Petal Flower Squares

These gorgeous flowers were linked to me by my sister Julie when she was trying to show me (from New Zealand) what a crocheted flower looked like. I whipped this square up in about 20 minutes - not bad for a first effort even if I may say so myself. When I have finished the hexagon rug and the zig zag rug for my newest grandchild I think I'll make a rug made completely of flowers.

I keep this flower square sitting on the kitchen bench (yeah, random I know but it's almost like a post-it-note). Every time I look at it I get motivated to FINISH the rugs I have already started.

Here are the instructions. All credit goes to RoseHip and her blog at Typepad. My square has ONE more row around, 7 rounds in total. I did this so I could have a visible border around my flower once it is sewn together. Just repeat row 6 making sure you line up your corners. I'll make one up one day soon so I can tell you exactly how row 7 goes.

http://rosehip.typepad.com/rose_hip_blog/2008/11/index.html 

With the color of yarn you wish to use for the center of the flower, ch 4 and join with a sl st into the first ch to form a ring. Continue working in the round as follows:

Round 1: Ch 4 (counts as 1 dc, ch 1), * 1 dc into ring, ch 1 **; repeat from * to ** 6 times. Join with a sl st into 3rd ch of the ch-4 made at the beginning of this round. (There should be 8 ch-1 spaces in the round.) Fasten off and break off the first color.

Round 2: Join the color you wish to use for the petals into any of the ch-1 spaces, ch 1 and * 1 sc, 3 dc, 1 sc ** into the same ch-1 space; repeat from * to ** into the next 7 ch-1 spaces. Join with a sl st into the first sc of the first ch-1 space. (There should be 8 petals around the center.)

Round 3: Ch 1, and working behind the petals now, sl st into the stem † of the last sc made in round 2. Ch 4, sc into the stems of the next 2 adjoining scs (between the two petals) and then * ch 3, sc into the stems of the next 2 scs; repeat from * to ** 5 more times, ch 3, and then sl st into the first ch of the ch-4 done at the beginning of this round. You should now have a ch-3 space (or loop) behind each petal made in round 2.

Round 4: Ch 1 and work * 1 sc, 5 dc, 1 sc ** into the first ch-3 space and repeat from * to ** into all the next ch-3 spaces; sl st into the first sc of the first petal made in this round. You should now have another 8 petals behind the first 8 made. Fasten off and break off this color. 

Round 5: Still working behind the petals, join the yarn you wish to use as the background for the flower to the stems † of any 2 adjoining scs of round 4 (between two petals), and then ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 2dc into the same sc stems, and ch 1. Into the stems of the next 2 scs  of round 4, * 3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc to make a corner, ch 1, 3 dc, into the stems of the next 2 scs , ch 1 **; repeat from * to ** 2 more times, and then 3dc, ch 1, 3 dc into the stems of the next 2 scs, ch 1 and sl st into the 3rd ch of ch-3 done at the beginning of this round.

Round 6: Ch 1, * 1 sc into each of the next three dcs done in round 5, 1sc into the ch-1 space that follows, 1sc into each of the next three dcs, 3 sc into the ch-1 corner space, 1sc into each of the next three dcs, and 1 sc into the ch-1 space that follows **; repeat from * to ** 3 more times, join with a sl st into the first sc made in this round. Fasten off and break off yarn.

ch = chain stitch; sc = single crochet stitch; dc = double crochet stitch; sl st = slip stitch.