Stitchfinder: Crochet Flower: Poinsettia
Poinsettia
Skill Level: Experienced
Materials and Tools
2 colors of LB Collection Cotton Bamboo: petal color (A) Persimmon #135, leaf color (B) Snapdragon #174
Hook: 4.00mm (size G-6 U.S.) or size to obtain a firm gauge
Gold or yellow embellishment for flower center, such as beads, sequins, small buttons, or embroidery floss OR a few yards of LB Collection Cotton Bamboo Gardenia #170
Tapestry needle
Special Abbreviations
Htr (half treble crochet): Yo 2 times, insert hook in stitch and draw up a loop (4 loops on hook), yo and draw through 2 loops (3 loops on hook), yo and draw through 3 loops (1 loop left on hook).
Sl st-picot: Ch 3, sl st in base of chain.
Small petal: Ch 7, sl st in 3rd ch from hook; working down ch, sc, dc, (dc, sl st) in next st, sl st in last ch.
I wanted the Poinsettia to look natural, and natural poinsettias are not symmetrical. That's why you see different sizes of petals, distributed unevenly around the center, so please read the instructions carefully.
Instructions
Flower: With B, ch 4, join with sl st in first ch to form a ring.
Rnd 1:Ch 2 (counts as hdc), ch 2, *hdc in ring, ch 2; rep from * 5 times, join with sl st to 2nd ch of rnd. Fasten off B-7 hdc and ch-2 sp.
HINT:
Rnd 2 sets up Medium and Large Petals, which you will finish in Rnd 3. When you're done with Rnd 2, it looks like a bunch of sticks radiating from the center (see Photo A). Save time by crocheting over the green yarn end and the beginning yarn end of the petal color. Find instructions for the Small Petal in "Special Abbreviations."
Rnd 2: In any hdc of rnd 1, join A with sl st, make a Small Petal, sl st in same hdc.
In first ch-sp (Medium Petal): *Sl st in ch-sp, ch 9, sc in 4th ch from hook; working down the ch, 2 hdc, sc, ch 2, sl st in same ch-sp.* Ch 1.
In 2nd ch-sp (Large Petal): **Sl st in ch-sp, ch 10, sc in 4th ch from hook; working down the ch, hdc, dc, hdc, sc, ch 2, sl st in same ch-sp.** Ch 1.
In 3rd ch-sp (Medium Petal): Rep bet * above, sl st in next hdc, make a Small Petal, sl st in same hdc.
In 4th ch-sp (Medium Petal): Rep bet * above, sl st in next hdc, make a Small Petal, sl st in same hdc.
In 5th ch-sp (Large Petal): Rep bet ** above, ch 1.
In 6th ch-sp (Medium Petal): Rep bet * above, ch 1.
In 7th ch-sp (Large Petal):Rep bet ** above. The Medium and Large Petals look like sticks. The next rnd finishes the Medium and Large Petals.
HINT:
Rnd 3 finishes the Medium and Large Petals. Find instructions for slst-picot and htr in "Special Abbreviations." In Photo B, I'm a little over half-way finished with Rnd 3.
Rnd 3: Fold the Small Petal to the front, out of the way, ch 2 behind it.
First petal (Medium): *working up the side of the petal, 2 sc in ch-2 sp, hdc, dc, 2 htr, (htr, 2 dc, sl st-picot, 2 dc, htr) all in ch-3 loop at end of petal. Working down the other side of the petal, 2 htr, dc, hdc, 2 sc in ch-2 sp. Ch 1.*
2nd petal (Large): **working up the side of the petal, 2 sc in ch-2 sp, hdc, dc, 3 tr, (tr, 2 dc, sl st-picot, 2 dc, tr) all in ch-3 loop at end of petal. Working down the other side of the petal, 3 tr, dc, hdc, 2 sc in ch-2 sp.** Ch 1.
3rd petal (Medium): Rep bet * once. Fold Small Petal to the front, out of the way, ch 1.
4th petal (Medium): Rep bet * once. Fold Small Petal to the front, out of the way, ch 1.
5th petal (Large): Rep bet ** once, ch 1.
6th petal (Medium): Rep bet * once, ch 1.
7th petal (Large):Rep bet ** once.
HINT:
Rnd 4 sets up an unevenly-spaced round of Large Petals-more stick shapes that you can see peeking out from behind the first round of petals in Photo C. They are attached in the ch-spaces between the petals of Rnd 3.
Rnd 4: Fold previous petals to the front, and work this rnd behind them. Behind the Small Petal of rnd 1, sl st in ch-2 sp, ch 10, sc in 4th ch from hook; working down the ch, hdc, dc, hdc, sc, ch 2, sl st in same ch-2 sp. *Ch 3, sl st in next ch-1 sp between petals. (Ch 3, sl st in ch1-sp between petals, ch 10, sc in 4th ch from hook; working down the ch, hdc, dc, hdc, sc, ch 2, sl st in same ch 1-sp) twice; rep from * once-beg of 5 unevenly-spaced Large petals.
Rnd 5: Ch 3, **working up the side of the petal, 2 sc in ch-2 sp, hdc, dc, 3 tr, (tr, 2 dc, sl st-picot, 2 dc, tr) all in ch-3 loop at end of petal. Working down the other side of the petal, 3 tr, dc, hdc, 2 sc in ch-2 sp. ** (Ch 2, sl st in next ch-3 sp) twice. Ch 2, rep between ** and ** once. Ch 3, rep between ** and ** once. Rep from # once. Sl st in next ch-sp. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
HINT:
The Poinsettia Leaf is crocheted separately and sewn behind the flower petals. The small black squares in Photo D show where to insert your hook for the first part of Rnd 2 of the leaf, in the original chain sts.
Green Leaf: With B, ch 10. Rnd 1: Sc in 4th ch from hook, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc, ch 2, rotate so you are looking at the free loops of the original ch.
Rnd 2:Working in the free loops of the ch, 2 sc, hdc, dc, 2 tr; (tr, 2 dc, sl st-picot, 2 dc, tr) in ch-sp at tip of leaf; working down other side of leaf, 2 tr, dc, hdc, 2 sc, sl st in ch-2 sp at base of leaf. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Finishing:
Pin down the tips of the petals to an ironing surface to keep them straight, and then block.
Weave in ends, except for the long tails for sewing.
Tack petals together from the back, about halfway up the petals, taking one or two stitches in each petal edge and skimming the backs of the crochet stitches only.
Sew green leaf to the underside of the flower. Sew 3-5 beads, buttons, sequins, or French knots to the center of the flower, OR crochet a flower center embellishment as below.
HINT:
In Crochet Garden, the Poinsettia instructions suggest beads or buttons to decorate the center of the flower. Here's another idea: With Gardenia or desired color, *ch 5, hdc in 3rd ch from hook, sl st in each of next 2 ch.* Ch 1, rep bet *s, ch 1, rep bet *s. Fasten off, leaving a long end for sewing. Photo E shows the finished centerpiece. Hold this piece at the wrong side of the Poinsettia's center. Push the picots up here and there between the spokes. Use the long yarn end to tack in place from the back.
Directions reproduced from Crochet Garden: Bunches of Flowers, Leaves, and Other Delights, courtesy of Lark Publishing, 2012.