This little keychain is a crocheted oval ring in soft cream single crochet, with a small spray of flowers sewn across its lower-left curve. There is one large aqua flower, one cream flower, one peach flower, two round peach buds and five sage-green leaves. A gold jump ring, a short chain and a split keyring hang from the top, so it can go on keys, a bag zipper or a cabinet knob.
The palette is gentle: ivory, aqua, peach, pale yellow, light pink and sage. It has a cottage-garden, spring-wreath look that suits gifts, party favors and bathroom or nursery hooks.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished ring measures 3.2 in wide x 3.8 in tall (8.1 cm x 9.7 cm), with an oval center opening of 1.6 in x 2.2 in (4.1 cm x 5.6 cm). With the hardware attached, the hanging length is about 5.3 in (13.5 cm).
To build it, you chain a ring for the inner opening, then work 3 joined rounds of single crochet outward, adding all increases only on the two curved ends. Two border rounds finish the outer edge. Then you make the flowers, buds and leaves one at a time and sew them on.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 3.2 in x 3.8 in (8.1 cm x 9.7 cm)
- Skill level: Easy / advanced beginner
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK / light worsted (#3) cotton
- Hook: 3.25 mm (US D-3)
- Number of pieces: 1 finished keychain made of 1 ring base plus 10 small sewn-on appliqués (3 flowers, 2 buds, 5 leaves)
- Layout: Single oval ring, flowers clustered from about 10 o’clock to 5 o’clock on the lower-left curve
- Piece size (ring band width): 0.8 in (2.0 cm)
- Size before border: 2.8 in x 3.4 in (7.1 cm x 8.6 cm)
- Border depth: 0.2 in (0.5 cm), 1 sc round plus 1 slip-stitch round
Materials
Choose a smooth mercerized or combed cotton in DK weight. Cotton holds the oval shape well and shows clean stitch texture. Acrylic works too, but it will feel softer and lie less crisply.
- Cream / ivory (ring and cream flower petals): 10 g, about 24 m
- Aqua (large flower petals): 3 g, about 7 m
- Peach (peach flower petals and buds): 4 g, about 10 m
- Sage green (leaves): 3 g, about 7 m
- Pale yellow (flower centers): 2 g, about 5 m
- Light pink (peach flower center): 1 g, about 2 m
Tools:
- 3.25 mm (US D-3) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- 2 stitch markers
- Scissors
- 1 split keyring, 1 in (2.5 cm) across, gold tone
- 1 jump ring, 6 mm, gold tone
- 4–5 links of small gold chain, about 0.5 in (1.3 cm)
- 2 pairs of flat-nose pliers
- Blocking mat, rust-proof pins and a spray bottle
All yarn quantities include a margin of about 30% for your gauge swatch and tails.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- inc – increase: 2 sc in the same stitch
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- MR – magic ring
- rep – repeat
Special stitches
- Petal (large): (hdc, 3 dc, hdc) all in the same stitch.
- Petal (small): (ch 2, 2 dc, ch 2, sl st) all in the same stitch.
- Bud: in a MR, ch 2, then work 4 dc into the ring, pull the ring tightly closed, and sl st to the top of the beginning ch-2. The dc fold into a small ball.
- French knot: bring the needle up, wrap the yarn twice around it, and insert it back down right next to where it came up.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 20 sc and 20 rounds = 4 in (10.2 cm). That is 5 sts and 5 rounds per inch, so each sc round adds 0.2 in (0.5 cm) to the band.
Treat the ring as your gauge test. Work Rounds 1 and 2, lay the piece flat and measure. The checkpoints below are outer measurements (width x height):
- Foundation chain of 30: the relaxed chain is about 6.0 in (15.2 cm) long
- After Round 1 (36 sts): 2.0 in x 2.6 in (5.1 cm x 6.6 cm)
- After Round 2 (42 sts): 2.4 in x 3.0 in (6.1 cm x 7.6 cm)
- After Round 3 (48 sts): 2.8 in x 3.4 in (7.1 cm x 8.6 cm)
- After Round 5 (border complete): 3.2 in x 3.8 in (8.1 cm x 9.7 cm)
The inner opening should stay at 1.6 in x 2.2 in (4.1 cm x 5.6 cm) all the way through.
