This little letter A keychain pairs a soft cream initial with a tiny cluster of flowers: a ruffled pink bloom, a bright white daisy, a layered lavender flower, sage leaves and four pink buds. It looks delicate, but it’s dense and sturdy enough to hang on a bag every day.
The palette is cream, pink, pale yellow, white, mustard, lavender and sage green. The style is cottage-garden: neat, textured single crochet with a smooth raised rim and dimensional flowers on top.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished letter measures about 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall by 3.6 in (9.1 cm) wide, not counting the hardware.
You work the letter in rows from the bottom up. First you make the two legs separately. Then you join them with a chained crossbar, split again around the triangular opening, and finish the top as one piece. A two-round rim goes around the outside and around the opening. Finally, you block the letter and sew on the flowers.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall × 3.6 in (9.1 cm) wide
- Skill level: Intermediate (row shaping, working into row ends, small appliqués)
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Fine / sport (#2) mercerized cotton
- Hook: 2.5 mm (US B/1 or C/2)
- Number of pieces: 1 letter, plus 3 flowers, 9 leaves and 4 buds sewn on
- Layout: One letter; flowers clustered on the right leg
- Letter before border: 3.25 in (8.3 cm) tall × 3.3 in (8.4 cm) wide (26 rows × 23 stitch columns)
- Border depth: about 0.15 in (0.4 cm) on each edge
Materials
Use a smooth, tightly plied mercerized cotton. It gives crisp stitch definition, holds the flower shapes well and doesn’t fuzz with handling. Avoid acrylic for the letter, because it tends to curl and won’t block flat.
Yarn (sport-weight cotton, about 3 m per gram):
- Cream (letter and lavender flower center): 8 g / 24 m
- Pink (flower and buds): 3 g / 9 m
- Sage green (leaves and stems): 3 g / 9 m
- Lavender: 2 g / 6 m
- White: 2 g / 6 m
- Pale yellow: 1 g / 3 m
- Mustard: 1 g / 3 m
These amounts include a safety margin of roughly 30%.
Tools:
- 2.5 mm crochet hook
- Tapestry needle and a sharp embroidery needle
- 4 locking stitch markers
- Blocking board, rustproof pins and a spray bottle
- Gold split key ring, 1 in (2.5 cm)
- Gold chain, 1 in (2.5 cm), plus two 6 mm jump rings
- Two pairs of flat-nose pliers
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- hdc: half double crochet
- dc: double crochet
- sc2tog: single crochet 2 together
- MR: magic ring
- FLO / BLO: front loop only / back loop only
- st(s): stitch(es)
- rep: repeat
Special stitch: sc2tog. Insert your hook in the next stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop. Insert in the following stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through all 3 loops. This turns 2 stitches into 1.
Edge rule. The “outer edge” is the outside slope of the A. The “inner edge” faces the center gap or the triangular opening. Keep a marker on each leg’s outer edge and move it up as you work.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 28 sc and 32 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm), which is 7 sc and 8 rows per 1 in (2.5 cm).
Make one leg first and measure it before going any further. This leg is your gauge swatch.
- After Row 8 of a leg: 0.86 in (2.2 cm) wide and 1 in (2.5 cm) tall.
- After Row 11 (crossbar): 2.71 in (6.9 cm) across the top edge and 1.4 in (3.6 cm) tall.
- After Row 20: 1.86 in (4.7 cm) across and 2.5 in (6.4 cm) tall.
- After Row 26: 3.25 in (8.3 cm) tall. The outer feet should be 3.3 in (8.4 cm) apart.
If your pieces come out too big, go down 0.25 mm in hook size. If they’re too small, go up 0.25 mm. Tight, even stitches matter more here than exact size, because loose sc will let the flower stitching show through.
Letter Pattern
Start every row with ch 1 and turn. The ch 1 doesn’t count as a stitch. Work each sc into both loops.
Legs (make 2)
With cream, ch 7. The slip knot marks the outer foot corner. Place a marker there.
Row 1: Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each remaining ch. (6 sc)
Rows 2–3: Sc in each st. (6 sc)
Row 4 (shift row): Sc2tog at the outer edge, sc 3, then 2 sc in the inner-edge st. If the row starts at the inner edge, work it in reverse order: 2 sc in the first st, sc 3, sc2tog. (6 sc)
Rows 5–7: Sc in each st. (6 sc)
Row 8: Repeat Row 4. (6 sc)
On each leg, the shift rows move the whole leg 1 stitch toward the center while keeping its width the same. That is what creates the slant of the A.
