This little letter D keychain is a quick, personal gift. The letter is worked in dusty rose cotton, with three cream flowers, soft yellow centers and sage-green leaves sewn on top. A gold key ring finishes it, so it’s ready to clip onto a bag, a set of keys or a zipper pull.
The style is simple and a bit vintage: solid single-crochet fabric, clean edges and a small cluster of flowers on two corners. This pattern uses US crochet terms throughout.
The finished letter measures 3.2 in wide x 4.2 in tall (8.1 x 10.7 cm), not counting the hardware. Both the stem and the curved side are 1 in (2.5 cm) wide.
You’ll start with a closed chain ring that forms the hole in the D. Then you’ll work single-crochet rounds outward from it, using square corners on the left and spread-out increases on the right to make the curve. One border round neatens the edge. The flowers and leaves are made separately and sewn on, and the key ring goes on last.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 3.2 x 4.2 in (8.1 x 10.7 cm)
- Skill level: Easy / advanced beginner
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK (light #3) cotton
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Number of pieces: 1 letter, plus 7 small appliqués (3 flowers, 4 leaves)
- Layout: One letter D. Flower clusters sit on the top-left corner and the lower right curve.
- Center hole: about 1.2 x 2.2 in (3.0 x 5.6 cm)
- Size before border: 2.8 x 3.8 in (7.1 x 9.7 cm)
- Border depth: 0.2 in (0.5 cm), 1 round
- Appliqué sizes: flowers 1 in (2.5 cm) across; leaves 1 in (2.5 cm) long x 0.5 in (1.3 cm) wide
Materials
Use a smooth mercerized or matte DK cotton. Cotton has good stitch definition and keeps its shape when it’s handled every day. Acrylic will work too, but the letter will be softer and floppier.
- Dusty rose (letter): 10 g / about 22 m
- Cream (petals): 3 g / about 7 m
- Butter yellow (flower centers): 1 g / about 2 m
- Sage green (leaves): 2 g / about 4 m
Tools:
- 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
- 4 locking stitch markers
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Gold split key ring, 1 in (2.5 cm), with about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) of chain
- One 6 mm gold jump ring and two pairs of flat-nose pliers
- Rust-proof pins and a foam blocking mat
All yarn amounts include a margin for your gauge swatch and for leaving long sewing tails.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch = chain
- sl st = slip stitch
- sc = single crochet
- hdc = half double crochet
- dc = double crochet
- st(s) = stitch(es)
- MR = magic ring
- rnd = round
- BL / TL / TR / BR = bottom-left / top-left / top-right / bottom-right corner
Special technique – rounded corner increase: sc to the stitch before the marked corner stitch, 2 sc in that stitch, 1 sc in the marked stitch (move the marker up to this new sc), then 2 sc in the next stitch. This adds 2 stitches, the same as a square corner (3 sc in one stitch), but spreads them out so the corner curves instead of making a point.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 5 sc and 5 rnds = 1 in (2.5 cm) in sc worked in the round.
Make Rnds 1–2 of the letter first and use them as your test piece. The tiny pieces of this pattern are hard to measure, so the checkpoints are given as finished outer sizes, measured flat across the piece without stretching.
- After Rnd 1: 1.6 x 2.6 in (4.1 x 6.6 cm)
- After Rnd 2: 2.0 x 3.0 in (5.1 x 7.6 cm)
- After Rnd 3: 2.4 x 3.4 in (6.1 x 8.6 cm)
- After Rnd 4: 2.8 x 3.8 in (7.1 x 9.7 cm)
- After Rnd 5 (border): 3.2 x 4.2 in (8.1 x 10.7 cm)
Each round adds 0.2 in (0.5 cm) to every outer edge, so the width and the height each grow by 0.4 in (1.0 cm) per round.
If your test piece is too big by more than 0.1 in (0.3 cm), go down to a 3.25 mm hook. If it’s too small, go up to a 3.75 mm hook. Tight gauge matters more here than exact size, so the fabric doesn’t show the hole through the stitches. If your fabric looks open, go down a hook size even if the measurements are right.
