This little keychain is a flat, sturdy letter V in deep raspberry-rose single crochet. It has a neat edging round and a small cluster of flowers. A cream five-petal flower and a soft pink five-petal flower, both with mustard-yellow centers, sit along the left arm with two round cream buds and three sage-green leaves. A gold split ring on a short chain is attached at the top of the left arm.
The style is tidy cottage-garden: a dense, even sc fabric that holds its shape, with raised appliqués for texture. It makes a quick personalized gift and looks lovely clipped to a tote bag handle.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished letter is 4 in (10.2 cm) tall and 3.6 in (9.1 cm) wide at the top. Each arm is 1.2 in (3.0 cm) wide.
Construction is simple. You work the V body flat in rows from the bottom point up, then split it into two arms that lean outward using “shift rows.” One sc border round goes around the whole letter. You make the flowers, buds and leaves separately and sew them on, then add the hardware last.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 4 in (10.2 cm) tall x 3.6 in (9.1 cm) wide
- Skill level: Easy / advanced beginner
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK (light, #3) cotton
- Hook: 3.0 mm (US C/2 or D/3)
- Number of pieces: 1 letter body, plus 7 small appliqués (2 flowers, 2 buds, 3 leaves)
- Layout: Single letter V, with the appliqués grouped along the left arm
- Arm width: 0.8 in (2.0 cm) before the border, 1.2 in (3.0 cm) after
- Size before border: 3.6 in (9.1 cm) tall x 3.2 in (8.1 cm) wide
- Border depth: 1 sc round, about 0.2 in (0.5 cm) on every edge
Materials
Choose a smooth mercerized or combed cotton in DK weight. Cotton gives crisp stitches, keeps the letter flat and won’t fuzz on a bag handle. A sport-weight cotton worked more tightly also works, but check your gauge first.
- Color A, raspberry-rose (letter body): 10 g, about 23 m
- Color B, cream (large flower and buds): 3 g, about 7 m
- Color C, light pink (small flower): 2 g, about 5 m
- Color D, sage green (leaves): 2 g, about 5 m
- Color E, mustard yellow (flower centers): 1 g, about 2 m
All quantities include a margin of roughly 30% for swatching and weaving in ends.
Tools:
- 3.0 mm crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Locking stitch markers (2)
- Gold key ring, 1 in (2.5 cm), with a short chain
- 1 gold jump ring, 6 mm, and 2 pairs of flat-nose pliers
- Blocking board and rust-proof pins
- Scissors and a spray bottle
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
- st(s) – stitch(es)
Special technique: shift row. On an arm of 4 sts, work 2 sc in the stitch at the outer edge (the edge away from the center gap) and sc2tog over the 2 sts at the inner edge. The count stays at 4, but the whole arm moves one stitch outward.
- If the row begins at the outer edge: 2 sc in first st, sc in next st, sc2tog over last 2 sts. (4 sts)
- If the row begins at the inner edge: sc2tog over first 2 sts, sc in next st, 2 sc in last st. (4 sts)
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 5 sc and 5 rows = 1 in (2.5 cm) in sc worked flat.
Before you start, make a swatch of 10 sc for 10 rows. It should measure 2 in (5.1 cm) square. Because the gauge is square, each row-end along the sides is about as wide as one stitch, which is what makes the border math work.
Test your gauge on the real piece too: work the letter body through Row 4 and measure it before going further.
Checkpoints:
- After Row 1: 1.2 in (3.0 cm) wide
- After Row 4: 1.6 in (4.1 cm) wide and 0.8 in (2.0 cm) tall
- After Row 10: 2 in (5.1 cm) tall, each arm 0.8 in (2.0 cm) wide
- After Row 18: 3.6 in (9.1 cm) tall and 3.2 in (8.1 cm) wide
- After the border: 4 in (10.2 cm) tall and 3.6 in (9.1 cm) wide
If it’s too big, go down to a 2.75 mm hook. If it’s too small, go up to a 3.25 mm hook. A difference of 0.1 in (0.3 cm) in arm width is fine. Anything more will distort the V, so change hooks and restart.
Letter V Body
Work in Color A. The ch 1 at the start of each row does not count as a stitch. Turn at the end of every row.
