The Golden Bloom Square is one floral granny square. A raised mustard-gold flower sits in the center, framed by soft cream rounds, and the edge is a mustard border with a corded finish. Laid on point as a diamond, it reads like a little framed blossom.
The palette uses only two colors: a warm mustard gold and a creamy off-white. The flower has 8 pointed petals around a small open center. The cream rounds square it off with a few eyelets, and a thin cream line splits the two mustard border rounds, which gives the edge a crisp “picture frame” look.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished square measures 7 1/4 in (18.4 cm) per side, or about 10 1/4 in (26.0 cm) from point to point when displayed as a diamond.
Construction is simple and worked in the round. You crochet the flower first in mustard, anchor the cream rounds to the petal tips, square off the cream background, and finish with a 4-round border. Everything is one piece, so there is no joining or seaming.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 7 1/4 in x 7 1/4 in (18.4 cm x 18.4 cm)
- Diagonal (on point): about 10 1/4 in (26.0 cm)
- Skill level: Easy (advanced beginner)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4)
- Hook: 5.0 mm (US H-8)
- Number of pieces: 1
- Layout: Single square, displayed on point
- Size before border (after Round 7): 6 in (15.2 cm) per side
- Border depth: 5/8 in (1.6 cm) per side
- Rounds: 11 total (3 flower, 4 background, 4 border)
Materials
Yarn: Use worsted-weight cotton or a cotton blend with good stitch definition. Smooth, tightly plied cotton keeps the petals crisp and makes the corded edge look like rope. Acrylic also works, but the square will be a little softer.
- Mustard gold: 15 g, about 26 m (flower and border)
- Cream: 15 g, about 26 m (background and border stripe)
These quantities include a safety margin of roughly 20% above what one square actually uses.
Tools:
- 5.0 mm (US H-8) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- 4 stitch markers
- Measuring tape or ruler
- Blocking mat, rustproof pins, and a spray bottle
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)
- rev sc – reverse single crochet
Special stitch: Reverse single crochet (rev sc, also called crab stitch). Work from left to right (right to left if you are left-handed). Insert your hook into the next stitch to the right, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, and pull through both loops. This makes the twisted, corded outer edge.
Counting note: In this pattern, “per side” counts are the stitches between corner chain spaces. The corner chain spaces themselves are not counted.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Base gauge: 14 dc = 4 in (10.2 cm) with a 5.0 mm hook.
Border gauge: 16 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm).
Gauge decides the final size, so check the square at each checkpoint below while you work rather than waiting until the end.
Checkpoints (measured flat, unblocked):
- After Round 1: ring about 1 1/4 in (3.2 cm) across
- After Round 3: flower about 3 1/2 in (8.9 cm) across, petal tip to petal tip
- After Round 5: about 4 1/4 in (10.8 cm) per side
- After Round 6: about 5 1/4 in (13.3 cm) per side
- After Round 7: 6 in (15.2 cm) per side
- After Round 11: 7 1/4 in (18.4 cm) per side
If your square is too big: go down a hook size, to 4.5 mm (US 7). If only the petals are too big, use a 4.5 mm hook for Rounds 1–3 only.
If your square is too small: go up to a 5.5 mm (US I-9) hook. Check that your dc stitches are not squashed. Each dc should be about 1/2 in (1.3 cm) tall.
Pattern: The Flower (Mustard)
Round 1
With mustard, ch 5 and sl st to the first ch to form a ring.
Ch 3 (counts as dc), work 15 dc into the ring, then sl st to the top of the beginning ch-3.
Count: 16 dc.
The ch-5 ring leaves a small open center, just like the photo. Don’t pull it shut.
Round 2
Ch 1, sc in the same st, ch 3, skip next dc.
Sc in next dc, ch 3, skip next dc; repeat from * 6 more times.
Sl st to the first sc.
Count: 8 sc and 8 ch-3 sps.
Round 3 (Petals)
Sl st into the first ch-3 sp.
In each ch-3 sp, work (sc, hdc, 2 dc, tr, 2 dc, hdc, sc).
Sl st to the first sc. Fasten off mustard.
Count: 8 petals, 9 sts each, 72 sts total.
