This little monogram keychain is a soft, powder-blue capital “H” covered in round bobbles. A small spray of cream and butter-yellow flowers with sage-green leaves sits on the lower right leg. A gold key ring hangs from the top of the left leg, so you can clip it to a bag handle, a zipper pull, or a set of keys.
The style is gentle and cottagecore. There is one main color for the letter, two flower colors, and one leaf color. The bobbles add texture without bulk, and a raised blue rim keeps the outline crisp.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished keychain measures 3.4 in (8.6 cm) wide by 4.4 in (11.2 cm) tall, not counting the hardware.
You work the letter flat in rows as one piece. First you make the two lower legs. Then you join them with a short chain to form the crossbar and split again for the two upper legs. A two-round border goes around the whole outline. Last, you make three flowers and three leaves and sew them on.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 3.4 in (8.6 cm) wide x 4.4 in (11.2 cm) tall
- Skill level: Easy-Intermediate (bobbles, working into a chain, border around inside corners)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK / light (#3) cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 3.0 mm
- Number of pieces: 1 letter piece, plus 6 small appliqués (3 flowers, 3 leaves)
- Layout: a single letter, with no motifs to join
- Piece size: each leg is 6 sts = 1.2 in (3.0 cm) wide; the center gap is 3 sts = 0.6 in (1.5 cm)
- Size before border: 3 in (7.6 cm) wide x 4 in (10.2 cm) tall
- Border depth: 0.2 in (0.5 cm) on every side
Materials
Choose a smooth cotton in DK weight, mercerized or matte. Cotton shows bobbles clearly and holds a flat shape. Avoid fuzzy or very stretchy yarns, because the letter needs firm fabric.
- Light blue (Color A): 15 g, about 38 m
- Cream (Color B): 3 g, about 8 m
- Butter yellow (Color C): 3 g, about 8 m
- Sage green (Color D): 2 g, about 5 m
All quantities include extra for swatching, tails, and sewing.
Tools:
- 3.0 mm crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Gold split key ring, about 1 in (2.5 cm) across, with a short chain and 1 open jump ring
- 2 small flat-nose pliers
- Stitch markers
- Blocking board or foam mat, rust-proof pins, spray bottle
- Scissors and a ruler
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
- BLO – back loop only
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- RS / WS – right side / wrong side
- bob – bobble
Bobble (bob): Yarn over, insert hook in the stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and draw through 2 loops. Repeat 3 more times in the same stitch (5 loops on hook). Yarn over and draw through all 5 loops. A bobble counts as 1 stitch.
Always work bobbles on WS rows so they pop out on the RS. Keep the stitches on either side of a bobble snug so it stands up.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 5 sc and 5 rows = 1 in (2.5 cm) in single crochet with a 3.0 mm hook.
A swatch of 10 sc x 10 rows should measure 2 in (5.1 cm) square. Because the piece is small, the first lower leg is your real test. Make Leg 1 and measure it before you go on.
Checkpoints:
- After Row 8 of a leg: 1.2 in (3.0 cm) wide x 1.6 in (4.1 cm) tall
- After Row 12 (crossbar): 3 in (7.6 cm) wide x 2.4 in (6.1 cm) tall
- After Row 20: 3 in (7.6 cm) wide x 4 in (10.2 cm) tall
- After the border: 3.4 in (8.6 cm) wide x 4.4 in (11.2 cm) tall
If your leg is too big, go down to a 2.75 mm hook. If it is too small, go up to a 3.25 mm hook. If the leg is the right width but too tall, your turning chains are probably loose. Keep each ch 1 tight.
Letter H
Leg 1 (lower left leg)
With Color A, ch 7.
Row 1 (RS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (6 sc)
Row 2 (WS, bobble row): Ch 1, turn. Sc in first st, bob in next st, sc in next 2 sts, bob in next st, sc in last st. (6 sts: 4 sc, 2 bob)
Rows 3–5: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (6 sc)
Row 6 (WS, bobble row): Repeat Row 2. (6 sts)
Rows 7–8: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (6 sc)
Fasten off. Check the size: 1.2 in (3.0 cm) wide x 1.6 in (4.1 cm) tall.
Leg 2 (lower right leg)
Work exactly as for Leg 1, Rows 1–8. Do not fasten off.
The two legs are identical. On each leg the bobbles sit in stitches 2 and 5, forming two vertical columns.