Fasten off Leg 1. Leave Leg 2 on the hook; it should end at its outer edge.
Crossbar
Lay both legs flat with the slip-knot corners on the outside.
Row 9: Ch 1 and turn Leg 2. Sc 6 across Leg 2, ch 7, then sc 6 across Leg 1, starting at its inner edge. (19 sts: 12 sc + 7 ch)
Row 10: Sc in each sc and each ch. (19 sc)
Row 11: Sc in each st. (19 sc)
The ch 7 bridges the 7-stitch gap left between the legs after Row 8.
Sides Around the Opening
Side A continues from your working yarn.
- Row 12: Sc2tog at the outer edge, sc 5. (6 sc) Leave the remaining 12 sts unworked.
- Row 13: Sc in each st. (6 sc)
- Row 14: Sc 5, 2 sc in the inner-edge st. (7 sc)
- Row 15: Sc in each st. (7 sc)
- Row 16: Sc2tog at the outer edge, sc 5. (6 sc)
- Row 17: 2 sc in the inner-edge st, sc 5. (7 sc)
- Rows 18–19: Sc in each st. (7 sc)
Don’t fasten off. Put the live loop on a marker.
Side B: On Row 11, skip the 5 sts next to Side A and join cream in the following st (this is the inner edge).
- Row 12: Sc 5, sc2tog at the outer edge. (6 sc)
- Row 13: Sc in each st. (6 sc)
- Row 14: 2 sc in the inner-edge st, sc 5. (7 sc)
- Row 15: Sc in each st. (7 sc)
- Row 16: Sc 5, sc2tog. (6 sc)
- Row 17: Sc 5, 2 sc in the inner-edge st. (7 sc)
- Rows 18–19: Sc in each st. (7 sc)
Fasten off Side B.
The 5 skipped stitches form the base of the triangular opening. The increases on Rows 14 and 17 narrow the opening from 5 to 3 to 1 stitch.
Top
Put the Side A loop back on your hook.
Row 20: Sc2tog at the outer edge, sc 5 across Side A, ch 1, then on Side B sc 5 and sc2tog. (13 sts: 12 sc + 1 ch)
Rows 21–23: Sc in each st, including the ch. (13 sc)
Row 24: Sc2tog, sc 9, sc2tog. (11 sc)
Row 25: Sc2tog, sc 7, sc2tog. (9 sc)
Row 26: Sc2tog, sc 5, sc2tog. (7 sc)
Don’t fasten off. The three decrease rows round off the top.
Border
Border gauge: 7 sc per 1 in (2.5 cm) along every edge.
Outer Rim, Round 1
Work around the whole outer edge in this order, with no turning:
- Top: 3 sc in the first st of Row 26, sc 5, 3 sc in the last st. (11)
- Side A slant: 1 sc in each row end, skipping the row ends of Rows 26 and 13. (24)
- Side A foot: Working into the foundation loops: 3 sc in the outer corner st, sc 4, 2 sc in the inner corner st. (9)
- Leg A inner edge: 1 sc in each row end of Rows 1–8. (8)
- Under the crossbar: 1 sc in each free loop of the ch 7. (7)
- Leg B inner edge: 1 sc in each row end. (8)
- Side B foot: 2 sc in the inner corner st, sc 4, 3 sc in the outer corner st. (9)
- Side B slant: 1 sc in each row end, skipping Row 13. (24)
Join to the first sc. Total: 100 sc.
To check the math: 11 + 24 + 9 + 8 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 24 = 100. Corner groups are counted inside their own side and are never added twice.
Outer Rim, Round 2
Sl st in the BLO of each st around. (100 sl sts)
Keep these slip stitches relaxed. They make the smooth raised rim. Fasten off.
Opening Rim
Round 1: Join cream at the base of the triangular opening.
- Base: Sc in each of the 5 skipped sts. (5)
- First side: 1 sc in each row end of Rows 12–18. (7)
- Tip: 1 sc in the underside of the Row 20 ch. (1)
- Second side: 1 sc in each row end of Rows 18–12. (7)
Join to the first sc. Total: 20 sc.
Round 2: Sl st in the BLO of each st around. (20 sl sts) Fasten off.
Why the Math Works
Each slanted outer edge rises 3.25 in (8.3 cm) while moving inward 8 columns, or 1.14 in (2.9 cm). That makes the slant about 3.44 in (8.7 cm) long, and 24 sc at border gauge comes out to 3.43 in (8.7 cm).