The tr in the middle of each group makes the pointed petal tip. Nine stitches packed into a ch-3 space make each petal cup forward a little, which gives the raised look.
Checkpoint: 3 1/2 in (8.9 cm) across, tip to tip.
Pattern: The Cream Background
Round 4 (Anchor Round)
Join cream with a sl st in the tr at the tip of any petal.
Ch 1, sc in the same tr, ch 5.
Sc in the tr at the tip of the next petal, ch 5; repeat from * 6 more times.
Sl st to the first sc.
Count: 8 sc and 8 ch-5 sps.
The ch-5 loops sit behind the petals’ curves, so the flower stays in front and raised.
Round 5 (Squaring Round)
The sc you just joined to is your first corner. Corners fall on every other sc of Round 4.
Ch 4 (counts as tr), (tr, ch 3, 2 tr) in the same sc. This is the first corner.
4 dc in next ch-5 sp, dc in next sc, 4 dc in next ch-5 sp, (2 tr, ch 3, 2 tr) in next sc; repeat from * 2 more times.
4 dc in next ch-5 sp, dc in next sc, 4 dc in next ch-5 sp.
Sl st to the top of the beginning ch-4.
Count: 52 sts total (13 per side: 2 tr, 9 dc, 2 tr) and 4 corner ch-3 sps.
Place a marker in each corner ch-3 sp. The taller tr stitches at the corners stretch the circle into a square. The ch-3 sps make the small open spaces at the diamond’s points.
Checkpoint: about 4 1/4 in (10.8 cm) per side.
Round 6 (Eyelet Round)
Sl st in the next tr and into the corner ch-3 sp.
Ch 3 (counts as dc), (dc, ch 3, 2 dc) in the same sp.
Dc in next st, (ch 1, skip 1 st, dc in next st) 6 times, (2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc) in next corner sp; repeat from * 2 more times.
Dc in next st, (ch 1, skip 1 st, dc in next st) 6 times.
Sl st to the top of the beginning ch-3.
Count per side: 17 sts (11 dc and 6 ch-1 sps). Total: 68 sts (44 dc and 24 ch-1 sps) and 4 corner ch-3 sps.
How the math works: each side’s 13 stitches from Round 5 are covered by 7 dc and 6 ch-1 spaces, which adds up to 13. The 2 dc on each side of the corners add 4 more, so 13 + 4 = 17.
Checkpoint: about 5 1/4 in (13.3 cm) per side.
Round 7 (Solid Round)
Sl st in the next dc and into the corner ch-3 sp.
Ch 3 (counts as dc), (dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in the same sp.
Dc in each of the next 17 sts (in each dc and each ch-1 sp), (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next corner sp; repeat from * 2 more times.
Dc in each of the next 17 sts.
Sl st to the top of the beginning ch-3. Fasten off cream.
Count: 21 dc per side (2 + 17 + 2), 84 dc total, and 4 corner ch-2 sps.
Checkpoint: 6 in (15.2 cm) per side. At 14 dc = 4 in (10.2 cm), 21 dc measures 6 in (15.2 cm). If the square is within 1/4 in (0.6 cm) of this, continue. If it isn’t, see the gauge notes before you work the border.
Border
Border gauge: 16 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm), or 4 sc per inch (2.5 cm).
The border adds 2 stitches per side in each round, and only at the corners. That keeps the edges flat and the corners square.
Round 8 (Mustard Band)
Join mustard with a sl st in any corner ch-2 sp.
Ch 2 (does not count), (2 hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc) in the same sp.
Hdc in each of the next 21 dc, (2 hdc, ch 2, 2 hdc) in next corner sp; repeat from * 2 more times.
Hdc in each of the next 21 dc.
Sl st to the first hdc. Fasten off.
Count: 25 hdc per side (2 + 21 + 2), 100 hdc total.
Round 9 (Cream Stripe)
Join cream with a sl st in any corner ch-2 sp.
Ch 1, (sc, ch 2, sc) in the same sp.
Sc in each of the next 25 hdc, (sc, ch 2, sc) in next corner sp; repeat from * 2 more times.
Sc in each of the next 25 hdc.
Sl st to the first sc. Fasten off.
