Stitchfinder: Crochet Flower: Iris
Iris
Skill Level: Intermediate
Materials and Tools
3 colors of LB Collection Cotton Bamboo: (A) Gardenia #170; (B) Hyacinth #107; (C) Snapdragon #174
Hook: 4.00mm (size G-6 U.S.) or size to obtain a firm gauge Two split stitch markers or marker substitutes
Small amount of stuffing
Tapestry needle
Pattern Note:
In rounds 3 and 5, work up one side of a petal, in the 3 chains around its end, and down the other side. The chains are sometimes difficult to see, so save time by identifying the 3 chains at the end of the petal and counting back 7 stitches, which is where you will place your first petal stitch.
Instructions
Flower:
With A, ch 4, join with sl st in first ch to form a ring.
Rnd 1 (RS): Ch 1, 6 sc in ring, join with sl st to first st of rnd.
HINT:
Rnd 2 makes the yellow strip in the center of each lower petal. In Photo A, I’m working on the second of the three yellow petal centers.
Rnd 2: *Sl st in front loop of next st, ch 10, dc in 4th ch from hook. Working down ch, 3 dc, 2 hdc, sc. Sl st in front loop of next st of rnd 1, ch 2; rep from * twice, sl st in first st of rnd.
Fasten off A.
HINT:
Rnd 3 finishes the lower petals, by working around each of the yellow strips, which you can see in progress in Photo B. Increasing the number of sts at the ends of the petals makes them ruffly.
Rnd 3: Join B with sl st in one of the ch-2 sp. Working in the free ch along the near side of the next petal, *3 sc, 2 hdc, ch 1, [(dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1) in next st] twice; [(dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1) in next ch] 3 times, [(dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1) in next st] twice, 2 hdc, 3 sc, sl st in the ch-2 sp; rep from * twice.
HINT:
In Photo C, I’ve just finished the first repeat from the * in Rnd 4. You can see the ch-3 spaces stretching across the front of the lower petals, and the beginnings of the top petals.
Rnd 4: Ch 1, *sl st 1 in first sc at base of next petal, ch 3, with the ch-3 across the RS of the petal, sl st in last sc of the same petal, ch 10, dc in 4th ch from hook, 3 dc, 2 hdc, sc. This is the beg of a tall petal; rep from * twice. Join with sl st in first st of rnd. Turn.
HINT:
The instructions for Rnd 5 are fairly long (but not difficult), because the petals are joined as you go, and each one is joined a little differently. The instructions call for you to place markers in the petals. Instead of commercial markers, I tied short lengths of yarn in the appropriate places, as you can see in Photo D. In this photo, the second petal is ready to be joined to the first petal with a sl st.
Rnd 5 (WS): Working in the opposite direction, sc in the first st of the tall petal, 2 sc, ch 1, (hdc, ch 1, hdc, ch 1) in next st, (dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1) in next st, 3 times, (dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1) in each of the 3 ch around end of petal, [(dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1) in next st] 3 times, (hdc, ch 1, hdc, ch 1) in next st, 3 sc, PM in 8th and 16th ch-sp of this petal.
Tiny Petal:
*Sl st in next ch-3 sp, (ch 3, 2 tr, ch 3, sc in 3rd ch from hook, 2 tr, ch 3, sl st) all in same ch-3 sp; remove hook from loop, insert hook from front to back in the first ch of this small petal, re-insert hook in free loop, pull loop through ch, ch 1 to anchor. **
2nd tall petal:
3 sc, ch 1, (hdc, ch 1, hdc, ch 1) in next st, [(dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1) in next st] twice, (dc, sl st in the ch-sp marked by the 2nd marker of the first petal, dc, ch 1) in next st, remove marker. (Dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1) in each of the 3 ch around end of petal, (dc, ch 1, PM, dc, ch 1) in next st, [(dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1) in next st] twice, (hdc, ch 1, hdc, ch 1) in next st, 3 sc. PM in the 16th ch-sp of this petal.
Now you have a marker on each tall petal.
Rep between * and ** for the next tiny petal.
3rd tall petal:
3 sc, ch 1, (hdc, ch 1, hdc, ch 1) in next st, [(dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1) in next st] twice, (dc, sl st in the ch-sp with the marker of the 2nd petal, dc, ch 1) in next st, remove marker. (Dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1) in each of the 3 ch around the end of this petal, (dc, ch 1, sl st in the ch-sp with the marker in the first petal, dc, ch 1) in next st, remove marker. [(Dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1)in next st] twice, (hdc, ch 1, hdc, ch 1) in next st, 3 sc, sl st in next ch-3 sp.
Rep bet * and ** for the next tiny petal. Fasten off.
HINT:
When Rnd 5 is finally done, it’s time to make the calyx and stem. Back in Rnd 2, you worked only in the front loops of each stitch. When you turn the flower upside down, you will be able to see the back loops of those stitches, as indicated by the pink arrows in Photo E.
Greenery:
Turn the flower upside down.
Rnd 1: Join C with sc in any back loop of rnd 1, *(2 sc) in next st, sc; rep from * once, (2 sc) in last st—9 sc.
HINT:
In Photo F, I have completed Greenery Rnd 1. After Greenery Rnd 5, stuff the tube you have made with polyester stuffing. Or, if you don’t have any stuffing on hand, use the other end of your skein of green yarn to crochet a long chain. Stuff the chain into the tube, cutting it when the tube is firmly filled.
Rnds 2-4: Sc in each st around.
Rnd 5: (Sc, sc2tog) 3 times—6 sc. Stuff the green tube.
Rnd 6: Ch 1, pinch the tube flat, with the ch 1 at the fold. Sc2tog sts 1 and 6, sc2tog sts 2 and 5, sc2tog sts 3 and 4.
Stem:
Ch 16, hdc in 3rd ch from hook, hdc in each rem ch, sl st in the sc2tog at the beg of rnd 6. Fasten off.
Finishing:
Weave in ends. Do not block.
Directions reproduced from Crochet Garden: Bunches of Flowers, Leaves, and Other Delights, courtesy of Lark Publishing, 2012.