Each side of the opening is about 1.04 in (2.6 cm) long, so it takes 7 sc. If you put 1 sc in every row end, these edges would ruffle.
Flowers and Leaves
Leave long tails on every piece for sewing.
Pink Flower (make 1)
Round 1: With pale yellow, MR, 5 sc, join. (5) Fasten off.
Round 2: Join pink. Ch 1, 2 sc in each st, join. (10)
Round 3 (inner petals): Working in the FLO, (sc, 2 dc, sc) in the next st, sl st in the next st. Rep 5 times. (5 small petals)
Round 4 (outer petals): Working in the free back loops of Round 2, (sc, hdc, 2 dc) in the next st, (2 dc, hdc, sc) in the next st. Rep 5 times and join. (5 petals of 8 sts, 40 sts total)
The flower measures about 1 in (2.5 cm) across.
Lavender Flower (make 1)
Work it exactly like the pink flower. Use cream for Round 1 and lavender for Rounds 2–4.
White Daisy (make 1)
Round 1: With mustard, MR, 10 sc, join. (10) Fasten off.
Round 2: Join white. (Sl st, ch 2, 4 dc, ch 2, sl st) in the next st, sl st in the next st. Rep 5 times. (5 rounded petals)
Leaves (make 9)
Large leaf (make 5): With green, ch 6. Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, work sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc. Ch 1. Then, working along the other side of the chain, work sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc, and sl st to the tip.
Small leaf (make 4): Ch 5. Work sc, hdc, hdc, sc along the chain, ch 1, then work the same 4 sts down the other side and sl st to the tip.
Working down both sides of the chain leaves a center vein.
Buds (make 4)
With pink, MR, ch 1, 6 sc. Pull the ring tight, sl st to the first sc and fasten off. Each bud is about 0.25 in (0.6 cm) across.
Final Blocking
Block the letter before you sew anything onto it.
- Mist the letter until it is evenly damp.
- Pin it on the grid: put the feet on one line 3.6 in (9.1 cm) apart, with the top 3.5 in (8.9 cm) above them.
- Pin the top curve, both feet and both crossbar corners. Straighten each slant against the grid.
- Open the triangular opening with one pin at each corner.
- Let it dry completely. Mist the flowers separately and shape the petals with your fingers.
- Sew on the appliqués with matching yarn:
- Pink flower centered on Side B, Rows 12–19
- Daisy just below it, overlapping the crossbar
- Lavender flower at the lower inner edge of Leg B
- Leaves tucked under and between the flowers
- Embroider the green stems with chain stitch: one up toward the top, and one curving left along the crossbar.
- Sew 2 buds at the top of the upper stem and 2 at the lower left. Add a tiny green lazy-daisy stitch beside each bud.
- Open a jump ring and pass it through the Round 1 rim at the center top, which is the 3rd of the 5 top sc. Attach the chain, then the split ring.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Border Round 1 has 100 sc and Round 2 has 100 sl sts.
- The opening rim has 20 sc and 20 sl sts.
- Both slants are straight and both feet sit level.
- The letter measures 3.5 in (8.9 cm) × 3.6 in (9.1 cm).
- No flower stitching shows on the back.
- All tails are woven in through at least 1 in (2.5 cm) of fabric.
- The jump rings are fully closed with no gaps.
Troubleshooting
- The legs slant outward: The shaping is on the wrong edge. Check your markers and work the decrease at the outer edge.
- The edges ruffle: You’ve added extra row-end stitches. Stick to the listed counts.
- The edges cup or pull in: Your slip stitches are too tight. Redo Round 2 with a 2.75 mm hook.
- The opening has closed up: Count the 5 skipped stitches on Row 11 again.
- The petals flop: Re-block them with a firmer mist, or use tighter tension.
- The center gap is too wide: Work the crossbar’s ch 7 more firmly.
Care
Spot clean or hand wash in cool water, press out the water in a towel and dry flat. Keep the hardware dry so it doesn’t tarnish.
Final Notes
Everything here follows one measurement chain. Gauge is 7 sc and 8 rows per 1 in (2.5 cm). Each leg is 6 sc wide, and the crossbar row is 19 stitches. The top tapers from 13 to 7 stitches, so the letter measures 3.25 in (8.3 cm) by 3.3 in (8.4 cm) before the border. The 100-stitch rim brings it to 3.5 in (8.9 cm) by 3.6 in (9.1 cm). Check each stage before you move on, and the flowers will sit exactly where they should.
Happy crocheting!