Evergreen Peace Dove Ornament Crochet Pattern

This little dove is made for the tree. It has a soft, padded cream body, and its two wings and tail are openwork fans with lacy clusters. A scalloped cream edge outlines each fan, which gives the ornament a vintage look.

The palette uses only two main colors. Sage green is used for the fans and beak, and cream is used for the body, edging and hanging loop. A black bead or a few black stitches make the eye. The style is calm and traditional, and it looks good next to gold baubles and warm lights.

The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished ornament is about 5 in (12.7 cm) wide and 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tall, not counting the loop.

You will make six pieces: a body worked in the round, three sage fans worked in rows from a magic ring, a beak and a loop. Each fan gets a cream border. Then you sew the fans behind the body and attach the beak, eye and loop.

Finished Size and Construction

• Finished size: about 5 in (12.7 cm) wide x 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tall, plus a 2 in (5.1 cm) loop
• Skill level: Intermediate
• Terminology: US crochet terms
• Yarn weight: DK (#3) cotton or cotton blend
• Hook: 3.25 mm (US D-3)
• Number of pieces: 6 (1 body, 1 large wing, 1 small wing, 1 tail, 1 beak, 1 loop)
• Layout: large wing at the upper left, small wing at the right, tail below, and the body on top
• Piece sizes: large wing radius 2.75 in (7.0 cm); small wing and tail radius 2.25 in (5.7 cm); body 3 in (7.6 cm) long
• Size before border: large wing 2.25 in (5.7 cm); small wing and tail 1.75 in (4.4 cm)
• Border depth: 0.5 in (1.3 cm)

Materials

Use a smooth, mercerized DK cotton. Cotton shows the cluster texture clearly and holds its shape after blocking. The amounts below assume a yarn with about 120 m per 50 g.

• Cream: 15 g / 36 m (body, fan borders and loop)
• Sage green: 12 g / 29 m (three fans and beak)
• Black: one 4 mm (0.2 in) black bead per eye, or a short length of black embroidery floss

These amounts include a safety margin of roughly 20%.

Tools:
– 3.25 mm (US D-3) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Polyester fiberfill (a small pinch)
– Stitch marker
– Rust-proof pins and a blocking mat
– Sewing needle and black thread (if you use beads)
– Optional: spray starch

Abbreviations (US Terms)

• ch – chain
• sl st – slip stitch
• sc – single crochet
• dc – double crochet
• inc – 2 sc in the same stitch
• dec – sc2tog (single crochet 2 together)
• sp – space
• st(s) – stitch(es)
• MR – magic ring
• RS – right side

Special stitch: CL (3-dc cluster). Yarn over, insert the hook in the stated stitch or space, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through 2 loops. Repeat from * to * 2 more times (4 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through all 4 loops.

Gauge and Checkpoints

Single crochet gauge: 22 sts x 24 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm).

Make one small fan before you start anything else. It is quick, and it tests both your tension and the border math.

Checkpoints for each fan, measured from the ring center to the outer edge:
– After Row 1: 0.5 in (1.3 cm)
– After Row 2: 1 in (2.5 cm)
– After Row 4: 1.75 in (4.4 cm). This is the finished green size for the small wing and tail.
– After Row 5 (large wing only): 2.25 in (5.7 cm)
– After the border: 2.25 in (5.7 cm) for the small fans and 2.75 in (7.0 cm) for the large wing

Body checkpoint: after Round 3, the flat disc should be 1 in (2.5 cm) across.

If your pieces are too big, go down to a 3.0 mm hook. If they are too small, go up to a 3.5 mm hook. Change the hook, not the stitch counts, because the border scallops depend on exact counts.

Body and Head (Cream)

Work in continuous spiral rounds. Do not join the rounds. Mark the first stitch of each round.

Round 1: 6 sc in MR. (6)
Round 2: inc in each st around. (12)
Round 3: (sc in next st, inc) 6 times. (18) Check: 1 in (2.5 cm) across.
Rounds 4–5: sc in each st around. (18)
Round 6: (sc in next st, dec) 6 times. (12) This round forms the neck.
Round 7: sc in each st around. (12)
Round 8: (sc in next st, inc) 6 times. (18)
Round 9: (sc in next 2 sts, inc) 6 times. (24)
Rounds 10–13: sc in each st around. (24)
Round 14: (sc in next 2 sts, dec) 6 times. (18)
Round 15: sc in each st around. (18)

Stuff the head and body lightly. The dove should look padded, not round like a ball.

Round 16: (sc in next st, dec) 6 times. (12)
Round 17: sc in each st around. (12)
Round 18: dec 6 times. (6)

Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail. Thread it through the front loops of the last 6 sts and pull it closed. Press the body slightly flat between your palms so it is about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) across at its widest point and 3 in (7.6 cm) long.

