Made: Crochet Cactus

I'm no good at keeping plants so cacti would probably have the best chance of survival in our house. A crochet cactus? Even better.
I followed the free cactus pattern from Elf's Dwarf Crochet. Choosing just one cactus to make is difficult, since they are all so adorable. One day I'll plant a whole garden of them, but for now... I have put mine in a little clay pot instead of crocheting the base. Adds to the realism I think.

What I learned: Picked up this pattern because I was particularly interested in how the ridges were produced, and what a pleasant surprise to find out the ridges are made just by crocheting in the backloops. Love it when it's something easy I can understand and do. Do a quick search on the internet and you will find tons of explanations about front and back loops if you need it (like this one).

Other free cactus crochet patterns:
» Tiny Cacti by Gleeful Things
» Crochet Opuntia (Prickly Pear Cactus) by Speckerna (site in German, but PDF pattern is available in English)
» Cactus bookmark applique by Bigú Handmade

What's your favourite type of cactus?