Bottom section:
Row 1: Ch 7, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (6 sts)
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in each st across. (6 sts)
Row 3 (growth row): Ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in last st. (8 sts)
Row 4: Ch 1, sc in each st across. (8 sts)
Place a marker in the 4th and 5th sts of Row 4. This is where the arms split.
First arm:
Row 5: Ch 1, sc in first 4 sts only, turn. Leave the other 4 sts unworked. (4 sts)
Row 6 (shift row): Ch 1, work a shift row. (4 sts)
Rows 7–8: Ch 1, sc in each st. (4 sts)
Row 9 (shift row): Ch 1, work a shift row. (4 sts)
Rows 10–11: Ch 1, sc in each st. (4 sts)
Row 12 (shift row): Ch 1, work a shift row. (4 sts)
Rows 13–14: Ch 1, sc in each st. (4 sts)
Row 15 (shift row): Ch 1, work a shift row. (4 sts)
Rows 16–18: Ch 1, sc in each st. (4 sts)
Fasten off.
Second arm:
Row 5: Join Color A in the 5th st of Row 4 (the marked st next to the first arm). Ch 1, sc in the same st and in the next 3 sts. (4 sts)
Rows 6–18: Repeat Rows 6–18 of the first arm. Make sure every shift row increases at this arm’s outer edge, not toward the center. (4 sts)
Fasten off.
Stitch check: Each arm has 14 rows (Rows 5–18), including 4 shift rows, so each arm moves 4 sts outward. The top width is 8 + 4 + 4 = 16 sts, or 3.2 in (8.1 cm). The gap between the arms at the top is 16 − 8 = 8 sts, or 1.6 in (4.1 cm).
Flower Appliqués
Large cream flower (make 1):
Rnd 1: With Color E, MR, 5 sc in ring. Pull the ring closed and sl st to first sc. (5 sts) Fasten off Color E.
Rnd 2: Join Color B in any st. Ch 1, 2 sc in each st around, sl st to first sc. (10 sts)
Rnd 3 (petal round): In next st work (hdc, 2 dc, hdc), sl st in next st; repeat from * 4 more times. (5 petals; 25 sts)
Fasten off, leaving a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail for sewing. Diameter: about 1 in (2.5 cm).
Small pink flower (make 1):
Rnd 1: With Color E, MR, 5 sc in ring. Pull the ring closed and sl st to first sc. (5 sts) Fasten off Color E.
Rnd 2 (petal round): Join Color C in any st. In next st work (sl st, ch 2, 2 dc, ch 2, sl st); repeat from * 4 more times. (5 petals)
Fasten off, leaving a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail. Diameter: about 0.8 in (2.0 cm).
Optional center texture: Using a doubled strand of Color E or a deeper gold, add 5–7 small French knots to each flower center for a dotted look.
Buds and Leaves
Cream bud (make 2):
Rnd 1: With Color B, MR, 6 sc in ring. Pull the ring closed. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Sc in each st around. (6 sts)
Fasten off, leaving an 8 in (20.3 cm) tail. Tuck the starting tail inside. Then weave the long tail through the front loops of Rnd 2 and pull it closed into a small ball. Diameter: about 0.4 in (1.0 cm).
Leaf (make 3):
With Color D, ch 6.
Side 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in next ch, hdc in next ch, 3 sc in last ch.
Side 2: Working along the other side of the chain: hdc in next ch, dc in next ch, hdc in next ch, sc in last ch. Sl st to first sc. (11 sts)
Fasten off, leaving an 8 in (20.3 cm) tail. Length: about 0.8 in (2.0 cm). If you want a center vein, backstitch a line down the middle with a single ply of Color D.
Border
Border gauge: Work 1 sc per stitch or row-end, at the same 5 sts per inch. The border adds 0.2 in (0.5 cm) on every edge.
The corner groups are counted in the bottom and arm-top totals. The side totals do not include corners.
