Click here for this tutorial in US crochet terms

You can access the free printable pattern downloads (in UK and US terms) and the other tutorials using this link:

The Frida’s Flowers project bag quick start guide

Flower square tutorial in UK crochet terms

This tutorial is a detailed step-by-step guide suitable for an inexperienced crocheter, or if you need to check any details from your pattern.

What you’ll need

Yarn requirements and colours are listed here

Use a 5mm crochet hook for both your Stylecraft Special Chunky and Stylecraft Special DK (work 2 strands together).

Stitches used and abbreviations

• Chain (ch)
• Slip stitch (sl st)
• Double crochet (UK terms: dc) – insert hook, yarn over and pull through a loop, yarn over and pull through both loops on hook.
• Half treble crochet (UK terms: htr) – yarn over, insert hook, yarn over and pull through a loop giving you 3 loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull through all 3 loops.
• Treble (UK terms: tr) – yarn over, insert hook, yarn over and pull through a loop giving you 3 loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull through 2 loops, yarn over and pull through 2 loops.
• 4 treble popcorn stitch – instructions are given in the tutorial (round 3).

Round 1

• Round 1: step 1     Start by making a slip knot.
• Round 1: step 2    Work 4 chains

• Round 1: step 3    Insert the hook into the first chain and pull the yarn through to make a slip stitch. This will make a small ring that will be the starting point for your square. Make 2 chains – these do not count as a stitch, they just fill the small gap that can form when you finish your first round.
• Round 1: step 4    Work 12 trebles into the ring, crocheting over your tail end.

• Round 1: steps 5 and 6    Close round 1 by inserting your hook into the first treble you made and pull the yarn through to make a slip stitch.

• Round 1: step 7    Pull the slip stitch to tighten.
• Round 1: step 8    Turn your work to the wrong side and pull the first tail end to close up the gap in the centre.

• Round 1: step 9    At this point its a good idea to check you have 12 stitches so that you can make 12 petals in round 2.Check your slip stitch is tight – if it isn’t you might think there are 13 stitches…
• Round 1: step 10    Weave in the first tail end to make sure the circle stays closed.

Note: Weave in on the back of the work by inserting your darning needle through a few stitches a couple of times, then work back on yourself. Use this technique for all your ends to keep them secure. Leave the second tail end – you will crochet over it in round 2 before weaving it in later.

Round 2

Change yarn colour (check out the page on colour sequences used)

You will start round 2 with a standing treble, rather than 3 chains.

• Round 2: step 1    Hold the new yarn behind your crochet circle so that the working yarn is positioned just behind any stitch.
• Round 2: step 2    Put the yarn over the hook twice.

• Round 2: step 3   Insert your hook into any stitch, put yarn around the hook and pull through a loop.
• Round 2: step 4   This will give you 3 loops on the hook. You now work as if you were making a normal treble stitch.

• Round 2: step 5    Yarn over and pull through 2 loops on the hook.
• Round 2: step 6    Yarn over and pull through the 2 loops remaining. Your standing treble is complete.

• Round 2: step 7   Make an ordinary treble in the same stitch.
• Round 2: step 8    Make 2 trebles into each of the following 11 stitches around the circle.
• Round 2: step 9    As you work, crochet over the second tail end from round 1. You will also need to weave it in later, but crocheting over tail ends wherever possible helps to stop them escaping as the bag is used.
• Round 2: step 10   Close with a slip stitch; insert your hook into the top of the standing treble at the start of the round and pull through the yarn. You should have a circle with 12 pairs of trebles – 24 stitches in total. Weave in the second tail end from round 1.

Round 3

Round 3 for all the squares is worked in Stylecraft Special DK. Work with a strand of fiesta and a strand of bright pink held together to obtain the same bulkiness as chunky yarn.

