This little letter M keychain is a sweet, personal accessory that works up in an evening. The letter is a firm, flat shape in lavender single crochet, outlined with a neat raised edge. On the lower right leg sits a small bouquet: a pink blossom, a larger cream daisy-style flower, and two sage-green leaves.
The palette is soft and springlike: lavender, cream, blush pink, golden yellow, and sage green. A gold split ring and short chain finish it as a bag charm or key fob, and the style is modern-cottage and gift-friendly.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished keychain measures about 4.0 in (10.2 cm) wide and 4.4 in (11.2 cm) tall, not counting the hardware.
You work the letter flat in rows from the bottom up. Each leg is made separately, the legs join across the middle, and then each top peak is worked on its own. Two edging rounds smooth the outline. You then make the flowers and leaves separately and sew them on.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 4.0 in x 4.4 in (10.2 cm x 11.2 cm)
- Skill level: Easy-intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: DK (3), cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Number of pieces: 1 letter + 4 appliqués (2 flowers, 2 leaves)
- Layout: One single letter with an appliqué cluster on the lower right leg
- Letter size before border: 3.6 in x 4.0 in (9.1 cm x 10.2 cm)
- Border depth: about 0.2 in (0.5 cm) on every edge
Materials
Choose a smooth, mercerized or matte DK cotton. Cotton holds the crisp letter shape, resists fuzzing on a keychain, and shows stitch definition clearly. The quantities below assume about 2.3 m per gram, which is typical for DK cotton (50 g = about 115 m).
- Lavender (letter and border): 12 g / 28 m
- Cream (large flower petals, small flower center): 3 g / 7 m
- Blush pink (small flower petals): 2 g / 5 m
- Golden yellow (large flower center): 2 g / 5 m
- Sage green (leaves): 2 g / 5 m
All quantities include a margin for your gauge swatch and sewing tails.
Tools:
– 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Sewing pins or locking stitch markers
– Gold split ring, 1 in (2.5 cm), with a short chain about 1 in (2.5 cm) long and a jump ring
– Small flat-nose pliers
– Blocking mat and rust-proof pins
– Scissors
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- hdc: half double crochet
- dc: double crochet
- sc2tog: single crochet 2 together (insert hook in next st, pull up a loop, insert hook in following st, pull up a loop, yarn over and draw through all 3 loops)
- MR: magic ring
- st(s): stitch(es)
- RS: right side
Special stitch — Petal cluster (large flower): (hdc, 3 dc, hdc) all in the same stitch.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 10 sc and 12 rows = 2 in (5.1 cm) in sc worked flat. That is 5 sts and 6 rows per 1 in (2.5 cm).
Work a test swatch first: ch 11, then work 12 rows of 10 sc. A firm fabric is what you want, since a keychain must not flop.
Checkpoints:
– After Row 10 (each leg): 1.2 in (3.0 cm) wide x about 1.7 in (4.3 cm) tall
– After Row 17: full width 3.6 in (9.1 cm), height about 2.8 in (7.1 cm)
– After Row 24: 3.6 in x 4.0 in (9.1 cm x 10.2 cm)
– After the border: 4.0 in x 4.4 in (10.2 cm x 11.2 cm)
If your gauge is off:
– If your pieces measure too big, change to a 3.25 mm hook.
– If they measure too small, change to a 3.75 mm hook.
Row gauge matters as much as stitch gauge here, because the border places 1 sc per row-end.
Letter M
Think of the letter as a grid 18 stitches wide and 24 rows tall. Each leg is 6 sts wide with a 6-st gap between the legs. Both legs widen toward the center, the gap closes at Row 15, and the top splits into two peaks with a widening notch.
Turn at the end of every row. The ch 1 at the start of a row does not count as a stitch.
Right Leg
Foundation: Ch 7.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (6)
Rows 2–10: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (6)
Row 11: Ch 1, sc across, working 2 sc into the stitch at the inner edge (the edge facing the gap), turn. (7)
Row 12: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (7)
Row 13: Ch 1, sc across, working 2 sc into the inner-edge st, turn. (8)
Row 14: Ch 1, sc in each st across. (8)
Fasten off and leave a short tail.
