This little letter J is a quick, personal keychain charm. The navy single crochet body is firm and flat, with a neat raised border that frames the letter shape. A small cream daisy with a sunny yellow center and two sage-green leaves sits in the lower right corner, adding a soft cottage-garden touch.
The color palette is simple: deep navy for the letter, cream and yellow for the flower, and muted green for the leaves. On a gold split ring, it looks polished enough to give as a gift, clip onto a tote bag, or use as a bag tag.
This pattern uses US crochet terms throughout. The finished letter measures 2.7 in (6.9 cm) wide by 3.8 in (9.7 cm) tall, not counting the hardware.
The letter is made as one flat piece, worked from the bottom up in rows. You start with the foot, narrow to the stem, then widen into the top bar. A two-row tip is added afterward on the left side of the foot. One border round outlines the whole J. The daisy and leaves are made separately and sewn on.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 2.7 in (6.9 cm) wide x 3.8 in (9.7 cm) tall
- Skill level: Easy / advanced beginner
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK / light worsted (#3) cotton
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Number of pieces: 1 letter piece, plus 3 small appliqués (1 daisy, 2 leaves)
- Layout: Single standalone charm, with no joining of letter pieces
- Letter size before border: 2.4 in (6.1 cm) wide x 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall
- Border depth: about 0.15 in (0.4 cm) on every edge
Materials
Yarn: Use a smooth, mercerized or combed cotton in DK weight. Cotton holds crisp edges and does not fuzz, so the letter outline stays sharp. Avoid fluffy or very stretchy yarns because they blur the corners.
- Navy (letter and border): 10 g, about 27 yd (25 m)
- Cream (daisy petals): 2 g, about 5.5 yd (5 m)
- Yellow (daisy center): 1 g, about 2.2 yd (2 m)
- Sage green (leaves and stem): 2 g, about 5.5 yd (5 m)
All quantities include a small safety margin.
Tools:
– 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Stitch marker
– 1 in (2.5 cm) gold split key ring
– 0.25 in (0.6 cm) gold jump ring
– Two pairs of small flat-nose pliers
– Blocking mat and rust-proof pins
– Spray bottle with water
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- hdc: half double crochet
- dc: double crochet
- sc2tog: single crochet 2 together
- st(s): stitch(es)
- rep: repeat
- RS: right side
Special stitch: fsc (foundation-style extension sc). Insert the hook into the two bottom strands at the base of the last stitch made. Yarn over and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through 1 loop; this makes the “chain” base. Then yarn over and pull through both loops. Each fsc adds one new stitch past the end of a row without needing a separate chain.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 5 sc and 6 rows = 1 in (2.5 cm) in sc worked in rows.
Make a test swatch first. Ch 11 and work 12 rows of 10 sc. Your swatch should measure 2 in (5.1 cm) square.
- Swatch too big: go down to a 3.25 mm hook.
- Swatch too small: go up to a 3.75 mm hook.
Gauge matters more here than in many small projects, because the border math depends on the letter’s proportions.
Checkpoints while you work:
1. After Row 5 (the foot): 2.0 in (5.1 cm) wide x about 0.8 in (2.0 cm) tall.
2. After Row 17 (the stem): total height about 2.8 in (7.1 cm). The stem is 1.2 in (3.0 cm) wide.
3. After Row 21 (the top bar): 2.4 in (6.1 cm) wide x 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall.
4. After the border: 2.7 in (6.9 cm) x 3.8 in (9.7 cm).
Letter Pattern
Single crochet fabric looks almost the same on both sides. Don’t worry about which side is the front until the end; you will choose it when you add the border.
Foot
With navy, ch 11.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (10 sc)
Rows 2–5: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (10 sc per row)
Check Checkpoint 1.
Stem
Row 6: Ch 1, turn, sc in the first 6 sts. Leave the last 4 sts unworked. (6 sc)
The 4 unworked stitches will become the tip side of the J. The stem rises from the other 6.
Rows 7–17: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (6 sc per row)
That makes 12 stem rows in total, about 2 in (5.1 cm) tall. Row 17 ends on the outer edge of the stem, the side away from the unworked stitches. Check Checkpoint 2.