Too big? Use a hook one size smaller, such as 3.0 mm. Too small, or cupping? Use a 3.5 mm (US E-4) hook. If the piece ruffles instead, your increases are too loose. Go down a size, or work each inc a little tighter.
Oval Ring Base
Work in joined rounds. The ch 1 at the start of each round does not count as a stitch. Each round starts at the right-hand straight side and has four segments, in order: right side, bottom end, left side, top end. The sides always stay at 3 sts. All increases go on the two curved ends, 3 per end per round. Place a marker in the first st of each round.
With cream, ch 30. Join with a sl st to the first ch, taking care not to twist the chain.
Round 1 (conversion round): Ch 1. Sc in the same ch as the join and in the next 2 ch (right side, 3 sts). (Sc in next 3 ch, inc in next ch) 3 times (bottom end, 15 sts). Sc in the next 3 ch (left side, 3 sts). Rep from * to * (top end, 15 sts). Join with a sl st to the first sc.
Count: 30 sts worked 1 per chain + 6 increases = 36 sts (3 + 15 + 3 + 15).
Round 2: Ch 1. Sc in the first 3 sts. (Sc in next 4 sts, inc in next st) 3 times (18 sts). Sc in the next 3 sts. Rep from * to * (18 sts). Join.
Count: 42 sts (3 + 18 + 3 + 18).
Round 3: Ch 1. Sc in the first 3 sts. Sc in next 2 sts, inc in next st, (sc in next 5 sts, inc in next st) 2 times, sc in next 3 sts (21 sts). Sc in the next 3 sts. Rep from * to * (21 sts). Join.
Count: 48 sts (3 + 21 + 3 + 21).
This round staggers the increases, which keeps the curved ends round instead of pointed. Check the size against the pre-border checkpoint: 2.8 in x 3.4 in (7.1 cm x 8.6 cm). Do not fasten off.
Flowers, Buds and Leaves
Leave an 8 in (20.3 cm) tail on every appliqué for sewing.
Large aqua flower (make 1)
- Round 1: With pale yellow, 5 sc in a MR. Join. (5 sts)
- Round 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in each st. Join and fasten off. (10 sts)
- Round 3: Join aqua with a sl st in any st (this counts as the first sl st). Large petal in the next st, sl st in the next st. Rep from * 4 more times; the final sl st goes into the joining st. Fasten off.
Count: 5 petals over 10 sts.
The flower measures about 1.2 in (3.0 cm) across. With pale yellow, work 5 French knots in a cluster over the center to give the beaded look.
Cream flower (make 1)
- Round 1: With pale yellow, 5 sc in a MR. Join and fasten off. (5 sts)
- Round 2: Join cream with a sl st in any st. Small petal in that same st and in each remaining st around. Join and fasten off.
Count: 5 petals.
It measures about 0.9 in (2.3 cm) across. Add 3 pale yellow French knots in the center.
Peach flower (make 1)
Work the same as the cream flower, using light pink for Round 1 and peach for the petals. Add 3 light pink French knots in the center. It measures 0.9 in (2.3 cm) across.
Peach buds (make 2)
With peach, make 1 bud stitch. Use the tail to stuff the opening, then pull it into a ball about 0.4 in (1.0 cm) across.
Sage leaves (make 5)
Ch 7. Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook: sl st, sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc (6 sts). Ch 1 to turn around the tip. Working along the other side of the foundation chain: sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc, sl st (6 sts). Sl st into the first sl st. Fasten off.
Count: 12 sts + ch-1 tip. Each leaf is about 0.8 in (2.0 cm) long.
Border
The border uses the same gauge as the ring, 5 sts per inch. Each round’s count is given per segment: right side / bottom end / left side / top end.
Round 4 (border round 1): Ch 1. Sc in the first 3 sts. (Sc in next 6 sts, inc in next st) 3 times (24 sts). Sc in the next 3 sts. Rep from * to * (24 sts). Join.
