The Teal Fern Wheel Lid Cover is a round, flat topper that sits on a closed toilet lid like a doily. Six deep teal leaves, each with a raised chevron vein, spin out from a small open ring. Between them are six airy cream fans, and the whole wheel is framed by teal puff dots and two tiers of cream scallops.
The palette is calm and spa-like: a warm cream base with a saturated teal accent. Cotton keeps the stitches crisp and stands up to washing, which matters in a bathroom.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished cover measures 15 in (38.1 cm) across after blocking.
It is worked as one piece from the center out. Rounds 1–2 make the cream center ring. Rounds 3–9 build the leaves and fans together using intarsia in joined, turned rounds, with one small bobbin per section. Rounds 10–14 add the border in single-color rounds, all worked with the right side facing.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 15 in (38.1 cm) diameter
- Skill level: Intermediate (intarsia with bobbins, puff stitches)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) cotton
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 1 (single round piece, no joining)
- Layout: 6 wedges, each one teal leaf plus one cream fan
- Piece size before border: 10 in (25.4 cm) diameter after Round 9
- Border depth: 2.5 in (6.4 cm) per side (Rounds 10–14)
Materials
Use a smooth, mercerized or unmercerized 100% cotton in worsted weight, about 85 m per 50 g (1.7 m per gram). Acrylic will work, but it gives softer scallops and tends to pill on a lid that gets handled a lot.
- Color A, Cream: 110 g, about 187 m (205 yd)
- Color B, Teal: 75 g, about 128 m (140 yd)
These quantities include about a 20% margin for swatching, bobbin tails, and gauge variation.
Tools:
- 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
- 11 yarn bobbins (or small butterflies of yarn)
- Tapestry needle
- Stitch markers (at least 6)
- Rust-proof pins and a blocking mat at least 16 in (40.6 cm) wide
- Measuring tape and a spray bottle
Before Round 3, wind 6 teal bobbins of 13 m (14 yd) each and 5 cream bobbins of 7 m (8 yd) each. The main cream ball works the sixth fan.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sp – space
- sk – skip
- rep – repeat
- RS / WS – right side / wrong side
- Rnd – round
Special stitches:
- V-st: (dc, ch 1, dc) in the same st or space.
- Puff st: (yo, insert hook, yo, pull up a loop to 3/4 in [1.9 cm]) 3 times, yo, pull through all 7 loops on the hook, then ch 1 to lock. The locking ch is part of the puff and is not counted separately.
- Standing sc: start with a slipknot on the hook, insert into the st, and complete an sc.
- Color change: work the last yo of the final st of a section with the next section’s yarn. Drop the old yarn on the WS of the work.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 14 dc and 7 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) in dc worked flat. Each dc round of the body adds about 0.55 in to the radius, or 1.1 in to the diameter.
Test first: work Rounds 1–5 as your swatch. It shows your gauge, your intarsia tension, and whether the piece lies flat. Measure it flat, without stretching:
- After Rnd 2: 2.5 in (6.4 cm)
- After Rnd 5: 5.75 in (14.6 cm)
- After Rnd 7: 8 in (20.3 cm)
- After Rnd 9: 10 in (25.4 cm)
- After Rnd 10: 10.5 in (26.7 cm)
- After Rnd 11: 11.5 in (29.2 cm)
- After Rnd 12: 12.5 in (31.8 cm)
- After Rnd 13: 13.5 in (34.3 cm)
- After Rnd 14 (blocked): 15 in (38.1 cm)
If your piece is 1/4 in (0.6 cm) or more too big at Round 5, go down to a 4.5 mm hook. If it is that much too small, go up to a 5.5 mm hook. Change only the hook, never the stitch counts, because the border math depends on the 132 stitches at Round 9.
Center Ring
Rnd 1 (RS, Color A): Ch 6, sl st to the first ch to form a ring. Ch 1, work 18 sc into the ring. Sl st to the first sc. Turn. (18 sc)
Rnd 2 (WS): Ch 3 (counts as dc throughout), dc in the same st, then 2 dc in each st around. Sl st to the top of the ch-3. Turn. (36 dc)
Keep the cream working yarn attached. Place a marker in every 6th st so you have 6 groups of 6 dc, one group per wedge.
Leaves and Fans (Intarsia Body)
How the rounds work: every round from here is joined and turned, so the bobbins always wait where the next round needs them. Each wedge has a fan (cream) and a leaf (teal), with one cream junction ch-1 on each side of every leaf.