Top Bar
Row 18 (growth row): Ch 3, turn. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in the next ch (2 sc). Sc in each of the 6 stem sts (6 sc). Then work 4 fsc to extend past the tip side. (12 sts)
The top bar now overhangs the stem by 2 sts on the outer side and 4 sts on the tip side. This gives the J its slightly left-weighted top.
Rows 19–21: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (12 sc per row)
Fasten off. Check Checkpoint 3.
Tip
Lay the piece flat with the 4 unworked foot stitches on your left. The stem should rise on the right, and the longer top bar overhang should point left. This side now faces you and is the RS.
On the top of Row 5, the unworked stitches are, from left to right: the edge st, then sts 2, 3 and 4.
Tip Row 1: Join navy with a sl st in st 2 (counting from the left edge). Ch 1, sc in the same st and in the edge st. (2 sc)
Tip Row 2: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st. (2 sc)
Fasten off. The tip stands 2 rows tall, about 0.3 in (0.8 cm). Sts 3 and 4 of Row 5 stay unworked and form the inner curve of the J.
Weave in all ends on the back.
Border
Border gauge: Work 1 sc in each stitch along top and bottom edges, and 1 sc in each row-end along side edges. Outer corners get 3 sc in one stitch. Inner corners get an sc2tog that bridges the two edges.
Keep the RS facing. Join navy with a sl st in the top-left corner st of Row 21.
Rnd 1:
- A, top edge (Row 21): 3 sc in the corner st, sc in the next 10 sts, 3 sc in the last st. (16 sc)
- B, right end of the top bar: Sc in the row-ends of Rows 20 and 19 (2 sc). Work 3 sc in the row-end of Row 18 for the outer corner. Then sc2tog over the free loop of the 2nd extension ch and the row-end of Row 17 for the inner corner. (6 sts)
- C, outer side of stem and foot: Sc in each row-end from Row 16 down to Row 2. (15 sc)
- D, bottom edge (free loops of the foundation ch): 3 sc in the first loop (corner), sc in the next 8 loops, 3 sc in the last loop (corner). (14 sc)
- E, left foot and tip: Sc in the row-ends of Rows 2–5 (4 sc). Sc in the row-end of Tip Row 1 (1 sc). Work 2 sc in each of the 2 tip sts to round the top (4 sc). Sc2tog over the inner row-end of Tip Row 1 and st 3 of Row 5. Then sc2tog over st 4 of Row 5 and the inner row-end of Row 6. (11 sts)
- F, inner side of the stem and underside of the left overhang: Sc in the row-ends of Rows 7–16 (10 sc). Sc2tog over the row-end of Row 17 and the base of the first fsc for the inner corner. Sc in the bases of the next 2 fsc (2 sc). Work 3 sc in the base of the last fsc for the outer corner. (16 sts)
- G, left end of the top bar: Sc in the row-ends of Rows 19 and 20. (2 sc)
Sl st to the first sc. Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Round total: 16 + 6 + 15 + 14 + 11 + 16 + 2 = 80 sts
Why the math works:
– Straight edges are worked 1:1, so they don’t ruffle or pull in.
– Outer corners: each 3-sc group turns the edge 90 degrees. The middle sc sits right on the point, and the outer two cover the new direction.
– Inner corners: each sc2tog removes the one extra stitch that would otherwise bunch in the notch.
– The tip turns a full 180 degrees over only 2 stitches. Using 2 sc in each stitch (4 total) rounds it instead of flaring it.
– Total size: the border adds about 0.15 in (0.4 cm) per edge. 2.4 in + 0.3 in = 2.7 in (6.9 cm) wide, and 3.5 in + 0.3 in = 3.8 in (9.7 cm) tall.
Daisy Appliqué
Rnd 1: With yellow, make a magic ring. Work 6 sc into the ring and pull it tight. Sl st to the first sc. (6 sc) Fasten off.
The center is about 0.3 in (0.8 cm) across.
Rnd 2: Join cream with a sl st in any sc. Work (ch 2, 3 dc, ch 2, sl st) in the same st. Sl st in the next sc, then work (ch 2, 3 dc, ch 2, sl st) in the same st. Rep from * 4 more times. (6 petals)
Fasten off and leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail for sewing. The daisy measures about 0.9 in (2.3 cm) across.
