This little oval charm is a soft cream “O” with a neat picot edge and a trail of tiny blue forget-me-nots down one side. It is small enough to finish in an evening, and it looks good clipped to a tote bag, a backpack zipper or a set of keys.
The body is creamy off-white. The flowers are a soft cornflower blue with sunny yellow centers, and small leaf-green leaves sit between them. The style is gentle and cottage-inspired: tight, firm single crochet with a rounded, bumpy edge that frames the opening.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished charm measures about 3.25 in (8.3 cm) wide by 4 in (10.2 cm) tall including the picots. The hanging loop adds roughly another 0.5 in (1.3 cm) at the top.
Construction is simple. You chain a ring for the center opening and then work joined rounds of single crochet outward, putting the increases at the top and bottom curves so the ring stays oval. One picot round finishes the edge and builds the hanging loop at the same time. Then you crochet the flowers and leaves separately and sew them on.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: about 3.25 in x 4 in (8.3 cm x 10.2 cm) including picots
- Skill level: Easy / advanced beginner
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Sport weight (#2) cotton
- Hook: 2.75 mm (C-2)
- Number of pieces: 1 oval body, plus 3 flowers and 4 leaves sewn on as appliqués
- Layout: Single piece. No joining.
- Center opening: about 0.75 in x 1.5 in (1.9 cm x 3.8 cm)
- Size before border (after Rnd 6): 2.75 in x 3.5 in (7.0 cm x 8.9 cm)
- Border depth: about 0.25 in (0.6 cm) per edge, including picots
- Flower size: about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) across
- Leaf size: about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) long x 0.4 in (1.0 cm) wide
Materials
Use a smooth mercerized cotton in sport weight. Cotton gives crisp stitch definition and holds the oval shape far better than acrylic. If you choose a different weight, the charm will scale up or down. The stitch counts stay the same, but the measurements will change.
Yarn:
– Cream (main color): 6 g, about 20 m
– Light blue (petals): 3 g, about 10 m
– Yellow (flower centers): 1 g, about 3 m
– Green (leaves): 2 g, about 6 m
These quantities already include a margin for gauge swatching and weaving in ends.
Tools:
– 2.75 mm (C-2) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– 4 locking stitch markers
– Scissors
– Gold split key ring, about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) across
– Gold jump ring, 8 mm
– 2 small flat-nose pliers for opening the jump ring
– Blocking mat and rustproof pins
– Optional: spray starch or fabric stiffener
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- inc – 2 sc in the same stitch
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- rnd – round
- rep – repeat
Special stitch: Picot. Ch 3, then sl st into the front loop and the left vertical leg of the sc you just made. This makes a small round bump that sits on the edge.
Special stitch: Hanging loop. Ch 5, sl st into the same sc you just made, then work 7 sc into the ch-5 loop and sl st into the same sc again. This makes a firm padded loop for the jump ring.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 6 sc and 6 rnds = 1 in (2.5 cm) in single crochet, worked firmly.
Use the first three rounds as your gauge test. Because the charm is so small, any gauge error shows up right away, so check early.
Checkpoint 1 – after Rnd 1: The opening should be about 0.75 in x 1.5 in (1.9 cm x 3.8 cm) when you pinch it into an oval.
Checkpoint 2 – after Rnd 3: The piece should measure about 1.75 in x 2.5 in (4.4 cm x 6.4 cm).
Checkpoint 3 – after Rnd 6: The piece should measure 2.75 in x 3.5 in (7.0 cm x 8.9 cm).
Checkpoint 4 – after Rnd 7: The piece should measure about 3.25 in x 4 in (8.3 cm x 10.2 cm) across the picot tips.
If your piece is too big: go down to a 2.5 mm hook, or tighten your tension on the sc.
If your piece is too small: go up to a 3.0 mm hook.
If the ring ruffles: your stitches are shorter than they are wide. Go up a hook size.
If the ring cups: your stitches are taller than they are wide. Go down a hook size.