Rnd 1: Join Color A in the Row 17 row-end on the outer edge of the second arm. Ch 1 (does not count as a st), then work:
- Second arm, outer edge: Sc in the row-end of Rows 17 down to 2. (16 sts)
- Bottom: Working into the foundation chain, 3 sc in first ch, sc in next 4 chs, 3 sc in last ch. (10 sts)
- First arm, outer edge: Sc in the row-end of Rows 2 up to 17. (16 sts)
- First arm, top: 3 sc in first st, sc in next 2 sts, 3 sc in last st. (8 sts)
- First arm, inner edge: Sc in the row-end of Rows 17 down to 6. (12 sts)
- Crotch (the inside point of the V): Sc2tog over the Row 5 row-end of the first arm and the Row 5 row-end of the second arm. (1 st)
- Second arm, inner edge: Sc in the row-end of Rows 6 up to 17. (12 sts)
- Second arm, top: 3 sc in first st, sc in next 2 sts, 3 sc in last st. (8 sts)
Sl st to first sc. Total: 16 + 10 + 16 + 8 + 12 + 1 + 12 + 8 = 83 sts.
Fasten off and weave in all ends.
Why the math works:
- Row-ends: At a square gauge, one row-end is as wide as one stitch, so 1 sc per row-end lies flat.
- Starting positions: The edge has 6 bottom sts, 16 + 16 outer row-ends, 4 + 4 arm-top sts, 12 + 12 inner row-ends and 2 crotch row-ends. That’s 72 positions.
- Skipped row-ends: You skip the row-ends of Rows 1 and 18 because the corner groups cover them.
- Outer corners: Each of the 6 outer corners gets 2 extra sc so the edge turns without cupping. That adds 12.
- Inside corner: The crotch, the only inside corner, gets a decrease. That subtracts 1.
- Total: 72 + 12 − 1 = 83.
Final Blocking
- Lightly spray the bordered V with water until it is damp but not dripping.
- Pin it flat on the blocking board, with one pin at each of the 6 outer corners and one at the crotch.
- Check that it measures 4 in (10.2 cm) tall and 3.6 in (9.1 cm) wide at the top, with each arm 1.2 in (3.0 cm) wide.
- Add pins along the outer edges so they run straight, with no wobble at the shift rows.
- Let it dry completely, at least 4 hours.
- Unpin it and lay out the appliqués on the left arm. Working from the top down:
- two buds side by side near the top
- a leaf tucked under them on the outer edge
- the large cream flower at mid-arm, overlapping the outer border
- a second leaf peeking out below the cream flower on the outer side
- the pink flower near the bottom of the arm
- the third leaf pointing down beneath the pink flower
- Pin the appliqués in place and sew them on with their tails, using small stitches through the back loops of the petal edges. Don’t let the stitches go through to the back of the letter.
- Open the jump ring with the two pliers. Slip it through the center sc of the outer corner group at the top of the first arm. Add the key ring chain and close the jump ring fully.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Row 4 has 8 sts, and each arm has 4 sts in every row.
- Both arms have exactly 4 shift rows and both lean outward.
- The border has 83 sts and no gap at the crotch.
- The finished size is 4 in (10.2 cm) x 3.6 in (9.1 cm).
- Each flower has 5 even petals and a tightly closed center.
- The appliqués are secure and no stitches show on the back.
- The jump ring is fully closed and goes through a whole border stitch, not a single strand.
Troubleshooting
The arms lean inward. The shift rows were worked backward. Put the increase on the edge away from the gap.
The edges ripple. The border is too loose. Use a smaller hook for the border only.
The edges pull in or curl. Row-ends were skipped. Count each side against the border totals.
There’s a hole at the crotch. Tighten the sc2tog, or close the hole from the back with a stitch of Color A.
The petals flop. Your tension is too loose. Use a smaller hook for the appliqués.
The buds won’t stay round. Pull the closing tail firmly and push the starting tail inside as stuffing.
Care
Spot clean with mild soap and cool water, then reshape and dry flat. Don’t machine wash it, because the hardware and appliqués can snag.
Final Notes
The measurements build on each other. A gauge of 5 sc and 5 rows per 1 in (2.5 cm) gives a body of 3.6 in (9.1 cm) x 3.2 in (8.1 cm) after Row 18. The 83-st border adds 0.2 in (0.5 cm) on every edge, so the finished letter is 4 in (10.2 cm) x 3.6 in (9.1 cm). Check your size at each stage and the flowers will sit right where they belong.
Happy crocheting!