Letter D
Work in continuous joined rounds with the right side facing you. Don’t turn. A ch 1 at the start of a round doesn’t count as a stitch.
Foundation: With dusty rose, ch 30. Without twisting the chain, sl st into the first ch to form a ring. This ring becomes the edge of the D’s hole.
Rnd 1: Ch 1. Sc in the same ch as the join and in the next 8 ch (left side). 3 sc in the next ch (TL corner). Sc in the next 4 ch (top). 3 sc in the next ch (TR corner). Sc in the next 9 ch (right side). 3 sc in the next ch (BR corner). Sc in the next 4 ch (bottom). 3 sc in the last ch (BL corner). Join with a sl st to the first sc. (38 sts)
That uses 9 + 1 + 4 + 1 + 9 + 1 + 4 + 1 = 30 chains. Place a marker in the center sc of each 3-sc corner.
Side counts after Rnd 1: The stitches between corner markers are left 11, top 6, right 11, bottom 6. With the 4 corner stitches, that’s 38. Each side’s count includes the outer sc from the two neighboring corner groups.
Rnd 2: Ch 1. Sc in the same st as the join. Sc in each st to the next marker, 3 sc in the marked st (move the marker to the center sc). Repeat from * 3 more times. Sc in each remaining st and join. (46 sts: left 13, top 8, right 13, bottom 8, plus 4 corners)
Check the test piece now: 2.0 x 3.0 in (5.1 x 7.6 cm).
Rnd 3 (start of the curve): Ch 1. Sc in the same st as the join. Sc in each st to the TL marker and work 3 sc in the marked st. Sc in each st to the stitch before the TR marker and work a rounded corner increase. Sc in each st to the stitch before the BR marker and work a rounded corner increase. Sc in each st to the BL marker and work 3 sc in the marked st. Sc in each remaining st and join. (54 sts: left 15, top 10, right 15, bottom 10, plus 4 corners)
Rnd 4: Repeat Rnd 3, using square corners at TL and BL and rounded corner increases at TR and BR. (62 sts: left 17, top 12, right 17, bottom 12, plus 4 corners)
At this stage the letter should measure 2.8 x 3.8 in (7.1 x 9.7 cm). The left stem is a straight bar and the right side has started to curve. Don’t fasten off. The border comes next with the same yarn.
Flowers (Make 3)
Rnd 1: With butter yellow, MR. Work 10 sc into the ring, pull it tight and join to the first sc. (10 sts) Fasten off. The center measures about 0.4 in (1.0 cm).
Rnd 2: Join cream in any st. (Hdc, dc, hdc) in the next st, sl st in the next st. Repeat from * 4 more times. (5 petals) Fasten off and leave a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail for sewing.
Weave in the yellow tail on the back. Each flower measures about 1 in (2.5 cm) across.
Leaves (Make 4)
With sage green, ch 7.
Leaf: Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, work sc, hdc, dc, dc, hdc. Work 3 sc in the last ch. Working along the other side of the foundation chain, work hdc, dc, dc, hdc, sc. (13 sts) Ch 2, sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook to form a tip, then sl st into the first sc.
Fasten off and leave an 8 in (20.3 cm) tail. Each leaf is about 1 in (2.5 cm) long and 0.5 in (1.3 cm) wide.
Border
Border gauge: Same as the body, 5 sc per 1 in (2.5 cm). Keep your tension even so the edge doesn’t ruffle or pull in.
Rnd 5 (border): Continuing from Rnd 4, work Rnd 3 once more: square corners at TL and BL, rounded corner increases at TR and BR. Join. (70 sts: left 19, top 14, right 19, bottom 14, plus 4 corners)
Exact counts per side, including the corners on each end:
- Left stem: 19 + 2 = 21 sts = 4.2 in (10.7 cm)
- Top: 14 + 2 = 16 sts = 3.2 in (8.1 cm)
- Right curve: 21 sts along the curve
- Bottom: 16 sts
Fasten off and weave in the tail.