Left Leg
Repeat Foundation and Rows 1–14 exactly as for the Right Leg, but do not fasten off. Row 14 should finish at the outer (left) edge. If it finishes at the inner edge, flip the leg over so that it does.
Joining Row and Center
Row 15 (join): Ch 1, then work:
1. Sc in each of the 8 sts of the Left Leg.
2. Ch 2.
3. Sc in each of the 8 sts of the Right Leg’s Row 14, starting at its inner edge.
Turn. (16 sc + 2 ch)
Row 16: Ch 1, then sc in 8 sts, sc in each of the 2 ch, sc in 8 sts. Turn. (18)
Row 17: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (18)
Lay the piece flat. You should see a pointed arch-shaped gap rising from the bottom between the legs. The top of that arch sits at the ch-2.
Peak 1 (Right Peak)
Row 18: Ch 1, sc in the next 8 sts, turn. Leave the remaining 10 sts unworked. (8)
Row 19: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (8)
Row 20: Ch 1, sc in the next 6 sts, sc2tog over the last 2 sts (inner edge), turn. (7)
Row 21: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (7)
Row 22: Ch 1, sc in the next 5 sts, sc2tog, turn. (6)
Rows 23–24: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (6)
Fasten off.
Peak 2 (Left Peak)
Row 18: Go back to Row 17. Skip the 2 sts next to Peak 1; these form the bottom of the notch. Join lavender in the next st, ch 1, and sc in that same st and in the next 7 sts. Turn. (8)
Row 19: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (8)
Row 20: Ch 1, sc2tog over the first 2 sts (inner edge), sc in the next 6 sts, turn. (7)
Row 21: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (7)
Row 22: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in the next 5 sts, turn. (6)
Rows 23–24: Ch 1, sc in each st across. (6)
Do not fasten off. You are now at the top-left outer corner, ready for the border.
Checkpoint: The two peaks are 6 sts each, the notch is 6 sts wide at the top, and the notch narrows to 2 sts at Row 17. The piece measures 3.6 in x 4.0 in (9.1 cm x 10.2 cm).
Appliqués
Large Cream Flower
Rnd 1 (golden yellow): Work 10 sc in a MR, then sl st to the first sc. (10) Fasten off.
Rnd 2 (cream): Join cream in any st. Work a Petal cluster in the next st, then sl st in the following st. Repeat from * 4 more times. (5 petals; 25 petal sts + 5 sl sts = 30 sts)
Fasten off and leave a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail. The flower is about 1.4 in (3.6 cm) across.
Small Pink Flower
Rnd 1 (cream): Work 5 sc in a MR, then sl st to the first sc. (5) Fasten off.
Rnd 2 (pink): Join pink in any st. Work (sl st, ch 2, 2 dc, ch 2, sl st) in the next st. Repeat from * 4 more times. (5 petals)
Fasten off and leave a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail. The flower is about 1.0 in (2.5 cm) across.
Leaves (make 2, sage green)
Ch 7.
- First side: Working into the 2nd ch from the hook and the chains after it, work sl st, sc, hdc, dc, hdc. Then work 3 sc in the last ch to round the base.
- Second side: Working along the other side of the chain, work hdc, dc, hdc, sc, sl st.
- Tip: Ch 2, then sl st into the first sl st to form a pointed tip.
That is 13 sts plus the ch-2 tip. Fasten off and leave a tail. Each leaf is about 1.0 in (2.5 cm) long. The spot where the two sides meet makes a natural center vein.
Border
Border gauge: Work 1 sc into each stitch along top and bottom edges, and 1 sc into each row-end along side edges. On stepped edges, work 1 sc into each exposed step stitch.
Corners:
– Outer corners (8 total): At each one, work 1 extra sc into the same corner point. There are 2 at the top of each peak and 2 at the bottom of each leg.
– Notch bottom and top of the bottom arch: Work an sc2tog at each of these points so the V stays crisp.
