Crocheted flowers turn up everywhere as embellishment: on bags, hats, cushions, cardigans and gifts. They are bolder in colour and shape than anything nature produces, which is a large part of their charm – they look closer to a child’s drawing of a flower than to a botanical study, and they are better for it.
They are also among the most useful small things you can learn to make. Each one takes minutes and uses almost no yarn.
How the shapes are built
Almost every crocheted flower is one of two constructions.
Worked in the round. A small ring at the centre, then petals built outward from it – usually a group of stitches worked into one point so the fabric fans out. More petals, or petals in more than one layer, give a fuller bloom.
Worked as a strip and coiled. A long band with one shaped edge, rolled up and stitched at the base. The shaping makes the outer edge longer than the inner, so the strip opens into petals as it coils. This is how most roses are made.
Once you can see which of the two a flower is, you can work out almost any pattern – and improvise your own.
Choosing yarn
Cotton, in most cases. It holds a crisp petal edge, where a soft yarn produces a shapeless blob. Mercerised cotton adds a subtle sheen that lifts the result considerably.
Avoid anything fuzzy. The petal outline is the whole design, and a halo of fibres destroys it.
For flowers that will be worn or handled, a smooth acrylic works and is more washable.
Making them look right
Layer them. A single round of petals reads as flat. Two or three layers of decreasing size, stitched together at the centre, gives real depth for very little extra work.
Vary the size. A group of identical flowers looks manufactured. A mix of large and small looks arranged.
Give the centre contrast. A dense centre in a different colour is what makes the eye read the shape as a flower.
Roll roses loosely. A tightly rolled strip becomes a bud. Try it before stitching and adjust until it opens the way you want.
Finishing
A light spray starch helps the petals hold their shape, especially on anything decorative that will not be washed.
Block the flat layered flowers – pin each petal out and let them dry. Unblocked petals curl inward and the flower closes up.
What to do with them
Sew them onto bags, hats, headbands, cushions and cardigans. Attach them to a hair clip or a brooch pin. Use them as gift toppers, where they replace a bow and get kept.
Make a batch. They work far better in groups than alone, and once the construction is in your hands each one takes a few minutes.
