to 45 sts instead of 55 and reduce the ring height to 45 rows. For a larger dog, increase to 65 sts and work 60 rows per ring. Keep the same gauge so the proportions stay right.
• Substitute yarn: A cotton-blend worsted weight gives a crisper, more structured rim that holds up well to washing; a soft acrylic is lighter and cozier. Always swatch first, because fiber changes your gauge.
• Add a removable cushion: Crochet a simple flat circle in Color B and slip it into the bowl as a washable liner — easy to remove and machine wash on gentle.