Inner edge finish: With the right side facing you, join dusty rose in any foundation chain. Loosely sl st in each of the 30 foundation chains and join. (30 sl sts) This tidies up the edge of the hole without changing the outer size. Fasten off and weave in.
Why the math works: Every round adds 1 stitch to each end of every side, so each side’s count goes up by 2 per round. That keeps the fabric flat because single crochet is roughly as tall as it is wide. Rounded corners add the same 2 stitches as square ones, which is why the total stays at +8 per round all the way through: 38, 46, 54, 62, 70.
Assembly: Appliqués and Hardware
- Leaves first. Pin 2 leaves at the top-left corner: one pointing up and to the right over the top edge, one pointing down and to the left over the stem. Pin the other 2 on the lower right curve: one pointing up and to the right, one pointing down and to the left. Whipstitch around each leaf’s base half with its tail, going only through the top layer of rose stitches.
- Flowers on top. Put one flower on the top-left corner so it covers the base of both leaves there. Stack the other two diagonally on the lower right curve, with the lower flower overlapping the upper one by about 0.25 in (0.6 cm). Use the cream tail to sew into each sl st between the petals, then make a few stitches around the yellow center.
- Hardware. Open the jump ring with two pairs of pliers. Thread it through one stitch of Rnd 4, 2 stitches to the right of the TL corner, so the ring can’t pull out through the border. Add the end link of the key ring chain and close the jump ring completely.
Final Blocking
- Wet the letter (or spray it until damp) and gently squeeze out the extra water in a towel.
- Pin it face up on the mat to 3.2 x 4.2 in (8.1 x 10.7 cm).
- Pin the left stem straight and keep the TL and BL corners square.
- Shape the TR and BR corners into smooth curves with a radius of about 0.75 in (1.9 cm).
- Pin the hole straight along its left side and curved on its right.
- Lift each petal and leaf tip slightly with a finger so they sit naturally.
- Let it dry completely before you unpin it, which usually takes 12–24 hours.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Final round has 70 stitches; the foundation ring has 30 sl sts
- Letter measures 3.2 x 4.2 in (8.1 x 10.7 cm)
- Stem and right side are both 1 in (2.5 cm) wide
- Left corners are crisp and right corners are smoothly rounded
- 3 flowers, each with 5 petals; 4 leaves, each with 13 sts plus a tip
- Leaves sit under the flowers, with no leaf bases showing
- Jump ring is fully closed and goes through Rnd 4, not the border
- All tails are woven in on the back
Troubleshooting
- Edge ruffles: Your border tension is too loose, or you added an extra increase. Count the round again; it should be 70.
- Letter cups or buckles: You probably skipped an increase. Check each side count against the numbers above.
- Right side comes out pointy: You used 3 sc in the corner stitch where a rounded corner increase was needed. Rework that round.
- Hole is twisted: The foundation chain got twisted before you joined it. Start over and lay the chain flat before you join.
- Petals flop: Go down one hook size for the flowers, or block them flat with a little starch.
- Key ring droops: Move the jump ring one stitch closer to the corner.
Care
Spot-clean with mild soap and cool water, then reshape it and let it dry flat. Take off the key ring before you wash it to protect the gold finish.
Final Notes
Your measurements build on each other through the whole piece. Get gauge at 5 sc per 1 in (2.5 cm) and Rnds 1–2 will measure 2.0 x 3.0 in (5.1 x 7.6 cm). Rnd 4 should then come to 2.8 x 3.8 in (7.1 x 9.7 cm), and the 70-stitch border brings the letter to 3.2 x 4.2 in (8.1 x 10.7 cm). If you check at each of those points, the flowers will land where they should and the letter will block flat. Make one for every initial you need.
Happy crocheting!