- Fans: dc spokes separated by ch-1. Each round, work 1 dc into each fan dc and skip the ch-1 spaces, so the chains stack.
- Leaves: a center V-st with solid dc “sides”. Each round, work the V-st into the previous V-st’s ch-1 sp, skip the 2 dc of the old V, and work dc into each side dc. Stacking the Vs builds the raised chevron vein.
- Junction ch-1: worked over the previous junction ch-1, with nothing worked into it.
Work the chains on each side of a leaf with that wedge’s cream yarn. When a section opens a round, the ch-3 replaces its first dc. Odd rounds open with Fan 1 in cream. Even rounds open with Leaf 6 in teal, worked back in the other direction.
Rnd 3 (RS): Using the main cream yarn, work the following across each group of 6 dc:
- Fan: dc in st 1, ch 1, sk st 2, dc in st 3. Then ch 1 for the junction.
- Leaf (join a teal bobbin): dc in st 4, V-st in st 5, dc in st 6. Change to a cream bobbin and ch 1 for the junction.
Rep 6 times. Fans 2–6 use new cream bobbins, except that Fan 1 uses the main ball. Finish Leaf 6 and its junction ch, then sl st with the teal yarn to the top of the ch-3. Turn.
- Per wedge: fan 2 dc, leaf 4 dc (sides of 1), 4 ch → 10 sts
- Rnd 3 total: 36 dc + 24 ch = 60 sts
Rnd 4 (WS, leaf increase): In each leaf, 2 dc in the outer side dc, V-st in the V-sp, then 2 dc in the other outer side dc. Fans stay at 2 dc. Work all junction chains as set. Join and turn.
- Per wedge: fan 2 dc, leaf 6 dc (sides of 2), 4 ch → 12 sts
- Rnd 4 total: 48 dc + 24 ch = 72 sts
Rnd 5 (RS, fan increase): Leaves are worked even (no increases). In each fan, work (dc, ch 1, dc) in either fan dc, and the ch-1 between fan dc stays as set.
- Per wedge: fan 3 dc, leaf 6 dc, 5 ch → 14 sts
- Rnd 5 total: 54 dc + 30 ch = 84 sts
Checkpoint: 5.75 in (14.6 cm).
Rnd 6 (WS, leaf increase): Leaf sides go from 2 to 3: 2 dc in the outer side dc and dc in the next side dc, on each side of the V-st. Fans are worked even.
- Per wedge: fan 3 dc, leaf 8 dc, 5 ch → 16 sts
- Rnd 6 total: 66 dc + 30 ch = 96 sts
Rnd 7 (RS, fan increase): Work (dc, ch 1, dc) in the middle fan dc. Leaves are worked even.
- Per wedge: fan 4 dc, leaf 8 dc, 6 ch → 18 sts
- Rnd 7 total: 72 dc + 36 ch = 108 sts
Checkpoint: 8 in (20.3 cm).
Rnd 8 (WS, leaf increase): Leaf sides go from 3 to 4. Fans are worked even.
- Per wedge: fan 4 dc, leaf 10 dc, 6 ch → 20 sts
- Rnd 8 total: 84 dc + 36 ch = 120 sts
Rnd 9 (RS, fan increase): Work (dc, ch 1, dc) in either of the 2 middle fan dc. Leaves are worked even. Join with teal, then fasten off all teal bobbins and all cream yarns.
- Per wedge: fan 5 dc, leaf 10 dc, 7 ch → 22 sts
- Rnd 9 total: 90 dc + 42 ch = 132 sts
Checkpoint: 10 in (25.4 cm).
Each round adds 12 sts (2 per wedge). That is the standard growth for a flat dc circle, which is why the body stays flat. Weave in all bobbin tails now, before the border, working each tail along a seam line of its own color.
Border
Border gauge: each puff + ch-1 unit is about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) wide at Round 11. Each Round 14 scallop is about 1.3 in (3.3 cm) wide after blocking. A round piece has no sides, so all counts below are given per wedge (one-sixth of the circle) and for the full round.
All border rounds are worked with RS facing and are not turned.
Rnd 10 (Color A, conversion and growth round): Work a standing sc in the first dc of any fan. Work 1 sc in every dc and every ch-1 around, and add 1 extra sc in every 11th st, like this: [sc in next 10 sts, 2 sc in next st] 12 times. Sl st to the first sc.
