The Blushing Orchid is a lacy, five-petal flower motif with a bold magenta heart and soft blush-pink fan petals. Tall stitches fan out from chain arches so each petal looks like an open shell, and a round of chain loops with picots gives the edge a delicate, scalloped finish.
Two colors make the design. Deep magenta forms the ringed center and its five small rounded petals. Pale blush pink makes the large outer fans and a tiny three-loop “lip” that sits over the lowest magenta petal, which gives the flower its orchid look.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished motif measures 6.5 in (16.5 cm) across from fan tip to fan tip after blocking.
The motif is worked in the round as one piece. You work two magenta rounds for the center, add the pink lip onto the first round, then work two pink rounds for the arches and fans. Two final pink rounds make the scalloped picot edging.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 6.5 in (16.5 cm) across, tip to tip
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK / light (#3) cotton
- Hook: 3.5 mm (US E-4)
- Number of pieces: 1 motif (the lip is worked directly onto it)
- Layout: Single flower, worked in the round
- Magenta center (Rounds 1–2): 2.5 in (6.4 cm) across
- Size before border (after Round 4): 5.5 in (14.0 cm)
- Border depth (Rounds 5–6): 0.5 in (1.3 cm) added on each edge
Materials
Yarn: Use a smooth, mercerized DK cotton or cotton blend. Mercerized cotton shows the radiating spokes and picots clearly and blocks crisply. Fuzzy or very soft acrylic will blur the lace.
- Color A – Deep Magenta: 8 g / about 18 m
- Color B – Pale Blush Pink: 18 g / about 41 m
These quantities include a margin of about 25% for swatching and weaving in ends.
Tools:
– 3.5 mm (US E-4) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Stitch marker
– Rustproof pins and a blocking mat
– Spray bottle with water
– Ruler or tape measure
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet
- sp(s) – space(s)
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- beg – beginning
- rep – repeat
Special stitch – Picot: Ch 3, sl st in the 3rd ch from the hook.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Lace motifs are best gauged by size at each stage, not by a flat swatch. Make one motif first and check it against these measurements:
- After Round 1: 1.25 in (3.2 cm) across, with a center hole about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) wide
- After Round 2: 2.5 in (6.4 cm) across, from magenta petal tip to petal tip
- After Round 3: 3.25 in (8.3 cm) across the pink arches
- After Round 4: 5.5 in (14.0 cm) across the fans; each fan is about 2 in (5.1 cm) wide at its widest point
- After Round 6: 6.5 in (16.5 cm) across, blocked
If your motif is too big: Go down to a 3.25 mm (US D-3) hook, or chain more tightly on the arches.
If your motif is too small: Go up to a 3.75 mm (US F-5) hook. Check that your tr stitches are full height and not compressed.
A difference of 0.25 in (0.6 cm) at the Round 2 checkpoint becomes almost 0.75 in (1.9 cm) by the finished edge, so fix it early.
Pattern
Round 1 – Magenta Ring
With Color A, make a magic ring.
Ch 3 (counts as first dc), work 14 dc into the ring. Pull the ring snug but leave a center hole about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) wide. Sl st to the top of the beg ch-3.
Stitch count: 15 dc.
For counting, the beg ch-3 is st 1 and the dc stitches are sts 2 to 15.
Round 2 – Magenta Petals
Ch 1. *Sc in next st, (hdc, dc, hdc) in next st, sc in next st; rep from * 4 more times. Sl st to the first sc. Fasten off Color A.
Each petal uses 3 stitches of Round 1, and 5 × 3 = 15, so the round finishes exactly. The first sc goes into the top of the beg ch-3, which puts the petal centers at sts 2, 5, 8, 11, and 14.
Stitch count: 25 sts (10 sc, 10 hdc, 5 dc), making 5 petals of 5 sts each.
Checkpoint: 2.5 in (6.4 cm) across.
Orchid Lip (Color B, worked onto Round 1)
Choose one magenta petal to be the bottom of the flower and place a marker in its center dc. The Round 1 dc directly beneath it is your anchor.
With Color B, join with a sl st around the post of that Round 1 dc, from front to back to front.
- (Ch 5, sl st around the same post) 2 times. This makes the two lower lobes.
- Ch 4, sl st around the same post. This makes the small upper lobe.
Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail.
Lay one ch-5 loop over the bottom petal toward the 7 o’clock position and the other toward 5 o’clock. Point the ch-4 loop up toward the center hole. With the tail, tack the tip of each ch-5 loop to the magenta petal using one small stitch, then weave the tail in on the back.
Stitch count: 3 loops (two ch-5, one ch-4).
Round 3 – Pink Arches
Hold the motif with the right side facing you. With Color B, join with a sl st in the center dc of any magenta petal.
Ch 1, sc in the same dc. *Ch 7, sc in the center dc of the next petal; rep from * 3 more times, then ch 7. Sl st to the first sc.
The arches pass behind the magenta valleys. Keep the chains loose enough that the center lies flat and does not cup.
Stitch count: 5 sc and 5 ch-7 arches (40 sts total).
Checkpoint: 3.25 in (8.3 cm) across.
Round 4 – Fan Petals
Sl st into the next ch-7 arch.
Ch 4 (counts as first tr). Work (ch 1, tr) 8 times in the same arch, then sc in the next sc.