Crossbar
Row 9 (RS, joining row): Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across Leg 2 (6 sc). Ch 3. Place Leg 1 to the left with its RS facing you and its last row at the top. Sc in each st across Leg 1 (6 sc). (15 sts: 12 sc + 3 ch)
Check that neither leg is twisted and that the bottom edges line up.
Row 10 (WS, bobble row): Ch 1, turn. Sc in first st, bob in next st, sc in next 2 sts, bob in next st; repeat from * 3 more times, sc in last st. Work into each ch as a normal stitch. (15 sts: 10 sc, 5 bob)
The bobbles land on stitches 2, 5, 8, 11, and 14. Stitches 2, 5, 11, and 14 continue the leg columns. Stitch 8 is the single center bobble on the crossbar.
Rows 11–12: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (15 sc)
Check the size: 3 in (7.6 cm) wide x 2.4 in (6.1 cm) tall.
Upper Legs
First upper leg, Row 13 (RS): Ch 1, turn. Sc in first 6 sts. Leave the remaining 9 sts unworked. (6 sc)
Row 14 (WS, bobble row): Ch 1, turn. Sc in first st, bob in next st, sc in next 2 sts, bob in next st, sc in last st. (6 sts)
Rows 15–17: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (6 sc)
Row 18 (WS, bobble row): Repeat Row 14. (6 sts)
Rows 19–20: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (6 sc)
Fasten off.
Second upper leg, Row 13 (RS): With RS facing, skip the next 3 unworked sts of Row 12 after the first upper leg. Join Color A in the next st (st 10). Ch 1, sc in the same st and in each of the last 5 sts. (6 sc)
Rows 14–20: Work as for the first upper leg. Fasten off.
Check the size: 3 in (7.6 cm) wide x 4 in (10.2 cm) tall. Each leg has 10 bobbles, two in each of Rows 2, 6, 10, 14, and 18. With the 1 center bobble on the crossbar, that makes 21 bobbles in total.
Weave in all ends on the WS before you start the border.
Border
Border gauge: Work 1 sc in each stitch and in each row end. At 5 sts and 5 rows per inch, a row end is the same size as a stitch, so 1 sc per row end lies flat.
Edge counts before the border:
- Each leg bottom and each leg top: 6 sts (4 edges)
- Each outer side: 20 row ends (2 edges)
- Each notch, upper and lower: 8 row ends + 3 sts + 8 row ends = 19 places to work (2 notches)
The letter has 8 outside corners (each end of each leg has two) and 4 inside corners (two in each notch).
Rnd 1 (RS): With RS facing, join Color A in the first st at the bottom of the right leg. Work around the letter as follows:
- Each leg bottom and leg top: 3 sc in first st, sc in next 4 sts, 3 sc in last st. (10 sc per edge)
- Each outer side: Sc in each of the 20 row ends. (20 sc per edge)
- Each notch: Sc in next 7 row ends. Sc2tog over the last row end and the first notch st. Sc in the middle notch st. Sc2tog over the last notch st and the first row end of the other side. Sc in next 7 row ends. (17 sts per notch)
In the lower notch, the 3 notch sts are the free loops of the 3 crossbar chains. In the upper notch, they are the 3 unworked sts of Row 12.
Join with sl st to the first sc. (114 sts)
The count: 4 leg ends x 10 = 40, 2 outer sides x 20 = 40, and 2 notches x 17 = 34. That gives 40 + 40 + 34 = 114.
Why the math works: Each 6-st leg end gains 2 sts at each corner (6 + 4 = 10), which lets the border turn the corner without cupping. Each notch loses 2 sts (19 – 2 = 17). An inside corner has less outer edge than inner edge, so the sc2tog pulls the rim snug into the corner instead of letting it ruffle.
Rnd 2: Sl st in BLO of each st around. (114 sl st) Join to the first sl st and fasten off.
This slip stitch round creates the raised outline. Keep it loose enough that the edge does not curl. The two rounds add 0.2 in (0.5 cm) on every side, bringing the letter to 3.4 in (8.6 cm) x 4.4 in (11.2 cm).
Flowers and Leaves
Leave an 8 in (20.3 cm) tail on each appliqué for sewing.
Large Cream Flower (make 1)
Rnd 1: With Color C, make a magic ring, work 10 sc in the ring, and join with sl st. (10 sc) Fasten off and pull the ring tight.