- Count: 132 sc worked 1-per-existing-st + 12 extra sc = 144 sc (24 per wedge)
Rnd 11 (Color B): Join teal with a sl st in any sc. Ch 2 (counts as the first part of the first puff). Work [puff in next sc, ch 1, sk next sc] around. Sl st to the top of the first puff. Fasten off.
- Count: 72 puffs + 72 ch-1 = 144 sts (12 puffs per wedge)
Rnd 12 (Color A, first scallop tier): Work a standing sc in any ch-1 sp. Work [5 dc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next ch-1 sp] around, ending with 5 dc. Sl st to the first sc.
- Count: 36 sc + 180 dc = 216 sts (36 shells, 6 per wedge)
Rnd 13 (Color B, second dot tier): Work a standing sc in the center (3rd) dc of any shell. Work [ch 3, puff in next sc, ch 3, sc in center dc of next shell] around, omitting the final sc. Sl st to the first sc. Fasten off.
- Count: 36 sc + 36 puffs + 72 ch-3 sps (216 ch) = 288 sts
Rnd 14 (Color A, final scallops): Work a standing sc in any teal sc. Work [3 dc in next ch-3 sp, dc in top of puff, 3 dc in next ch-3 sp, sc in next sc] around, omitting the final sc. Sl st to the first sc. Fasten off.
- Count: 36 sc + 252 dc = 288 sts (36 scallops of 7 dc, 6 per wedge)
Why the math works: 132 is 12 groups of 11, so 12 evenly spaced increases bring Round 10 to 144. From there, 144 halves to 72 puffs, and 72 halves again to 36 shells. Every later round keeps that 36-repeat. Since 36 ÷ 6 = 6, each wedge carries exactly 6 shells and 6 scallops, so the edge lines up with the leaves. Round 13 adds height through its ch-3 arches rather than extra sts. Round 14 matches it one-for-one: 7 dc over each puff and its two arches.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all remaining ends, working each one through stitches of its own color.
- Soak the cover in cool water for 10 minutes, then press out the water in a towel. Do not wring it.
- Lay it RS up on the blocking mat. Pin the center ring into a round 2.5 in (6.4 cm) circle.
- Pin the tip of each leaf so the six leaves sit evenly spaced, at a 10 in (25.4 cm) diameter.
- Pin the center dc of all 36 scallops out to a 15 in (38.1 cm) circle.
- Open each fan’s chain spaces and each puff with your fingertips.
- Let it dry fully, about 24 hours, before unpinning.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- 6 leaves and 6 fans, evenly spaced
- Each leaf vein runs straight from the center ring to the border
- Round 9 has 132 sts; Round 10 has 144 sc
- 72 teal puffs in Round 11 and 36 in Round 13
- 36 scallops, with 6 lined up over each wedge
- The cover lies flat with no cupping or ruffling
- Measures 15 in (38.1 cm) across when blocked
- No teal shows through the cream fans at color changes
Troubleshooting
The body cups (curls up into a bowl): your rounds are too tight. Recheck the increases on Rounds 4–9, or go up a hook size.
The body ruffles: you have extra sts. Count each wedge against the per-wedge totals given for that round.
A leaf vein zigzags off-center: the V-st went into a dc instead of into the V’s ch-1 sp. Rework that round.
Teal flecks show in the fans: at a color change, drop the old yarn to the WS and pick the new yarn up from under it.
The bobbins tangle: after each turned round, untwist them by rotating the work back the way it came.
The scallops flip or curl: steam-block them flat, or use a smaller hook for Round 14 only.
The edge is too wavy: pull the ch-3 arches in Round 13 a little shorter and tighter.
Care
Hand wash or machine wash on a gentle cycle in cool water, then lay flat to dry and reshape the scallops while damp. Avoid bleach, which will fade the teal.
Final Notes
The measurements build in a simple chain: a 2.5 in (6.4 cm) ring after Round 2, 5.75 in (14.6 cm) after Round 5, and 10 in (25.4 cm) and 132 sts after Round 9. The border then adds 2.5 in (6.4 cm) all the way around through 144 sc, 72 puffs, 36 shells, 36 puffs, and 36 scallops, for a finished 15 in (38.1 cm) cover. If you check gauge at Round 5, the rest falls into place.
Happy crocheting!