This Blossom Fan Letter V Keychain is a lacy initial charm with stacked fan stitches. Each arm of the V shows a column of fans opening upward, divided by smooth solid bands, with small open gaps between the spokes. A tidy two-round edging outlines the whole letter.
The body is soft sky blue. Three white five-petal flowers with butter-yellow centers sit on top, one at the top of each arm and one at the base point, with small green leaves tucked underneath. A gold split ring on a short chain turns the letter into a keychain or bag charm.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished keychain measures about 4.375 in (11.1 cm) wide across the top by 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall, not counting the hardware.
The body is a single piece, worked flat in rows from the bottom point up. A short base section holds two fans side by side, then each arm is worked separately. Each arm shifts outward by one stitch per fan repeat, and that shift creates the V angle. A border goes around the whole letter, then the flowers and leaves are sewn on.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 4.375 in (11.1 cm) wide x 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Fingering / super fine (#1) mercerized cotton
- Hook: 2.25 mm (US B-1)
- Number of pieces: 1 V body, plus 3 flower and 4 leaf appliqués
- Layout: Single letter motif, no joining of body pieces
- Arm width: 11 stitches = 1.375 in (3.5 cm)
- Size before border: 4.125 in (10.5 cm) wide x 4 in (10.2 cm) tall
- Border depth: about 0.125 in (0.3 cm)
Materials
Use a smooth mercerized cotton in fingering weight. It shows the fan spokes clearly, holds its shape on a keychain, and survives handling. Avoid fuzzy or very stretchy yarns, because the openings will blur.
- Color A, light sky blue (body and border): 8 g, about 28 m
- Color B, white (petals): 3 g, about 11 m
- Color C, pale yellow (flower centers): 1 g, about 4 m
- Color D, leaf green (leaves): 1 g, about 4 m
All quantities include a small safety margin.
Tools:
- 2.25 mm (US B-1) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Rustproof pins and a blocking mat
- Spray bottle, plus optional light spray starch
- Gold split key ring, 1 in (2.5 cm)
- Short gold chain, about 0.75 in (1.9 cm), with two jump rings
- Two pairs of small pliers for opening jump rings
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sc3tog – single crochet 3 together
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sp – space
- RS / WS – right side / wrong side
- BLO – back loop only
Special stitch – Fan: (dc, ch 1) 4 times, dc, all in the same stitch. A fan has 5 dc and 4 ch-1 spaces. Each ch-1 space counts as a stitch, so one fan = 9 stitches.
Turning chains: In rows that begin with ch 3, the ch 3 counts as the first dc. Work into its top chain on the next row. Ch 1 never counts as a stitch.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 8 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm). One two-row fan repeat (a fan row plus a leveling row) = 0.5 in (1.3 cm) tall.
The first four rows of the body work as your gauge test. Measure on a flat surface and don’t stretch the piece.
- After Row 1: 11 sc = 1.375 in (3.5 cm) wide.
- After Row 4: 21 sts = 2.625 in (6.7 cm) wide, 1 in (2.5 cm) tall.
- After Row 8: total height 2 in (5.1 cm).
- After Row 16: 4 in (10.2 cm) tall, 4.125 in (10.5 cm) across the top of both arms.
- After the border: 4.375 in (11.1 cm) x 4.25 in (10.8 cm).
If Row 4 measures more than 2.75 in (7.0 cm), change to a 2.0 mm hook. If it measures less than 2.5 in (6.4 cm), change to a 2.5 mm hook. Height matters too. If your fan repeats come out taller than 0.5 in (1.3 cm), pull the fan dc a little shorter, or the arms will grow too long for the flowers.
Body Pattern
Base
With Color A, ch 12.
Row 1 (RS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. Turn. (11 sts)
Row 2 (WS): Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in same st, 2 dc in each of next 4 sts, dc in next st (center), 2 dc in each of next 4 sts, 2 dc in last st. Turn. (21 sts)
This row flares the base outward to make the rounded bottom of the V.
Row 3 (RS, fan row): Ch 1, sc in first st, skip 4 sts, Fan in next st, skip 4 sts, sc in next st; repeat from * once more. The last sc goes into the top of the turning chain. Turn. (21 sts: 3 sc + 2 fans of 9)*
Row 4 (WS, leveling row): Ch 3 (counts as dc), hdc in next dc, hdc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next 5 sts, hdc in next ch-1 sp, hdc in next dc, dc in center sc; repeat from * to * once, dc in last sc. Turn. (21 sts)
The leveling row uses taller stitches above the low sc and shorter ones above the high fan centers, so the top edge comes out straight and even. Checkpoint: 2.625 in (6.7 cm) wide, 1 in (2.5 cm) tall.
