This little monogram keychain is a bold royal blue letter B with a column of cottage-garden flowers climbing its stem. Two cream daisies with yellow centers sit above and below a smaller butter-yellow bloom, and four sage-green leaves peek out from behind them. It’s a quick, personal gift that looks good clipped to a tote, a backpack, or a set of keys.
The letter is worked flat in rows of single crochet, so the fabric is firm and holds its shape. The two openings are made by splitting the rows into a stem strip and a wall strip, then bridging them with a short chain. A single crochet edge round outlines the outside and both openings, which gives a clean, rounded finish.
The finished keychain charm measures about 3 in (7.6 cm) wide and 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall, not counting the ring. This pattern uses US crochet terms throughout.
Here’s the order of work: crochet the B body (22 rows), work the outer edge round, edge each opening, make three flowers and four leaves, sew on the appliqué, block, and attach the gold key ring.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 3 in (7.6 cm) wide x 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall
- Skill level: Easy-intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Sport weight (#2) cotton
- Hook: 2.75 mm (US C/2)
- Number of pieces: 1 letter body plus 7 small appliqué pieces sewn on (3 flowers, 4 leaves)
- Layout: One single letter; appliqué stacked vertically along the left stem
- Body size before edging: 2.67 in (6.8 cm) wide x 3.14 in (8.0 cm) tall
- Edging depth: about 0.17 in (0.4 cm) on each side
- Cream flower: 1 in (2.5 cm) across; yellow flower: 0.85 in (2.2 cm); leaf: 0.75 in (1.9 cm) long
Materials
Choose a smooth, mercerized sport-weight cotton. Cotton gives crisp stitches, resists stretching on a keychain, and holds up to handling. Avoid fuzzy or very stretchy yarns because they blur the letter’s outline.
- Royal blue (A): 8 g / 25 m
- Cream (B): 2 g / 6 m
- Butter yellow (C): 2 g / 6 m
- Sage green (D): 2 g / 6 m
All quantities include a small safety margin.
Tools:
– 2.75 mm (US C/2) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Sharp sewing needle and matching thread (optional, for extra-secure appliqué)
– 1 in (2.5 cm) gold split key ring
– Short gold chain with two jump rings, about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) long
– Two pairs of flat-nose pliers
– Stitch markers, scissors, blocking mat and pins, 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: (insert hook in next st, yo, pull up a loop) twice, yo, draw through all 3 loops
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- MR – magic ring
- yo – yarn over
Special stitch – Petal: In the stated st, work (hdc, 2 dc, hdc). The smaller variation used for the yellow flower is (hdc, dc, hdc).
Edge names: The stem edge is the straight left side of the B. The bowl edge is the curved right side. Each row tells you which way it travels.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 6 sc and 7 rows = 1 in (2.5 cm) in sc worked flat.
Make a test swatch first. Ch 13, sc in 2nd ch from hook and across (12 sc), then work 13 more rows of sc, for 14 rows total. It should measure 2 in (5.1 cm) square. Small gauge changes matter here because the openings are only 4 sts wide.
Checkpoints:
– After Row 3: 2.67 in (6.8 cm) wide.
– After Row 11: 1.57 in (4.0 cm) tall.
– After Row 22: 3.14 in (8.0 cm) tall.
– After edging: 3 in (7.6 cm) x 3.5 in (8.9 cm).
Too big? Go down 0.25 mm in hook size, or pull each loop snug against the hook. Too small? Go up 0.25 mm. Don’t add or remove stitches, because every count in the shaping depends on the 16-st width.
Letter B Body
Use color A throughout. Each row ends with “turn”; the turning ch 1 never counts as a stitch.
Row 1 (bowl edge → stem edge): Ch 15, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (14 sc)
Row 2 (stem → bowl): Ch 1, sc in next 13 sts, 2 sc in last st, turn. (15 sc)
Row 3 (bowl → stem): Ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in next 14 sts, turn. (16 sc)
The increases in Rows 2 and 3 round the bottom-right corner. The stem-edge corner stays square.
Count the Row 3 stitches from the stem edge as sts 1–16. Sts 1–6 form the stem, sts 7–10 are the lower opening, and sts 11–16 form the lower wall.
Lower Stem Strip
Row 4 (stem → inner): Ch 1, sc in sts 1–6 only, turn. (6 sc)
Rows 5–9: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (6 sc each row)
Row 9 ends at the stem edge. Put the live loop on a stitch marker and don’t cut the yarn.