Oval Body
Work in joined rounds with the right side always facing you. The ch 1 at the start of each round does not count as a stitch. Join each round with a sl st into the first sc.
The ring is divided into four sections: a top curve, a right side, a bottom curve and a left side. All increases go into the two curves. The sides stay at 6 sts every round, which keeps them straight and gives the tall oval shape.
Foundation: With cream, ch 24. Sl st into the first ch to form a ring, being careful not to twist the chain.
Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc in each ch around, join. (24 sts)
Section layout: top curve sts 1–6, right side sts 7–12, bottom curve sts 13–18, left side sts 19–24. Place a marker at the first st of each section and move the markers up as you go.
Rnd 2: Ch 1, [(sc in next st, inc) 3 times, sc in next 6 sts] 2 times, join. (30 sts)
Each curve now has 9 sts and each side has 6 sts.
Rnd 3: Ch 1, [(sc in next 2 sts, inc) 3 times, sc in next 6 sts] 2 times, join. (36 sts)
Each curve has 12 sts and each side has 6 sts. Check Checkpoint 2.
Rnd 4: Ch 1, [(sc in next 3 sts, inc) 3 times, sc in next 6 sts] 2 times, join. (42 sts)
Each curve has 15 sts and each side has 6 sts.
Rnd 5: Ch 1, [(sc in next 4 sts, inc) 3 times, sc in next 6 sts] 2 times, join. (48 sts)
Each curve has 18 sts and each side has 6 sts.
Rnd 6: Ch 1, [(sc in next 5 sts, inc) 3 times, sc in next 6 sts] 2 times, join. (54 sts)
Each curve has 21 sts and each side has 6 sts. Check Checkpoint 3.
Section layout for Rnd 6: top curve sts 1–21, right side sts 22–27, bottom curve sts 28–48, left side sts 49–54. The top center is st 11 and the bottom center is st 38.
Each round adds exactly 6 sts. In single crochet worked at square gauge, a flat ring grows by about 2π (≈6.28) stitches per round. Six increases per round therefore keeps the band flat.
Do not fasten off. Continue straight into the border.
Border
Border gauge: The border is worked at the same 6 sc per 1 in (2.5 cm) as the body. This is a trim round: 1 sc per existing stitch, plus picots added on top. No new sc are added.
Rnd 7 (picot round): Ch 1. Then sc in next st, sc in next st and work a picot, sc in next st. Rep from * 17 more times. On the 4th repeat, which falls on st 11 at top center, work the hanging loop instead of a picot. Join with a sl st to the first sc and fasten off.
(54 sc + 17 picots + 1 hanging loop)
This places the picots on sts 2, 5, 8, 14, 17 and 20, with the hanging loop on st 11, then on every third st around the rest of the ring.
Exact counts per section:
– Top curve: 21 sc, 6 picots + 1 hanging loop (at center st 11)
– Right side: 6 sc, 2 picots (sts 23 and 26)
– Bottom curve: 21 sc, 7 picots (centered on st 38)
– Left side: 6 sc, 2 picots (sts 50 and 53)
– Total: 21 + 6 + 21 + 6 = 54 sc; 6 + 2 + 7 + 2 = 17 picots; 1 hanging loop
Why the math works: 54 divides evenly by 3, so the 3-stitch repeat fits exactly 18 times with no leftover stitches. The positions run 2, 5, 8 and so on, which puts the hanging loop exactly on the top center stitch (11) and a picot exactly on the bottom center stitch (38). Each side has picots on its 2nd and 5th stitches, so the left and right sides mirror each other perfectly. The round is worked 1 sc per stitch, so the edge does not ruffle or pull in.
Flowers (make 3)
Center: With yellow, make a magic ring. Ch 1, work 5 sc into the ring, pull the ring closed and join with a sl st to the first sc. (5 sts) Fasten off.
Petals: Join light blue with a sl st in any yellow sc. (Ch 2, 2 dc, ch 2, sl st) all in the same st, sl st into the next st. Rep from * 4 more times. (5 petals) Fasten off and leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail for sewing.
Optional: With yellow, work one French knot in the center for extra definition.