Rnd 2: Join Color B in any sc. Sl st in next st, (hdc, 3 dc, hdc) in next st; repeat from * 4 more times. Join with sl st to the first sl st. (5 petals)
Size: about 1.2 in (3.0 cm) across.
Medium Yellow Flower (make 1)
Rnd 1: With Color C, make a magic ring, work 10 sc in the ring, and join with sl st. (10 sc) Do not fasten off.
Rnd 2: Sl st in next st, (hdc, 2 dc, hdc) in next st; repeat from * 4 more times. Join. (5 petals)
Size: about 1 in (2.5 cm) across.
Small Cream Flower (make 1)
Rnd 1: With Color C, make a magic ring, work 5 sc in the ring, and join. (5 sc) Fasten off.
Rnd 2: Join Color B with sl st in any sc. (Ch 2, dc, ch 2, sl st) in next st; repeat from * 4 more times, so the last petal lands in the joining st. (5 petals)
Size: about 0.8 in (2.0 cm) across.
Leaf (make 3)
With Color D, ch 7.
Rnd 1: Starting in 2nd ch from hook, work sl st, sc, hdc, dc, hdc in the next 5 ch. In the last ch, work (sc, ch 2, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, sc) to form the tip. Working along the other side of the chain, work hdc, dc, hdc, sc, sl st in the next 5 ch. Fasten off.
Size: about 1 in (2.5 cm) long x 0.5 in (1.3 cm) wide.
Assembly
- Lay the letter RS up. Place the large cream flower over the bottom inner corner of the right leg so it slightly overlaps the edge of the lower notch.
- Place the yellow flower above it and a little to the right, overlapping the large flower’s top petal.
- Place the small cream flower above the yellow one, level with the crossbar.
- Tuck one leaf behind the small flower, pointing up and right. Tuck one behind the yellow flower, pointing right past the outer edge. Tuck the third behind the large flower, pointing down and left.
- Pin everything, then sew each leaf down at its base. Sew each flower through its center ring, plus one small stitch under each petal tip so the petals stay flat.
Hardware
Open the jump ring by twisting it sideways with the two pliers. Thread it through both loops of the border at the top inner corner of the left leg. Add the end link of the key ring chain and close the jump ring fully.
Final Blocking
- Lightly mist the letter with water, flowers included.
- Pin it RS up to 3.4 in (8.6 cm) x 4.4 in (11.2 cm).
- Pin the 8 outside corners first, then the middle of each outer side.
- Pin each of the 4 notch corners so they stay sharp.
- Pin only through the border, and do not flatten the bobbles.
- Shape the flower petals with your fingers.
- Let it dry completely, at least 4 hours, before unpinning.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- The letter measures 3.4 in (8.6 cm) x 4.4 in (11.2 cm)
- Both legs are the same height and the bottoms line up
- All 21 bobbles pop to the RS
- Border Rnd 1 has 114 sts and Rnd 2 has 114 sl st
- Notch corners are crisp, with no gaps or puckers
- Flowers and leaves sit flat and are sewn on securely
- The jump ring is fully closed
- All ends are woven in on the WS
Troubleshooting
Bobbles show on the back: They were worked on a RS row. Work bobbles only on even (WS) rows.
Crossbar puckers or pulls the legs inward: The ch 3 was too tight. Redo Row 9 with a looser chain.
Gap at the crossbar join: Close it with a few stitches of Color A on the WS.
Border ruffles along the sides: Check that you worked only 1 sc per row end (20 per outer side). If it still waves, go down a hook size for the border.
Notch corners cup or gape: Check that each notch has both sc2tog and 17 sts.
Legs lean or twist: Block firmly and pin each leg straight.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, roll it in a towel to press out the water, and dry it flat. Remove or protect the metal hardware so it does not tarnish.
Final Notes
Here is the full measurement chain. Each leg is 6 sts (1.2 in / 3.0 cm) wide and 8 rows (1.6 in / 4.1 cm) tall. Two legs plus a 3-st gap make 15 sts, or 3 in (7.6 cm). The full letter is 20 rows, or 4 in (10.2 cm) tall. The 114-st border adds 0.2 in (0.5 cm) on each side, for a finished keychain of 3.4 in (8.6 cm) x 4.4 in (11.2 cm).
If your first leg matches its checkpoint, the rest will follow. Change the colors to match a favorite bag, and make one for every initial you love.
Happy crocheting!