Count: 54 sts (3 / 24 / 3 / 24).
Round 5 (border round 2): Loosely sl st in each st around: 3 / 24 / 3 / 24. Join to the first sl st. 54 sts. Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Why the math works: Each sc round moves the edge 0.2 in (0.5 cm) farther out. That adds about 2 x 3.14 x 0.2 = 1.26 in (3.2 cm) to the outer edge, which is roughly 6 sts at 5 sts per inch. Adding exactly 6 per round (3 per end) keeps the ring flat. The straight sides stay at 3 sts because they do not get longer. After the border, 54 sts at 5 per inch is 10.8 in (27.4 cm). That matches the edge of a 3.2 in x 3.8 in (8.1 cm x 9.7 cm) oval. Round 5 adds no stitches, so it firms the edge without pulling it in.
Attach the hardware: At the top center of the ring, between top-end sts 12 and 13, open the jump ring sideways with two pliers. Pass it through Rounds 4 and 3, then add one end of the chain and close it. Open the split ring’s coil and thread on the other end of the chain.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends on the ring and the appliqués before you block.
- Pin the ring, right side up, onto the blocking mat at 3.2 in x 3.8 in (8.1 cm x 9.7 cm). Put one pin at each end of each axis, then four more on the diagonals.
- Check the opening: it should be 1.6 in x 2.2 in (4.1 cm x 5.6 cm), centered.
- Mist the ring until it is damp, not soaked.
- Pin the flowers and leaves separately, opening up each petal. Mist them lightly.
- Let everything dry completely, about 4–6 hours.
- Arrange the appliqués on the lower-left curve. Going clockwise from the top: a leaf and bud at 10 o’clock, a second bud and leaf at 9 o’clock, the aqua flower at 8 o’clock with a leaf peeking below it, the cream flower at 6–7 o’clock with a leaf under it, the peach flower at 5 o’clock, and the last leaf tucked to its right. Overlap the petals slightly.
- Sew each piece on with its own tail, using small whipstitches through the back loops of the ring only, so nothing shows on the back. Tack the leaves at their base and tip.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Ring measures 3.2 in x 3.8 in (8.1 cm x 9.7 cm) and lies flat
- Opening measures 1.6 in x 2.2 in (4.1 cm x 5.6 cm)
- Round 4 counts 54 sts (3 / 24 / 3 / 24)
- Slip-stitch edge is even with no puckers
- Large flower has 5 petals; cream and peach flowers have 5 petals each
- 2 buds and 5 leaves are attached
- All appliqués sit inside the lower-left curve and don’t cross the opening
- Jump ring is fully closed at top center; the chain and keyring hang straight
- No loose tails on the front or back
Troubleshooting
- Ring cups into a bowl: Your stitches are too tight for the increase rate. Go up one hook size and keep the increases relaxed.
- Ring ruffles: Your stitches are too loose. Go down a hook size and work the increases snugly.
- Ends look pointed: The increases are stacking on top of each other. Stagger them as in Round 3.
- Foundation chain twisted: Undo the join and re-check that the chain lies flat before rejoining.
- Petals curl: Block them pinned open, or work the petals with a slightly looser tension.
- Keychain hangs crooked: Move the jump ring to the true top center, counting 12 sts in from each side of the top end.
- Edge looks tight: Redo Round 5 with a larger hook.
Care
Hand wash cool with mild soap, press out water in a towel, and dry flat. Keep the metal hardware out of long soaks to prevent tarnish.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is simple. A 30-chain ring gives a 1.6 in x 2.2 in (4.1 cm x 5.6 cm) opening. Three rounds of 36, 42 and 48 sts grow the ring to 2.8 in x 3.4 in (7.1 cm x 8.6 cm). The two border rounds, 54 sc and then 54 sl st, finish it at 3.2 in x 3.8 in (8.1 cm x 9.7 cm). Check your gauge after Round 2, keep 3 stitches on each side, and the rest falls into place. Then add your flowers, hang it on a key or a knob, and enjoy.
Happy crocheting!