CROCHET FLOWERS
Nothing says summer more than hooking up a set of pretty blooms. By Emma Leith.
■ Red Heart It’s a Wrap Rainbow (55% acrylic, 45% cotton, 570m/150g), 1 ball of Rainbow (9351)
■ A 2.75mm (US C/2) hook
■ Florist wire, available from
www.hobbycraft.co.uk
MEASUREMENTS
Flowers measure 5.5cm (2 in) across; height depends on length of wire for stem
ABBREVIATIONS
ch3 picot Ch3, ss in 3rd ch from hook ttr (qtr) triple (quadruple) treble Yrh 3(4) times, insert hook in st, yrh and pull up loop, (yrh and draw through 2(3) loops) 4 times For a full list, see page 92
NOTES
Start by winding yarn into seven small balls, separating them as the colours change. Make two of each flower in the colour combination of your choice.
STAR FLOWER
With chosen colour of wound-off yarn, make a magic loop, or ch6 and ss into first ch to make a loop. Round 1 (RS) Ch (doesn’t count as st), 10dc into the loop, ss in first dc to join. [10 sts]
Fasten off.
Round 2 Join new colour with a ss into any st, ch1 (counts as dc), (ch1, sk next st, dc in next st) 4 times, ch1, sk next st, ss in beg ch-1. [5 dc and 5 ch-1 sps]
Round 3 *Ch7, ttr in 6th ch from hook, ch6, ss in first ch of beg ch7, ss in st at base of beg ch7, ch1, sk next st, ss in next st (petal made); repeat from * around. [5 petals]
Round 4 *5dc in ch-6 sp, in top of ttr work (dc, ch3 picot and dc), in next ch-6 space work 5dc, ss in next ch-1 sp; repeat from * 4 times more. Fasten off and weave in ends.
SUNFLOWER
With chosen colour of wound-off yarn, make a magic loop, or ch6 and ss into first ch to make a loop.
Round 1 (RS) Ch1 (doesn’t count as st), 10htr into the loop, ss in top of first htr to join. [10 sts]
Round 2 Ch2 (counts as htr throughout), htr in same st at base of beg ch-2, 2htr in each st around, ss in top of beg ch-2. [20 sts]
Round 3 Ch2, htr in same st at base of ch-2, htr in next st, (2htr in next st, htr in next st), around, ss to top of beg ch-2. [30 sts]
Fasten off.
Round 4 Join new colour to any st with a ss, *dc and htr in next st, 2tr in each of next 2 sts, htr and dc in next st, ss in next st; rep from * another 5 times. [6 petals]
Fasten off and weave in ends.
Using a different colour yarn, work a series of French knots in the centre to embellish.
GIANT DAISY
With chosen colour of wound-off yarn, make a magic loop, or ch6 and ss into first ch to make a loop.
Round 1 (RS) Ch1 (doesn’t count as st), 10htr into the loop, ss in top of first htr to join. [10 sts]
Round 2 Ch1 (counts as dc), dc in same st at base of ch-1, 2dc in each st around, ss in beg ch-1 to join. [20 sts]
Fasten off.
Round 3 Join new colour to any st with a ss, *ch7, qtr in same st at base of ch-7, but do not complete the st – work until 2 loops remain on hook, qtr in next st (3 loops on hook), yrh and pull through all 3 loops, ch7, ss in same st at base of ch-7, ss in next st; rep from * around. [10 petals]
Fasten off and weave in ends.
6 PETAL FLOWER
With chosen colour of wound-off yarn, make a magic loop, or ch6 and ss into first ch to make a loop.
Round 1 (RS) Ch1 (doesn’t count as a st), 6dc into the loop, ss in first dc to join. [6 sts]
Round 2 Ch1 (counts as dc), dc in same st at base of beg ch-1, 2dc in each st to end. [12 sts]
Fasten off.
Round 3 Join new colour to any st with a ss, ch1 (counts as dc), (ch2, sk next st, dc in next st) 6 times, ch2, ss in beg ch-1.
Fasten off.
Round 4 Join new colour to any ch-2 sp with a ss, (ch3, 4dtr in next ch-3 sp, ch3, ss in same ch-3 sp, ss in next ch-3 sp) to end. [6 petals]
Fasten off and weave in ends.
LEAVES MAKE 8
Using Green wound-off yarn, leaving a tail of 10cm (4in) for tying to wire stem, ch9, ss in 2nd ch from hook, ss in each of next 2 ch, dc in next ch, htr in next ch, tr in next ch, htr in next ch, (dc, ch1, dc) in last ch, now working back along the opposite side of the ch, htr in next ch, tr in next ch, htr in next ch, dc in next ch, ss in each of next 3 ch. Fasten off.
STEMS
Cut wire to desired length allowing 5cm extra to attach to the flower. Bend wire at the top to form a small loop – this will be used to sew into the WS of the centre of the Flower. Using a wound-off length of Green yarn, ss to base of wire and work dc around wire. At roughly the mid-point, tie the leaf (using the long tail ends) securely to the wire and continue to dc, incorporating the tail ends as you work.
Fasten off, leaving a long tail to use to sew the wire loop to the back of the flower.