This letter D keychain is a monogram you can clip to a bag strap or a set of keys. The letter is worked in warm terracotta cotton, with fine ridges that run around the shape. A small cluster of flowers sits along the straight stem of the D: two cream flowers with mustard centers, one mustard flower and three sage-green leaves tucked behind them.
The style is soft and a little cottagecore. The ridges come from working single crochet in the back loop only, so every round leaves a raised line that follows the outline of the letter. The flowers sit slightly raised on top, which gives the keychain some depth without making it bulky.
All instructions use US crochet terms. The finished letter measures about 3 in (7.6 cm) wide and 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall, not counting the gold key ring and chain.
The letter is made in one piece. You chain a ring the shape of the D’s inner hole, then work 6 joined rounds outward. Increases go at the two square corners on the left and along the curve on the right. A slip stitch round finishes the edge. The flowers and leaves are made separately and sewn on, and the hardware goes on last.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: about 3 in (7.6 cm) wide x 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall
- Skill level: Easy / advanced beginner
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK / light (3) cotton
- Hook: 3.0 mm
- Number of pieces: 1 letter, plus 3 flowers and 3 leaves sewn on top
- Layout: a single capital D with a vertical flower cluster along the left stem and the key ring at the top-left corner
- Inner hole: about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) wide x 2.5 in (6.4 cm) tall
- Size before border: about 3 in (7.6 cm) x 4.25 in (10.8 cm)
- Border depth: 1 slip stitch round, about 1/16 in (0.2 cm)
Materials
Pick a smooth, firm cotton or cotton blend in DK weight. Mercerized cotton shows the back-loop ridges best and helps the letter stay flat. Avoid fuzzy or very stretchy yarn, because the D needs to keep its square corners.
- Terracotta (letter): 10 g / 22 m
- Cream (2 flowers): 3 g / 7 m
- Mustard (3 flower centers + 1 flower): 3 g / 7 m
- Sage green (3 leaves): 2 g / 4 m
These amounts include extra for your gauge swatch and yarn tails. Scraps from other projects work well here.
Tools:
- 3.0 mm crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- At least 3 stitch markers
- Scissors
- 1 gold split key ring, 1 in (2.5 cm) across
- 1 gold jump ring (6 mm) and about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) of fine gold chain
- 2 pairs of flat-nose pliers
- Pins and a foam blocking board with a grid
- Spray bottle with water
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- BLO – back loop only
- inc – 2 sc in the same st
- corner – 3 sc in the same st (the middle sc of the 3 is the corner st for the next round)
- rnd(s) – round(s)
Special stitch – back bump: On the back of a chain, each ch has a small horizontal bar. When you work into that bar, the neat “V” of the chain stays visible along the inner edge of the D.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 6 sc and 7 rnds = 1 in (2.5 cm) in sc BLO.
Before you start, make a 2 in (5.1 cm) swatch in sc BLO, worked in turned rows. You should have 12 sts across and 14 rows in 2 in (5.1 cm). Back-loop rows look and behave like the rounds of the letter, so this swatch is a fair test.
Row gauge matters as much as stitch gauge here. Row gauge sets how wide the walls of the letter are. Stitch gauge sets whether the increases match the shape.
Checkpoints:
- Foundation ring: the 40 ch, laid flat, measures about 6.7 in (17.0 cm).
- After Rnd 3: about 2.1 in (5.3 cm) wide x 3.4 in (8.6 cm) tall.
- After Rnd 6: about 3 in (7.6 cm) wide x 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall.
If your piece is too big: change to a 2.75 mm hook. If it’s too small: change to a 3.25 mm hook. If the letter cups or ruffles even though your gauge is right, see Troubleshooting before you change any stitch counts.
The Letter D
Work in joined rounds with the right side facing you the whole time. Do not turn. Every sc from Rnd 2 onward is worked in BLO.