Arm A (Right Arm, as seen from the RS)
Arm A is worked over the first 10 sts of Row 4. The center dc (st 11) stays unworked for both arms and becomes the inner point of the V.
Row 5 (RS, fan row): Ch 1, sc in first st, skip 4 sts, Fan in next st, skip 3 sts, sc in next st. Leave remaining sts unworked. Turn. (11 sts)
This row uses 10 stitches and makes 11. The skip is 4 on the outer side and 3 on the inner side, which pushes the fan slightly outward.
Row 6 (WS, leveling row): Ch 3 (counts as dc), hdc in next dc, hdc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next 5 sts, hdc in next ch-1 sp, hdc in next dc, dc in last sc. Turn. (11 sts)
Row 7 (RS, fan row): Ch 1, sc in first st, skip 4 sts, Fan in next st, skip 3 sts, sc in next st, leave last st (inner edge) unworked. Turn. (11 sts)
Row 8: Work as Row 6. (11 sts)
Rows 9–16: Repeat Rows 7–8 four more times. (11 sts per row)
On every fan row, the inner edge moves 1 stitch outward and the outer edge grows 1 stitch outward. Over 6 repeats, the arm’s outer edge shifts 6 stitches, or 0.75 in (1.9 cm). Fasten off.
Arm B (Left Arm, as seen from the RS)
Row 5 (RS, fan row): With RS facing, skip the unworked center dc of Row 4. Join Color A with a standing sc in the next st. Skip 3 sts, Fan in next st, skip 4 sts, sc in last st (top of turning ch). Turn. (11 sts)
Row 6 (WS): Work as Arm A Row 6. (11 sts) This row ends at the inner edge.
Row 7 (RS, fan row): Ch 1, skip first st (inner edge), sc in next st, skip 3 sts, Fan in next st, skip 4 sts, sc in last st. Turn. (11 sts)
Row 8: Work as Row 6. (11 sts)
Rows 9–16: Repeat Rows 7–8 four more times. Fasten off. (11 sts per row)
Arm B mirrors Arm A. There are still 3 skipped stitches on the inner side and 4 on the outer side, and the dropped stitch is always at the inner edge.
Checkpoint: Each arm is 1.375 in (3.5 cm) wide and 3 in (7.6 cm) tall. The total height is 4 in (10.2 cm). The top width is 33 sts, or 4.125 in (10.5 cm). The gap between the arm tops is about 11 sts, or 1.375 in (3.5 cm).
Flowers (Make 3)
Rnd 1: With Color C, make a magic ring. Ch 1, 5 sc in ring, sl st to first sc. Pull the ring closed and fasten off. (5 sc)
Rnd 2: Join Color B with a sl st in any sc. (Ch 2, 3 dc, ch 2, sl st) in same sc, sl st in next sc; repeat from * 4 more times, working the last sl st into the joining st. Fasten off and leave a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail. (5 petals, 15 dc total)*
Each flower is about 1 in (2.5 cm) across.
Leaves (Make 4)
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, sc in last ch. (5 sts)
Tip: Ch 2, sl st in 2nd ch from hook.
Side 2: Working along the opposite side of the foundation chain, sc in first ch, hdc in next ch, dc in next ch, hdc in next ch, sc in last ch. Sl st to first sc of Side 1. (10 sts + tip)
Fasten off and leave a tail. Each leaf is about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) long.
Border
Border gauge: 8 sc per inch, which matches the body. Each fan repeat is 0.5 in (1.3 cm) tall. Its edge has one sc-height row end and one dc-height row end, so work 1 sc in each fan-row end and 3 sc in each leveling-row end. That gives 4 sc per repeat, which is exactly 8 sc per inch.
Side counts below are worked between the corner groups. Each top and bottom count includes its two 3-sc corner groups.