• Round 3: step 1     Start round 3 with a standing treble (see the start of round 2 above) into any space between the treble pairs of round 2. Make 3 normal trebles into that same space. You will now make a popcorn petal.
• Round 3: step 2     Remove your hook from the treble you have just made and pull up the loop slightly so that the stitch does not unravel. Remember that you are working with two strands of yarn, so you will see 2 loops, but this is one stitch. Insert your hook into the top of the 1st treble (the standing treble). You will need to put the hook through both the front and back loops of this stitch so you will have four strands of yarn on your hook.

• Round 3: step 3   Keeping this stitch on the hook, place the hook through the pulled up loop of the 4th treble. You now have two stitches on your hook.
• Round 3: step 4   Yarn over and pull through all the loops you have on your hook. This will draw the group of trebles together, forming the popcorn.

• Round 3: step 5   The completed popcorn stitch provides a nice texture to the flower.
• Round 3: step 6   Work 3 chains before making the next popcorn petal in the next space.

• Round 3: step 7     Start by making 4 trebles in that space.
• Round 3: step 8     Pull up the loop of the 4th treble, then insert your hook into the first treble.

• Round 3: step 9   Yarn over and pull through all loops on the hook to form the second popcorn petal.
• Round 3: step 10  When that is complete, work 3 chains, then work a popcorn stitch into each space around the circle, followed by 3 chains each time.

• Round 3: step 11   When you have 12 petals and have worked the final 3 chains, close the round by making a slip stitch into the top of the first popcorn stitch. Fasten off and weave in your ends.
• Round 3: step 12   Take a moment to look at the back of the flower. The 3 chains you made between each popcorn petal form a circle. You will work into these chains in round 5.

Round 4

Change your yarn colour (check here for the colour sequences).

In this round you will make a round of dc stitches and chains – these will be used to start the square into which your flower will sit.

• Round 4: step 1     Work on the right side, with the front of the flower facing you. Join the new yarn by inserting the yarn into the top of the popcorn stitch, right in the middle.
• Round 4: step 2     Pull through a loop of the new yarn and make one chain to secure.

• Round 4: step 3     Work 3 chains.
• Round 4: step 4     Work a dc stitch into the top of the next popcorn petal, then work 3 more chains. Continue around the flower making a dc into each popcorn stitch, following each by 3 chains.
• Round 4: step 5     After the final 3 chains, close the round with a slip stitch. Do not fasten off as you will use the same yarn colour for round 5.
• Round 4: step 6     If you look at the flower from the back you will see a ring of chains sitting behind the popcorn petals. You will use these chain spaces to work into in round 6. You will also see inside that ring, the ring of pink chains that you made between the popcorn stitches in round 3. You will use these chains to work into in round 5.

Round 5

• Round 5: step 1     Use the same colour yarn and work on the right side of your flower. Into each chain space between the popcorn stitches (the pink chains shown above right) make 1dc, 1htr, 1tr, 1htr and 1 dc to form a shaped petal.

Note: This is a bit tricky as you need to work into the pink chains but not the chains you have just made in round 4.

• Round 2: step 2     Continue around the flower making a shaped petal in every chain space.

• Round 5: step 3     Close the round with a slip stitch into the first dc of the first petal. Fasten off but do not weave in your ends yet – wait until after round 6.

At the end of round 5 you should have 12 shaped petals that sit tightly behind the pink popcorn petals (below left). When you turn the flower over you will see the ring of chains you made in round 4. You are going to work into these in round 6.

Round 6

Change to the Stylecraft chunky yarn in black for the next 3 rounds. These rounds are just like a traditional, basic granny square but you need to work round 6 into the back of the flower to get started.

• Round 6: step 1     Work on the wrong side of your flower. Join the yarn into any chain space. Make 3dc stitches into this chain space and 3dc stitches into the next chain space.