Lower Wall Strip
Row 4: With the same side facing as for the stem strip’s Row 4, join A with sc in st 11 of Row 3. Sc in sts 12–16, turn. (6 sc)
Rows 5–9: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (6 sc each row)
Fasten off and weave in the tail. Sts 7–10 of Row 3 stay unworked and form the bottom of the lower opening.
Waist
Put the stem loop back on your hook.
Row 10 (stem → bowl): Ch 1, sc in 6 stem sts, ch 4, sc in first 4 wall sts, sc2tog over the last 2 wall sts, turn. (11 sc + 4 ch = 15 sts)
Row 11 (bowl → stem): Ch 1, sc2tog over the first 2 sts, sc in each remaining st, including each of the 4 ch, turn. (14 sc)
Row 12 (stem → bowl): Ch 1, sc in next 13 sts, 2 sc in last st, turn. (15 sc)
Row 13 (bowl → stem): Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (15 sc)
The decreases in Rows 10–11 and the increase in Row 12 make the notch at the waist. The upper bowl is 1 st narrower than the lower bowl, just like a printed B.
Count Row 13 from the stem edge as sts 1–15. The stem is sts 1–6, the upper opening is sts 7–10, and the upper wall is sts 11–15.
Upper Stem Strip
Row 14 (stem → inner): Ch 1, sc in sts 1–6 only, turn. (6 sc)
Rows 15–19: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (6 sc each row)
Row 19 ends at the stem edge. Put the loop on a marker.
Upper Wall Strip
Row 14: Join A with sc in st 11 of Row 13, sc in sts 12–15, turn. (5 sc)
Rows 15–19: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (5 sc each row)
Fasten off and weave in the tail.
Top Bar
Put the stem loop back on your hook.
Row 20 (stem → bowl): Ch 1, sc in 6 stem sts, ch 4, sc in 5 wall sts, turn. (11 sc + 4 ch = 15 sts)
Row 21 (bowl → stem): Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in each remaining st, including each ch, turn. (14 sc)
Row 22 (stem → bowl): Ch 1, sc in next 12 sts, sc2tog. (13 sc)
Don’t fasten off. The body should measure 2.67 in (6.8 cm) at its widest by 3.14 in (8.0 cm) tall. Each opening is 4 sts wide and 6 rows tall.
Edging
Edging gauge: One round of sc adds about 0.17 in (0.4 cm) on every side. That takes the body from 2.67 x 3.14 in (6.8 x 8.0 cm) to about 3 x 3.5 in (7.6 x 8.9 cm).
Outer Edging (Color A)
Ch 1 and turn so you can work back along the top. Work around the B counterclockwise, starting at the top stem-edge corner.
- Top edge: 3 sc in the first st of Row 22 (square corner), sc in the next 11 sts, 2 sc in the last st (rounded corner). (16 sc)
- Bowl edge: Sc in the row ends of Rows 21–13 (9 sc), sc2tog over the row ends of Rows 12 and 11 (1 st, which sharpens the waist notch), then sc in the row ends of Rows 10–2 (9 sc). (19 sc)
- Bottom edge: Working into the free loops of the foundation chain, 2 sc in the first loop at the bowl end (rounded corner), sc in the next 12 loops, 3 sc in the last loop (square corner). (17 sc)
- Stem edge: Sc in the row ends of Rows 2–21. (20 sc)
Sl st to the first sc. Total: 16 + 19 + 17 + 20 = 72 sc. Fasten off.
Why the math works: The top uses all 13 sts of Row 22 (1 + 11 + 1). The bottom uses all 14 foundation loops (1 + 12 + 1). The 3-sc groups add just enough ease to turn the square stem-side corners. The 2-sc groups turn the bowl corners gently so they stay round instead of pointed.
Along the sides, 1 sc per row end is right because a sc row is only slightly shorter than a sc is wide. Rows 1 and 22 are skipped at the side edges because the corner groups already cover them. The sc2tog at the waist takes out one stitch so the notch doesn’t flare.
Opening Edging (Color A)
Work each opening separately with the right side facing.
Lower opening: Join A in the first free st of Row 3 inside the opening.
– Sc in the 4 unworked sts of Row 3. (4)
– Sc in the 6 wall row ends. (6)
– Sc in the underside of the 4 ch from Row 10. (4)
– Sc in the 6 stem row ends. (6)
Sl st to the first sc. (20 sc)
Upper opening: Work the same way into the 4 unworked sts of Row 13, the 6 row ends on the wall side, the 4 ch from Row 20, and the 6 row ends on the stem side. (20 sc)
Don’t add stitches at the inner corners. An inside corner needs to tighten slightly, not grow, so the openings stay crisp rectangles about 0.33 in (0.8 cm) wide.