Rnd 1 (RS): With RS facing, join Color A with a standing sc in the bottom-left foundation ch (below Arm B). Then work as follows:
- Bottom edge: 2 more sc in the same ch (3 sc in this corner, counting the standing sc), sc in next 9 ch, 3 sc in last ch. (15 sc)
- Outer side of Arm A: 7 sc up the base (3 in Row 2 end, 1 in Row 3 end, 3 in Row 4 end), then 24 sc up the arm. (31 sc)
- Top of Arm A: 3 sc in first st, sc in next 9 sts, 3 sc in last st. (15 sc)
- Inner side of Arm A: 23 sc down to Row 6.
- Inner point: Sc3tog over the Row 5 end of Arm A, the unworked center dc, and the Row 5 end of Arm B. (1 st)
- Inner side of Arm B: 23 sc up.
- Top of Arm B: 3 sc in first st, sc in next 9 sts, 3 sc in last st. (15 sc)
- Outer side of Arm B: 24 sc down the arm, 7 sc down the base. (31 sc)
Sl st to first sc. Total: 15 + 31 + 15 + 23 + 1 + 23 + 15 + 31 = 154 sc
Rnd 2: Sl st loosely in BLO of each sc around. Join and fasten off. (154 sl sts)
Why the math works: Each outer arm side covers 6 repeats x 4 sc = 24 sc, which measures 3 in (7.6 cm) at 8 sc per inch. Each inner side starts with the same 24 sc. One of them becomes a leg of the sc3tog, leaving 23. The decrease pulls the concave inner point in sharply and keeps it from ruffling. The 3-sc corner groups add only the fullness needed to turn each convex corner. The sl st round sits flat on top of the sc and adds no width. That’s why the border adds only about 0.125 in (0.3 cm) all around.
Assembly
- Top flowers: Place a flower on the top 1 in (2.5 cm) of each arm, centered side to side and 0.125 in (0.3 cm) below the border. Tuck one leaf under the lower outer edge of each flower, angled outward. Sew the leaf first, then the flower, using small stitches through the dc bases of the petals.
- Base flower: Center the third flower over Rows 2–4. Tuck a leaf under each side, pointing out to the left and right. Sew the leaves and then the flower in place.
- Hardware: Open a jump ring and pass it through the outer top corner group of Arm B. Close the ring. Use it to attach the chain, then attach the chain to the split ring with the second jump ring.
- Weave in all ends on the WS, through solid band stitches only, so the fan openings stay clear.
Final Blocking
- Lightly mist the keychain with water until it’s damp, not soaked.
- Lay it RS up on the blocking mat.
- Pin the base point and both outer top corners. Check that the top width is 4.375 in (11.1 cm) and the height is 4.25 in (10.8 cm).
- Pin the inner point and the inner top corners. Keep each arm 1.375 in (3.5 cm) wide plus border.
- Ease each fan open with your fingertip so the spokes fan evenly.
- Mist with spray starch if you want a firmer charm.
- Let it dry completely before you unpin it.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Each arm has 6 fans plus the 2 base fans, all opening upward.
- Every row of the arms has 11 stitches.
- The leveling rows are straight and even.
- The inner point is crisp, with no ruffle.
- Border Rnd 1 has exactly 154 sc.
- Flowers sit level and are centered on the arm tops and the base.
- Leaves peek out evenly, and none are twisted.
- Jump rings are fully closed, with no gaps.
- The finished size is 4.375 x 4.25 in (11.1 x 10.8 cm).
Troubleshooting
Arms stand straight up instead of angling out: You worked into the inner edge stitch on a fan row. Leave it unworked, as written.
Arms splay too wide: Your fan rows may be too loose. Tighten the fan dc or go down a hook size.
The top edge of a leveling row dips in the middle: Your sc stitches are too tight compared with your dc. Loosen them slightly.
Inner point ruffles: Make sure you worked the sc3tog rather than plain sc.
Border waves along the sides: Use 2 sc instead of 3 in the leveling-row ends, and keep the totals symmetrical on both arms.
Petals cup: Steam them lightly and press them flat with your fingers.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press out the water in a towel, and dry the keychain flat. Keep it away from heat so the starch and the metal findings last.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is simple. 8 sc per inch sets the arm at 11 sts = 1.375 in (3.5 cm). Each fan repeat adds 0.5 in (1.3 cm). The base reaches 1 in (2.5 cm), and six arm repeats bring the body to 4 in (10.2 cm) tall and 4.125 in (10.5 cm) wide. The 154-stitch border brings it to 4.375 x 4.25 in (11.1 x 10.8 cm). If you check those numbers at each stage, the letter will come out the right size.
Happy crocheting!