Leaf Appliqué (Make 2)
With sage green, ch 5.
Rnd 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook, then hdc in the next ch, dc in the next ch, and sc in the last ch. That gives 4 sts on the first side. Ch 1 for the point. Rotate the piece and work along the free loops: sc, dc, hdc, sc (4 sts on the second side). Sl st to the first sc. (8 sts + ch-1 point)
Fasten off and leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail. Each leaf is about 0.8 in (2.0 cm) long.
Assembly
- Daisy: Place the daisy over the lower right of the J, where the stem meets the foot. Its center should sit about 0.6 in (1.5 cm) above the bottom border, with the petals just touching the right border.
- Sew the daisy: Use the cream tail to tack each petal tip and the yellow center to the letter. Sew through the front layer of stitches only, so nothing shows on the back.
- Leaves: Place them just below the daisy, base to base. Angle one leaf up and to the left and the other up and to the right. Sew around each leaf’s edge with its tail.
- Stem: With a length of green, backstitch a short stem of 3 stitches, about 0.4 in (1.0 cm) long, from the base of the daisy down between the leaves.
- Hardware: Open the jump ring with two pairs of pliers by twisting the ends sideways, not by pulling them apart. Push it through the top border, between border sts 9 and 10, which sit directly above the stem. Hook on the split ring and twist the jump ring closed.
Final Blocking
- Lightly mist the letter with water until it is damp but not soaked.
- Lay it RS up on the blocking mat.
- Measure and gently ease it to 2.7 in (6.9 cm) x 3.8 in (9.7 cm).
- Pin each outer corner of the top bar, the bottom corners of the foot, and the tip. Angle the pins outward so they don’t dent the border.
- Square the stem with your fingers so both edges run straight and parallel.
- Leave the piece to dry completely, at least 4 hours.
- Unpin. Steam the daisy lightly from above if the petals need to lift, without letting the iron touch the yarn.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Letter measures 2.7 in (6.9 cm) x 3.8 in (9.7 cm).
- Border round has exactly 80 sts.
- Top bar is 12 sts wide, the stem is 6 sts, and the foot is 10 sts.
- All outer corners are crisp, and the inner corners lie flat without puckers.
- The tip is rounded, not pointed or flared.
- The daisy has 6 even petals and a centered yellow middle.
- Both leaves sit symmetrically under the daisy.
- No sewing stitches show on the back.
- The jump ring is fully closed and centered above the stem.
- All ends are woven in securely.
Troubleshooting
The letter curls. Your tension is too tight. Block it firmly, and next time use a hook 0.25 mm larger.
The border ruffles along the sides. Make sure you work only 1 sc per row-end. Don’t add extra stitches into the gaps between rows.
Inner corners bunch up. Check that you worked an sc2tog at each inner corner, not 2 separate sc.
The top bar leans to one side. Count the overhangs: there should be 2 sts on the outer side and 4 on the tip side.
The tip looks like a spike. Use 2 sc in each tip stitch, not 3.
The daisy petals flop. Pull the magic ring tight. Tack each petal tip with a small stitch.
The charm feels floppy. Your gauge is too loose. Go down a hook size so the fabric is dense and firm.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press out the water in a towel, and dry flat. Remove the split ring before washing so the metal doesn’t tarnish or mark the cotton.
Final Notes
Each stage builds on the one before it:
- Gauge: 5 sc and 6 rows = 1 in (2.5 cm).
- Foot: 10 sts, 2.0 in (5.1 cm) wide.
- Stem: 6 sts, 1.2 in (3.0 cm) wide.
- Top bar: 12 sts, 2.4 in (6.1 cm) wide.
- Letter before border: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall.
- Border: one 80-stitch round adds 0.15 in (0.4 cm) per edge, for a finished 2.7 in (6.9 cm) x 3.8 in (9.7 cm).
If each checkpoint matches, the finished charm will match too. Once you know this shape, you can change the flower colors or the yarn for every friend’s initial.
Happy crocheting!