Count: 27 sc per side (1 + 25 + 1), 108 sc total.
Round 10 (Mustard Base)
Join mustard with a sl st in any corner ch-2 sp.
Ch 1, (sc, ch 2, sc) in the same sp.
Sc in each of the next 27 sc, (sc, ch 2, sc) in next corner sp; repeat from * 2 more times.
Sc in each of the next 27 sc.
Sl st to the first sc. Do not fasten off.
Count: 29 sc per side (1 + 27 + 1), 116 sc total.
Round 11 (Corded Edge, Trim Round)
Ch 1. Working from left to right, rev sc in each sc around, and work 2 rev sc in each corner ch-2 sp.
Sl st to the first rev sc. Fasten off.
Count: 116 rev sc (1 in each Round 10 sc) + 8 rev sc (2 in each of the 4 corners) = 124 rev sc.
Why the math works: Round 10 has 29 sc per side. At the border gauge of 4 sc per inch, 29 ÷ 4 = 7 1/4 in (18.4 cm). The border rounds add about 5/8 in (1.6 cm) per side: about 1/4 in (0.6 cm) for the hdc round, 1/8 in (0.3 cm) for each sc round, and 1/8 in (0.3 cm) for the corded edge. That gives 6 in + 5/8 in + 5/8 in = 7 1/4 in (18.4 cm), the same as the stitch count. When the stitch count and the measurement agree like this, the border lies flat without ruffling or cupping.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends first. Weave each tail into a matching color, and avoid running mustard tails behind cream stitches.
- Lightly mist the square with water until it is damp but not soaked. For cotton, you can also steam it, holding the iron above the fabric.
- Lay it face up on a blocking mat.
- Pin the 4 corners first so the square measures 7 1/4 in (18.4 cm) per side.
- Check that both diagonals measure about 10 1/4 in (26.0 cm). If they don’t match, adjust the corners until they do.
- Pin the middle of each side, then add pins between them every 1 in (2.5 cm) or so.
- Gently shape each petal tip outward with your fingers. Don’t pin the petals flat, so they keep their raised look.
- Leave it to dry completely before unpinning.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- The flower has 8 petals, each with a pointed tr tip.
- The center ring is open, not pulled shut.
- Round 5 has 13 sts per side and Round 7 has 21 dc per side.
- Round 10 has 29 sc per side, and all 4 corners have a ch-2 sp.
- The square measures 7 1/4 in (18.4 cm) per side after blocking.
- The diagonals are equal, about 10 1/4 in (26.0 cm).
- The corded edge is even, with no gaps at the corners.
- All ends are secure and hidden.
Troubleshooting
Petals look flat or floppy: Your tension is loose in Round 3. Use a 4.5 mm (US 7) hook for the flower only.
Petals are crowded or twisted: Make sure you skipped 1 dc between each sc in Round 2. You should have exactly 8 ch-3 sps.
The square looks round, not square: Check that the Round 5 corners use tr stitches and fall on alternating sc. Blocking will sharpen the corners further.
The edges ruffle: You have too many border stitches, or your border tension is loose. Recount: Round 10 should have 29 sc per side.
The edges cup or pull in: Your border tension is too tight. Go up half a hook size for Rounds 8–11.
The corded edge twists sideways: Keep each rev sc loose and relaxed. Working it too tightly makes the edge roll.
There are gaps at the corners in Round 11: Make sure you worked 2 rev sc into each corner ch-2 sp, not 1.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, gently press out the water, and dry flat, reshaping to 7 1/4 in (18.4 cm) square. Cotton squares can be steamed lightly to freshen them.
Final Notes
The measurements build on each other. A 1 1/4 in (3.2 cm) ring grows into a 3 1/2 in (8.9 cm) flower. The cream rounds square it to 4 1/4 in (10.8 cm), then 5 1/4 in (13.3 cm), then 6 in (15.2 cm) with 21 dc per side. The border adds 5/8 in (1.6 cm) per side and brings the square to 29 sc per side and 7 1/4 in (18.4 cm) square, about 10 1/4 in (26.0 cm) on point. If each checkpoint matches, your Golden Bloom Square will look just like the one in the photo.
Happy crocheting!