Fans: Large Wing, Small Wing and Tail (Sage)

All three fans follow the same rows. N is the number of sectors:

• Small wing and tail: N = 6. Work Rows 1–4.
• Large wing: N = 8. Work Rows 1–5.

Turn at the end of every row.

Row 1: In a MR, ch 3 (counts as dc), then work N dc into the ring. Pull the ring closed. Count: N + 1 dc. That is 7 dc for the small fans and 9 dc for the large wing.

Row 2: Ch 5 (counts as dc + ch 2). Dc in next dc, ch 2. Repeat from * to * until 1 st remains. Dc in the top of the turning ch. Count: N + 1 dc and N ch-2 sps. That is 7 dc and 6 sps (small), or 9 dc and 8 sps (large).

Row 3: Ch 3 (counts as dc). Ch 2, CL in next ch-2 sp, ch 2, dc in next dc. Repeat from * to * N times in total. Work the last dc into the 3rd ch of the turning ch-5.
Count: N + 1 dc, N CL and 2N ch-2 sps.
– Small fans: 7 dc, 6 CL, 12 sps.
– Large wing: 9 dc, 8 CL, 16 sps.

Row 4: Ch 3 (counts as dc). Ch 1, (CL, ch 2, CL) in top of next CL, ch 1, dc in next dc. Repeat from * to * N times in total. Work the last dc into the top of the turning ch.
Count: N + 1 dc, 2N CL, N ch-2 sps and 2N ch-1 sps.
– Small fans: 7 dc, 12 CL, 6 ch-2 sps, 12 ch-1 sps.
– Large wing: 9 dc, 16 CL, 8 ch-2 sps, 16 ch-1 sps.

The paired clusters make the leaf-shaped puffs you see at the outer edge of each wing.

Small wing and tail: fasten off after Row 4.

Row 5 (large wing only): Ch 3 (counts as dc). Ch 2, dc in next ch-2 sp (the space between the paired CLs), ch 2, dc in next dc. Repeat from * to * 8 times. Work the last dc into the top of the turning ch.
Count: 17 dc and 16 ch-2 sps.

Fasten off. Check the radius against the checkpoints above.

Beak (Sage)

Ch 3. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, then hdc in the next ch. Count: 2 sts. Fasten off, leaving an 8 in (20.3 cm) tail for sewing. The piece makes a tiny triangle about 0.25 in (0.6 cm) long.

Hanging Loop (Cream)

Ch 31. Sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. Count: 30 sl sts. The strip should be about 4 in (10.2 cm) long. Fasten off, leaving a tail on both ends.

Make All Pieces

• Cream: 1 body, 1 hanging loop, plus the borders on all 3 fans
• Sage: 1 large wing (N = 8), 1 small wing (N = 6), 1 tail (N = 6), 1 beak

Work the Border (see below) on all three fans before you assemble the dove.

Layout (front view):

   [Large wing]   [Loop]
          \         |
           [ Body + Head ]<Beak
          /       \
   (tucked)     [Small wing]
             |
          [Tail]

The fan points all meet behind the middle of the body, and the body lies on top of them.

Joining

Method: whipstitch with cream yarn through the back of the fan and the back layer of the body. No stitches show on the front.

Stitch-to-stitch logic: each fan’s point, made up of Rows 1–2 and the border sc at the ring, sits behind the body. Use 1 whipstitch for every border sc along the straight edges that the body covers.

1. Tail: Place the tail with its curved edge pointing down. Tuck the point under the body about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) above the body’s tail end (Rounds 15–17). Sew the 4 border sc nearest the point on each straight edge to the back of the body.
2. Large wing: Place it behind the upper back of the body (Rounds 8–11), fanning up and to the left. Sew the 5 border sc nearest the point on each straight edge.
3. Small wing: Place it behind the body on the right side, below the neck (Rounds 9–12), fanning to the right. Sew 4 sc on each straight edge.
4. Beak: Sew it to the side of the head at Round 3, with the point facing forward.
5. Eye: Sew a 4 mm bead between Rounds 3 and 4, 3 sts behind the beak. Alternatively, make a French knot with black floss. Add a matching eye on the back of the head if you like.
6. Loop: Fold the strip in half. Sew both ends to the back of the body at Round 7–8, between the neck and the large wing. The folded loop should be about 2 in (5.1 cm) tall.

Tension: sew snugly but do not pull hard. Tight stitches will cup the fans forward.

Size checkpoint: the assembled dove should measure 5 in (12.7 cm) wide and 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tall. Adjust the angles of the fans if you need to before you secure the last stitches.