*Work (tr, ch 1) 8 times in the next ch-7 arch, then tr in the same arch, and sc in the next sc; rep from * 3 more times. The last sc goes into the joining sc of Round 3. Sl st to the top of the beg ch-4.
Each fan has 9 tr with 8 ch-1 spaces between them, and the spokes radiate from the arch.
Stitch count: 45 tr, 40 ch-1 sps, and 5 sc, making 5 fans of 9 tr each.
Checkpoint: 5.5 in (14.0 cm) across. This is the size before the border.
Turn the motif so a magenta petal and the lip point straight down. One pink fan is then centered at the top, two sit at the sides, and two sit at the lower left and lower right, giving the orchid silhouette.
Border
The border is Rounds 5 and 6. It adds 0.5 in (1.3 cm) beyond each fan tip, so the motif grows from 5.5 in (14.0 cm) to 6.5 in (16.5 cm).
Border gauge: One finished picot scallop (one ch-4 loop covered in Round 6) is about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) wide along the curve. Seven scallops cover each fan.
Round 5 – Chain Loops
Sl st into the first ch-1 sp of the current fan.
Ch 1, sc in the same sp. (Ch 4, sc in the next ch-1 sp) 7 times. Ch 1 to bridge the valley, skipping the last tr of this fan, the sc, and the first tr of the next fan.
*Sc in the first ch-1 sp of the next fan, (ch 4, sc in the next ch-1 sp) 7 times, then ch 1; rep from * 3 more times. Sl st to the first sc.
Per fan: 8 sc, 7 ch-4 loops, and 1 ch-1 bridge.
Stitch count: 40 sc, 35 ch-4 loops, and 5 ch-1 bridges.
Round 6 – Picot Scallops
*Work (2 sc, picot, 2 sc) in each of the next 7 ch-4 loops, then sc in the next ch-1 bridge; rep from * 4 more times. Sl st to the first sc. Fasten off and weave in all ends.
Per fan: 7 scallops = 28 sc + 7 picots, plus 1 valley sc, for a total of 29 sc and 7 picots.
Stitch count: 145 sc and 35 picots.
Why the math works:
- Each fan has 9 tr, which leaves 8 ch-1 spaces.
- Eight sc in those spaces leave 7 gaps, so Round 5 makes 7 loops per fan.
- Round 6 puts exactly one picot scallop on each loop, so each fan gets 7 scallops: 7 × 5 = 35 picots.
- The ch-1 bridge in each valley stops the edge from flaring. The single sc worked into it pulls the valley in, which keeps the five lobes clearly separated.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends on the wrong side, following the stitch direction. Do not trim them yet.
- Spray the motif evenly until it is damp but not dripping.
- Lay it right side up on the blocking mat with the lip pointing down.
- Pin the magenta center into a round with a diameter of 2.5 in (6.4 cm).
- Pin each fan tip so the motif measures 6.5 in (16.5 cm) from the top fan to the lower fans, and across the side fans.
- Pin one picot at the tip of each scallop, spreading the spokes into an even fan shape.
- Check that the valleys between the fans sit inward and that all five fans are the same size.
- Let the motif dry completely, then remove the pins and trim the ends close.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- [ ] The center hole is open, about 0.5 in (1.3 cm), and round.
- [ ] Five magenta petals of equal size, each with 5 sts.
- [ ] The pink lip has two lower loops tacked down and one upper loop pointing to the center.
- [ ] Five pink arches sit behind the magenta valleys with no puckering.
- [ ] Each fan has exactly 9 tr.
- [ ] Each fan has 7 picot scallops, for 35 total.
- [ ] The valley between each pair of fans is pulled in with a single sc.
- [ ] The motif measures 6.5 in (16.5 cm) across after blocking.
- [ ] All ends are secured and invisible from the front.
Troubleshooting
Center cups or curls forward: Your Round 3 chains are too tight. Rework them more loosely, or use ch 8 for the arches and keep 9 tr per fan.
Fans ruffle: Your tr stitches are too loose, or you added an extra tr. Count to 9 per fan, or go down a hook size for Round 4 only.
Fans look narrow and spiky: The ch-1 spaces are too tight. Make each ch-1 a relaxed, full-size chain.
Lip loops flop forward: Tack the tip of each ch-5 loop down more firmly, and steam-block them flat.
Edge flares at the valleys: You skipped the ch-1 bridge or worked extra sc there. Use exactly one ch-1 in Round 5 and one sc in Round 6.
Picots twist: Insert the hook into the 3rd chain from the hook through the front loop and the back bump to keep the picots upright.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with a mild detergent, press out the water in a towel, and dry the motif flat, pinning it back to 6.5 in (16.5 cm) if needed. Do not tumble dry.
Final Notes
The measurement chain for the motif is:
- Round 1: 1.25 in (3.2 cm)
- Round 2: 2.5 in (6.4 cm)
- Round 3: 3.25 in (8.3 cm)
- Round 4: 5.5 in (14.0 cm)
- Border (Rounds 5–6): blocked to 6.5 in (16.5 cm)
The stitch counts for each round are 15, 25, 40, 45 tr per round (9 per fan), 7 loops per fan, and 35 picots.
If your motif matches each checkpoint, the finished flower will match. A single Blushing Orchid works well as an appliqué, a coaster, or a gift topper.
Happy crocheting!