Flowers
Cream Flower (make 2)
Rnd 1 (C): In a MR, work 10 sc. Pull the ring closed and sl st to the first sc. Fasten off. (10 sc)
Rnd 2 (B): Join B in any st. Petal in the next st, sl st in the next st; repeat from * 4 more times. Sl st to the base of the first petal. (5 petals)*
Fasten off and leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail for sewing. The flower measures 1 in (2.5 cm) across.
Yellow Flower (make 1)
Rnd 1 (C): In a MR, work 10 sc. Pull the ring closed and sl st to the first sc. Don’t fasten off. (10 sc)
Rnd 2 (C): (hdc, dc, hdc) in the next st, sl st in the next st; repeat from * 4 more times. Sl st to finish. (5 petals)*
Leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail. The flower measures 0.85 in (2.2 cm) across. Its smaller petals make it read as a separate, slightly lower layer between the two cream flowers.
Leaves (make 4)
With D, ch 7.
Side 1: Starting in the 2nd ch from hook, sl st, sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc. (6 sts)
Tip: Ch 1. Side 2: Working along the opposite side of the foundation chain, sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc, sl st. (6 sts)
Fasten off and leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail. The leaf is a pointed oval about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) long.
Assembly
- Lay the B flat with the front facing you. Choose the side where the letter reads correctly.
- Place a cream flower centered on the stem with its top edge level with Row 19. Let about one-third of the flower hang past the stem edge.
- Place the yellow flower at the waist (Rows 10–13), lined up under the first flower.
- Place the second cream flower over Rows 2–8, matching the top flower’s position.
- Tuck the leaves halfway under the flower petals, angled outward:
- one at the top left of the top flower
- one on the left between the top and yellow flowers
- one on the left between the yellow and bottom flowers
- one at the bottom right of the bottom flower, pointing toward the bowl
- Pin everything in place, and check the outline from arm’s length before you sew.
- Sew each leaf down along its center line. Then sew each flower around Rnd 1 and tack every petal tip with one small stitch. Wherever an appliqué hangs past the edge, stitch it to the outer edging round so nothing flaps.
- Weave all tails into the back of the body.
Final Blocking
- Pin the B face up on a blocking mat, without the key ring attached yet.
- Pin it to 3 in (7.6 cm) wide and 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall. Put pins at the four corners, the waist notch, and the outside of each bowl.
- Push a pin through each opening so it stays a straight rectangle.
- Mist evenly until damp, but not soaked. Avoid pressing the flowers flat.
- Let it dry completely, at least 4 hours.
- Unpin it. Open a jump ring with two pairs of pliers and pass it through the outer edging at the center of the stem’s top edge (the 3rd–4th edging sts above the stem). Close it fully.
- Link it to the chain, then attach the gold split ring.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Body before edging is 2.67 x 3.14 in (6.8 x 8.0 cm).
- Outer edging has 72 sc: 16 top, 19 bowl edge, 17 bottom, 20 stem edge.
- Each opening edging has 20 sc and lies flat.
- Stem-side corners are square and bowl corners are rounded.
- The waist notch is visible.
- Finished size is 3 x 3.5 in (7.6 x 8.9 cm).
- Flowers are stacked cream, yellow, cream from top to bottom, with 4 leaves showing.
- All petal tips are tacked down, and no tails show on the front.
- Jump rings are fully closed and the key ring hangs straight from the stem.
Troubleshooting
Openings look slanted or uneven. Check that both strips have exactly 6 rows and that you joined the wall in st 11. Re-pin the openings during blocking.
Outer edge ruffles. Your edging is looser than the body. Work it with a hook 0.25 mm smaller.
Outer edge cups or pulls in. Work 3 sc instead of 2 at the rounded bowl corners.
Chain bridge sags. Work the 4 ch tightly, and sc into the back bump of each ch in Rows 11 and 21.
Flowers curl up. Tack every petal tip, then lightly re-block with a damp cloth.
Letter looks wobbly. Gauge is too loose. Remake the body with a smaller hook.
Care
Spot clean with mild soap and cool water, press out the water in a towel, and dry flat. Remove the metal ring before washing, and don’t wring the piece.
Final Notes
Every measurement depends on the one before it. At 6 sc and 7 rows per inch, the 16-st, 22-row body measures 2.67 x 3.14 in (6.8 x 8.0 cm). One 72-st edging round adds 0.17 in (0.4 cm) per side, giving a 3 x 3.5 in (7.6 x 8.9 cm) charm. The two 20-st opening rounds keep the inner shapes crisp. If each checkpoint matches, your Garden Initial will match too. Try it in your own colors for every initial on your list.
Happy crocheting!