How each round is laid out: Each round has a bottom edge, a bottom-left corner (Corner A), the left stem, a top-left corner (Corner B), a short top edge and the curve. Each round grows by 6 sts: +2 at Corner A, +2 at Corner B and +2 along the curve. Put a marker in the middle sc of each corner, and move the markers up as you go.
Foundation: With terracotta, ch 40. Join with a sl st to the first ch to form a ring, making sure the chain isn’t twisted.
The ring is split up like this:
- ch 1: Corner A
- chs 2–14: left side (13 chs)
- ch 15: Corner B
- chs 16–18: top (3 chs)
- chs 19–37: curve (19 chs)
- chs 38–40: bottom (3 chs)
Rnd 1 (into the back bumps): Ch 1, 3 sc in first ch (Corner A), sc in next 13 ch, 3 sc in next ch (Corner B), sc in next 3 ch, [sc in next 6 ch, 2 sc in next ch, sc in next 5 ch, 2 sc in next ch, sc in next 6 ch], sc in last 3 ch. Join with a sl st to the first sc. (46 sts)
Check: 3 + 13 + 3 + 3 + 21 + 3 = 46.
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in first st, 3 sc in next st (Corner A), sc in next 15 sts, 3 sc in next st (Corner B), sc in next 4 sts, [sc in next 6 sts, inc, sc in next 7 sts, inc, sc in next 6 sts], sc in last 3 sts. Join. (52 sts)
Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in first 2 sts, corner, sc in next 17 sts, corner, sc in next 5 sts, [sc in next 7 sts, inc, sc in next 7 sts, inc, sc in next 7 sts], sc in last 3 sts. Join. (58 sts)
Measure now. The letter should be about 2.1 in (5.3 cm) x 3.4 in (8.6 cm).
Rnd 4: Ch 1, sc in first 3 sts, corner, sc in next 19 sts, corner, sc in next 6 sts, [sc in next 7 sts, inc, sc in next 9 sts, inc, sc in next 7 sts], sc in last 3 sts. Join. (64 sts)
Rnd 5: Ch 1, sc in first 4 sts, corner, sc in next 21 sts, corner, sc in next 7 sts, [sc in next 8 sts, inc, sc in next 9 sts, inc, sc in next 8 sts], sc in last 3 sts. Join. (70 sts)
Rnd 6: Ch 1, sc in first 5 sts, corner, sc in next 23 sts, corner, sc in next 8 sts, [sc in next 8 sts, inc, sc in next 11 sts, inc, sc in next 8 sts], sc in last 3 sts. Join. (76 sts)
Don’t fasten off. The letter should now measure about 3 in (7.6 cm) x 4.25 in (10.8 cm).
Why it lies flat: Each square corner needs about 2 extra sts per round, and a half-circle needs about 2 more. That adds up to 6 per round, which fits this gauge. The curve increases move a little from round to round, so the curve stays smooth instead of forming points.
Flowers (make 3)
Cream flower (make 2): With mustard, make a magic ring. Ch 1, work 5 sc in the ring, pull it closed and join with a sl st to the first sc. (5 sts) Fasten off mustard, then join cream with a sl st in any sc.
Petal rnd: (Ch 2, 2 dc, ch 2, sl st) all in the same st, sl st in next st. Repeat from * 4 more times; the last sl st lands in the st where you joined. (5 petals) Fasten off and leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail.
Mustard flower (make 1): Work it the same way as the cream flower, but use mustard for both rounds. The tight sc center makes a raised middle in the same color.
Each flower measures about 0.9 in (2.3 cm) across.
Leaves (make 3)
With sage, ch 7. Working in the back bumps, starting in the 2nd ch from the hook: sl st, sc, hdc, dc, hdc, then (sc, ch 2, sc) all in the last ch to make the tip. Turn the piece and work along the other side of the chain: hdc, dc, hdc, sc, sl st. Join with a sl st to the first sl st. Fasten off and leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail.
Each leaf is a pointed oval about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) long, and the chain down the middle looks like a center vein.
Border
Border gauge: Work 1 sl st in each sc, loosely and through both loops. Each sl st should be the same width as the sc under it, so the edge doesn’t pull in.