Each flower measures about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) across.
Leaves (make 4)
With green, ch 6.
Rnd 1: Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, work sc, hdc, dc, hdc in the next 4 chs, then 3 sc in the last ch. Rotate and work along the other side of the chain: hdc, dc, hdc, sc. (11 sts)
Tip: Ch 2, sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, then sl st into the first sc. Fasten off and leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail.
Each leaf measures about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) long by 0.4 in (1.0 cm) wide.
Assembling the Appliqués
Lay the body flat with the hanging loop at the top. Arrange the 3 flowers in a gentle curved column down the left side of the band:
- Top flower: where the top curve meets the left side
- Middle flower: at the middle of the left side
- Bottom flower: where the left side turns into the bottom curve, leaning slightly toward the bottom center
Then tuck the leaves partly under the flowers:
- one leaf above the top flower, pointing up and to the right
- one leaf on the outer left between the top and middle flowers
- one leaf on the outer left between the middle and bottom flowers
- one leaf below the bottom flower, pointing down and to the right
Pin everything in place. Sew the leaves on first with small running stitches along their center lines. Then sew each flower down through its yellow center and with one small tack at the base of each petal. Keep the stitches inside the body so they do not show through to the back or catch the picots. Weave in all ends on the wrong side.
Final Blocking
- Lightly dampen the charm with a spray bottle until it is evenly moist but not dripping.
- Lay it right side up on the blocking mat.
- Pin the top center (the hanging loop base) and the bottom center (st 38) so the piece is 4 in (10.2 cm) tall across the picot tips.
- Pin the left and right sides so the piece is 3.25 in (8.3 cm) wide.
- Add pins at the four diagonals so the curves are smooth and even. Pin through the picots so each one sits round and points outward.
- Gently shape the center opening into a smooth oval of about 0.75 in x 1.5 in (1.9 cm x 3.8 cm).
- If you want a firmer charm, mist it with spray starch now.
- Let it dry completely, which usually takes 4–6 hours, before you unpin it.
- Open the jump ring with pliers, thread it through the hanging loop and the split ring, then close it fully.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Rnd 6 has 54 sts: 21 + 6 + 21 + 6.
- The body measures 2.75 in x 3.5 in (7.0 cm x 8.9 cm) before the border.
- Rnd 7 has 54 sc, 17 picots and 1 hanging loop.
- The hanging loop sits exactly at top center.
- The left and right picots mirror each other.
- The piece lies flat with no cupping or ruffles.
- All 3 flowers have 5 even petals.
- All 4 leaves are sewn securely, with their tips free.
- No sewing stitches show on the back or the edge.
- All ends are woven in and trimmed.
- The jump ring is fully closed with no gap.
Troubleshooting
The ring looks hexagonal with sharp corners. Increases stacked in the same spots can create points. Block firmly into a smooth oval. On your next charm, you can shift each increase one stitch over in alternate rounds.
The opening is too round. You may have worked increases on the sides. Check that each side has exactly 6 sts on every round.
The picots lean or flatten. Make sure you sl st into both the front loop and the side leg of the sc, then pin each picot outward when blocking.
The hanging loop is loose. Pack the 7 sc tightly into the ch-5 loop. If needed, add 1 more sc.
The petals curl. Steam them lightly, or pin them flat while the body blocks.
The charm is floppy. Use a smaller hook or add stiffener.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press out the water in a towel and dry flat. Remove the metal rings before washing to prevent tarnish marks.
Final Notes
The measurements build in a simple chain. A 24-chain ring makes a 0.75 in x 1.5 in (1.9 cm x 3.8 cm) opening. Six sc rounds, each adding 6 sts in the curves, grow it to 54 sts and 2.75 in x 3.5 in (7.0 cm x 8.9 cm). One picot round of 54 sc in 18 even repeats brings it to about 3.25 in x 4 in (8.3 cm x 10.2 cm), with the hanging loop centered at the top. Add three forget-me-nots and four leaves down the left side, and your charm is ready to clip on.
Happy crocheting!