Border (Cream, Worked on Each Fan)

Border gauge: the two border rounds add 0.5 in (1.3 cm) to the fan radius. Each 5-dc shell should be about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) wide.

Round 1: With the RS facing, join cream in the top of the first dc of the last row (the turning ch). Ch 1. Then work as follows.

Curved edge:
– Small fans (Row 4 edge): sc in the first dc. Then for each sector work: 1 sc in the ch-1 sp, 1 sc in the CL, 2 sc in the ch-2 sp, 1 sc in the CL, 1 sc in the ch-1 sp and 1 sc in the dc.
Count: 1 + (7 x 6) = 43 sc.
– Large wing (Row 5 edge): sc in the first dc. Then work 2 sc in each ch-2 sp and 1 sc in each dc.
Count: 1 + (6 x 8) = 49 sc.

Straight edges:
– Work 2 sc into each row end down the first side. That is 8 sc for the small fans (4 rows) or 10 sc for the large wing (5 rows).
– Work 1 sc at the ring point.
– Work 2 sc into each row end up the second side (8 or 10 sc).
– Sl st to the first sc.

Round 1 totals:
– Small fans: 43 + 8 + 1 + 8 = 60 sc
– Large wing: 49 + 10 + 1 + 10 = 70 sc

Round 2 (scallops): Ch 1, then sc in the first sc. Skip 2 sc, 5 dc in next sc, skip 2 sc, sc in next sc. Repeat from * to * 7 times on the small fans or 8 times on the large wing. You have now reached the last sc of the curved edge.
Then sc in each sc along the straight sides: 17 sc on the small fans or 21 sc on the large wing. Sl st to the first sc. Fasten off.

Round 2 totals:
– Small fans: 8 sc + 7 shells (35 dc) + 17 sc = 60 sts
– Large wing: 9 sc + 8 shells (40 dc) + 21 sc = 70 sts

Why the math works: each scallop uses 6 sts (2 skipped, 1 shell, 2 skipped, 1 sc), plus 1 extra sc to start. The curved edge therefore needs a multiple of 6 plus 1. A small fan has 43 = (6 x 7) + 1 stitches on its curve, and the large wing has 49 = (6 x 8) + 1, so the scallops end exactly at the corners. The straight edges stay plain, which matches the clean outline along the leading edge of each wing.

Final Blocking

1. Wet the three fans before assembly, or spritz the finished ornament gently. Keep the body as dry as you can.
2. Press out the excess water in a towel.
3. Pin each fan to its finished radius: 2.25 in (5.7 cm) for the small fans and 2.75 in (7.0 cm) for the large wing.
4. Put one pin in the center of each shell so the scallops stay round.
5. Open the spaces between the spokes evenly, and nudge the clusters into upright leaf shapes.
6. Spray lightly with starch if you want the fans to be crisper.
7. Let the pieces dry completely before you unpin or sew them.

Final Quality-Control Checklist

• Body is 3 in (7.6 cm) long, evenly stuffed and closed neatly
• Small fans: 60 border sts, 7 shells, 2.25 in (5.7 cm) radius
• Large wing: 70 border sts, 8 shells, 2.75 in (7.0 cm) radius
• Shells end exactly at the corners of each curved edge
• Straight edges are flat, not wavy
• All fan points are hidden behind the body
• Beak and eye are secure
• Loop is centered and sewn on firmly
• Finished ornament is about 5 in (12.7 cm) x 5.5 in (14.0 cm)
• All yarn tails are woven in

Troubleshooting

• Fan cups or curls: your clusters are too tight, or the ring was pulled too tightly closed. Block the fan firmly, or loosen your yarn-overs on the CL stitches.
• Fan ruffles: your chains are too loose. Go down a hook size for Rows 2–5.
• Shells don’t end at the corner: recount Round 1. It must be 43 or 49 sts on the curved edge.
• Straight edges wave: work 2 sc per row end, not 3.
• Stuffing shows through: use less fiberfill or a smaller hook for the body.
• Ornament tilts: move the loop slightly toward the heavier large wing.

Care

Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press the water out in a towel and dry flat, reshaping the scallops. Store the ornament flat in tissue paper between seasons.

Final Notes

The measurement chain is short and easy to check. The body is 3 in (7.6 cm) long. The small fans reach 1.75 in (4.4 cm) before the border and 2.25 in (5.7 cm) after it. The large wing reaches 2.25 in (5.7 cm) before the border and 2.75 in (7.0 cm) after it. Assembled, the dove is about 5 in (12.7 cm) x 5.5 in (14.0 cm). If each checkpoint matches, the next stage will fall into place.

Happy crocheting!