Rnd 7 (sl st edging): Without fastening off after Rnd 6, sl st in each st around. Join to the first sl st. (76 sl sts) Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Count per section (corners counted on their own):
- Bottom edge: 9
- Corner A: 1
- Left stem: 25
- Corner B: 1
- Top edge: 9
- Curve: 31
Check: 9 + 1 + 25 + 1 + 9 + 31 = 76.
Why the math works: In Rnd 6, the first and third sc of each corner group belong to the side next to them. That gives the left stem 23 + 2 = 25, the top 8 + 1 = 9 and the bottom 5 + 1 + 3 = 9. The curve keeps its own 31. The border has 1 sl st per st and no extra stitches at the corners, so it doesn’t change the size. It just firms up the edge, adding only about 1/16 in (0.2 cm).
The foundation chain already finishes the inner edge. Its front loops make a neat outline around the hole.
Assembly
- Arrange: Lay the letter right side up. Line up the three flowers over the left stem so they overlap its outer edge a little: cream at the top, mustard in the middle, cream at the bottom. Move the bottom cream flower slightly to the right so it sits over the bottom-left corner.
- Tuck in the leaves: Slide one leaf behind the top flower, pointing up and to the left. Slide one behind the mustard flower, pointing left. Slide the last one behind the bottom flower, pointing down and to the left. About half of each leaf should show.
- Sew: Tack each leaf down with a few stitches through its center vein. Then sew the flowers on top with small stitches around their centers. Weave the tails through the back of the letter only, so no stitching shows on the front.
- Add the hardware: Open the jump ring sideways with two pliers. Thread it through the Corner B st of Rnd 6 and one end of the chain, then close it fully. Attach the split key ring to the other end of the chain.
Final Blocking
- Before you sew on the flowers, mist the letter until it’s damp but not soaked.
- Pin it right side up on the foam board, with the inner hole at about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) x 2.5 in (6.4 cm).
- Pin both outer left corners square first. Then pin the curve into a smooth arc so the letter measures 3 in (7.6 cm) x 4.25 in (10.8 cm).
- Use the board grid to keep the stem straight up and down.
- Let it dry completely, for at least 4 hours.
- Unpin it, then add the flowers, leaves and hardware.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- The letter measures 3 in (7.6 cm) x 4.25 in (10.8 cm).
- Rnd 6 and the border each have 76 sts.
- Both left corners are square, and the curve has no points.
- The back-loop ridges run all the way around the right side.
- The flowers are attached firmly and the leaves don’t flop.
- No sewing shows on the front.
- The jump ring is fully closed, with no gap.
- All ends are woven in and trimmed.
Troubleshooting
- The letter cups: Your stitches are too tight, or you missed some increases. Check your count against the round totals, or go up a hook size.
- The edges ruffle: Your stitches are too loose, or you added extra increases. Check the totals, or go down a hook size.
- The corners are rounded: Always work the corner as 3 sc in the marked middle st, and pin the corners square when you block.
- The curve has points: The increases are stacked on top of each other. Follow the exact counts in the brackets.
- The border pulls in: Loosen your slip stitches, or work them with a 3.25 mm hook.
- The flowers droop: Add 2 or 3 stitches through the base of each petal.
Care
Hand wash in cool water and lay flat to dry, shaping the corners while the letter is damp. Don’t wring it or tumble dry it, and keep the metal parts out of water if you can.
Final Notes
Here is how the measurements build on each other. The 40-ch ring, about 6.7 in (17.0 cm) around, forms a hole about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) x 2.5 in (6.4 cm). At 7 rnds per inch, the 6 rounds add about 0.875 in (2.2 cm) on every side. That makes a 3 in (7.6 cm) x 4.25 in (10.8 cm) letter with 76 sts. The 76-st slip stitch border then finishes the edge without changing the size. If your swatch and your Rnd 3 measurement match, the rest will match too.
Once you’re comfortable with the corner-and-curve method, you can use it to make other letters, too.
Happy crocheting!