• Round 6: step 2     Work 3 trebles, 2 chains and 3 trebles into the next space to form the corner.
• Round 6: step 3     Make 3dc stitches into each of the next 2 chain spaces, then work another corner. Repeat this twice more so that you have four sides and four corners. Join the round with a slip stitch into the first dc.
• Round 6: step 4     You can now deal with your ends from rounds 4 and 5, weaving them into the back of the petals.

The photo below left shows the view from the back – you can see the square shape and this should be even. When you turn to the right side, you can see the flower stands proud of the square.

Round 7

Continue working in black yarn.

• Round 7: step 1     Work in the right side and work into the spaces between the groups of stitches made in round 6.
• Round 7: step 2     Work 3 chains and then 2 trebles into the space below. This will be just before the first corner.
• Round 7: step 3     Work 3 trebles, 2 chains, 3 trebles into the corner space.
• Round 7: step 4     *Work 3 trebles into each of the next 3 spaces along the side of the square. Work 3tr, 2ch, 3tr into the next corner space.**
• Round 7: step 5     Repeat from * to ** two more times.
• Round 7: step 6     Join to the top of your starting ch3 with a slip stitch to close round 7.

Round 8

• Round 8: step 1     Turn and work on the wrong side.
• Round 8: step 2     Make 3ch and then 2tr into the space below. Work 3tr, 2ch, 3tr into the corner space.
• Round 8: step 3     *Work 3tr into each of the next 4 spaces along the side of the square. Work 3tr, 2ch, 3tr into the corner.**
• Round 8: step 4     Repeat from * to ** two more times. Close round 8 with a slip stitch into the top of your starting ch3.
• Round 8: step 5     Fasten off and weave in your ends.

Round 9

Join a new colour yarn into a space just before a corner. The neatest way to do this is to make a standing dc stitch.

• Round 9: step 1     Hold your new yarn behind the space into which you want to join the new yarn. Yarn over your hook once.
• Round 9: step 2    Insert your hook into the space and pull through a loop so that you have 2 loops on the hook.

• Round 9: step 3   Yarn over and pull through both loops on hook just as you would when making an ordinary dc. Your standing dc is complete.
• Round 9: step 4   Make 3 chains that will lie across the first 3 trebles of your corner.

• Round 9: step 5   Make a dc into the corner space.
• Round 9: step 6   Make 2 chains.

• Round 9: step 7   Make a second dc into the corner space.
• Round 9: step 8   Make 3 chains. These will lie across the second 3 trebles of the corner. Now make 2 chains and a dc into the next space along the side of the square.

• Round 9: step 9     Repeat along the side of the square, making a dc stitch into each space, separated by 3 chains. When you get to the corners, make one dc, 2ch, one dc.
• Round 9: step 10    Close the round by making a slip stitch into the first dc (your standing dc).      

• Round 9: step 11    Fasten off. I find it easier to weave in these ends once the next round is complete.
• Round 9: step 12    You now have a round of colour surrounding your black square, ready for the next round.

Round 10

• Round 10: step 1     Join a new colour yarn into one of the spaces in the centre of the corner by making a standing treble. Work 2 trebles into the same space.
• Round 10: step 2    Work 3 trebles into each space along the side of the square and work 3 trebles, 2 chains and 3 trebles into each corner space. Close the round with a slip stitch into the top of your standing treble, fasten off and weave in your ends.

 

Your square will now look like this.

Round 11

Change your yarn colour again and repeat round 9.

Round 12

Change your yarn colour and repeat round 10

Round 13

Change your yarn colour again and repeat round 9.

Round 14

For all the squares, this round is worked in Stylecraft Special DK fiesta and bright pink, one strand of each held together. Repeat round 10.

Round 15

Change to Stylecraft Special chunky in black join along any side by making a standing dc. Work one dc stitch into every stitch along the sides and work 2dc stitches into each corner to edge the square. Join with a slip stitch into your standing dc, fasten off and weave in all ends.

For all the pattern and tutorial links please visit:

• The Frida’s Flowers Project Bag Quick Start Guide