Rnd 1 (lavender)
Start at the top-left corner, with the left side facing you. Ch 1 and work clockwise around the piece as follows:
| Edge segment | Stitches |
|---|---|
| Down the left outer side (rows 24–1) | 24 |
| Bottom of the left leg | 6 |
| Arch, left inner side: 10 row-ends, 1 step, 2 row-ends, 1 step, 2 row-ends | 16 |
| Arch top: sc2tog over the 2 ch | 1 |
| Arch, right inner side (mirror of the left) | 16 |
| Bottom of the right leg | 6 |
| Up the right outer side | 24 |
| Top of the right peak | 6 |
| Notch, right side: 3 row-ends, 1 step, 2 row-ends, 1 step, 2 row-ends | 9 |
| Notch bottom: sc2tog over the 2 skipped sts | 1 |
| Notch, left side (mirror of the right) | 9 |
| Top of the left peak | 6 |
| Extra corner sc (8 corners x 1) | 8 |
| Total | 132 |
Sl st to the first sc to join.
Why the math works: Sc fabric at 5 sts and 6 rows per inch lies flat with 1 sc per row-end, so the edges neither ruffle nor pull in. The edge stitches alone total 124. Adding 1 sc at each of the 8 outer corners gives 132 and lets the corners turn without cupping. Each sc2tog removes bulk where two edges fold inward, which keeps both V-points sharp.
Rnd 2 (lavender)
Work a loose sl st in each sc around and join. (132 sl sts)
This makes the raised rope outline. Fasten off and weave in all ends.
Checkpoint: The piece now measures 4.0 in x 4.4 in (10.2 cm x 11.2 cm).
Final Blocking
- Lightly spritz the letter with water until it is damp but not soaked.
- Pin it to the mat. Place pins at all 8 outer corners, at both V-points, and at the arch top.
- Check the measurement: 4.0 in (10.2 cm) across the widest part and 4.4 in (11.2 cm) top to bottom.
- Straighten the leg edges using the grid on the mat.
- Pin each flower and leaf separately, nudging the petals into even rounded shapes.
- Let everything dry completely, about 2–4 hours.
- Before sewing anything on, lay out the appliqués on the lower right leg:
- Pink flower with its center about 1.6 in (4.1 cm) above the bottom edge.
- Cream flower below it, overlapping the pink flower’s lower petals.
- Both flowers extending past the right edge by about 0.25 in (0.6 cm).
- Leaves tucked behind the flowers, one angled up and right from the pink flower, one angled down and left from the cream flower.
- Sew the pieces on in this order: leaves, then the pink flower, then the cream flower. Use small running stitches through the back loops only so nothing shows on the front.
- Attach the jump ring through the top inner corner of the left peak, catching both border rounds, and close it with pliers. Add the chain and split ring.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- [ ] Both legs are 6 sts wide at the bottom and the same height.
- [ ] The bottom arch is pointed and centered.
- [ ] The top notch is centered, 6 sts wide at the top.
- [ ] Border Rnd 1 counts exactly 132 sts.
- [ ] All corners lie flat with no cupping.
- [ ] Finished size is 4.0 in x 4.4 in (10.2 cm x 11.2 cm).
- [ ] The flowers have 5 even petals each.
- [ ] Every appliqué is sewn securely at its center and petal tips.
- [ ] The jump ring is closed with no gap.
- [ ] All ends are woven in and trimmed.
Troubleshooting
- The arch gap is flat on top instead of pointed: Make sure you used sc2tog over the 2 chain bottoms in Border Rnd 1.
- The legs are different heights: Recount the rows. Each leg must have exactly 14 rows before joining.
- The edges ruffle: You have extra border stitches. Recount each segment against the table.
- The edges pull in or the corners cup: You probably skipped corner extras or worked the row-ends too tightly. Go up half a hook size for the border only.
- The petals flop: Your tension is loose. Remake the flowers with a 3.25 mm hook.
- The keyring tears the edge: Pass the jump ring through both border rounds plus one stitch of Row 24.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press out the water in a towel, and dry flat. Remove the metal hardware first if you plan to soak the piece.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is:
1. Gauge of 5 sts and 6 rows per 1 in (2.5 cm).
2. Legs of 1.2 in (3.0 cm) across 6 sts.
3. A letter body of 18 sts x 24 rows, or 3.6 in x 4.0 in (9.1 cm x 10.2 cm).
4. A 132-stitch border that adds 0.2 in (0.5 cm) per edge, for a finished size of 4.0 in x 4.4 in (10.2 cm x 11.2 cm).
If each checkpoint matches, the letter will block flat and crisp, and your flower cluster will sit right. Happy crocheting!