This little square works two ways. Laid flat, it is a soap pad with a soft field of white petals outlined in color. Pull the drawstring and it gathers into a round, flower-like puff that holds a bar of soap and lathers well in the sink.
The front is made of staggered rows of white shell petals, each edged with a thin contrast rim. The back stays smooth white single crochet, so it is comfortable on the skin and easy to dry. A colored border with a beaded crab-stitch edge frames everything, and a contrast cord woven through an eyelet round turns the square into a pouch.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished square measures 8.9 in x 8.9 in (22.6 cm x 22.6 cm) laid flat. It is shown here in white with dusty pink, beige, or sage green, but any light main color with a deeper contrast works.
Construction is simple. You crochet a plain white square in rows, working some rows in back loops only to leave free front loops. Then you go back and work the petal layers into those loops, add a two-color border, and weave in a crocheted drawstring.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 8.9 in x 8.9 in (22.6 cm x 22.6 cm), flat
- Skill level: Easy-intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) 100% cotton
- Hook: 4.0 mm (G-6)
- Number of pieces: 1 square plus 1 drawstring cord
- Layout: Single square, no joining
- Base square size: 6.9 in x 6.9 in (17.5 cm x 17.5 cm), 31 sts x 31 rows
- Size before border: 6.9 in (17.5 cm) square
- Border depth: 1 in (2.5 cm) per side
Materials
Choose a smooth 100% cotton in worsted weight, mercerized or not. Cotton holds the petal shape, survives hot water, and scrubs without scratching. Avoid acrylic, because it stays soapy and dries slowly.
- Main color (MC), white: 40 g, about 62 m
- Contrast color (CC), pink, beige, or sage: 25 g, about 39 m
These quantities include a margin of about 30% for swatching and tails.
Tools:
– 4.0 mm (G-6) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Stitch markers (4)
– Ruler or tape measure
– Rust-proof pins and a blocking mat
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- dc: double crochet
- st(s): stitch(es)
- sk: skip
- sp: space
- BLO: back loop only
- FL: front loop
- RS / WS: right side / wrong side
- rev sc: reverse single crochet (crab stitch)
Special stitches:
- Shell: 5 dc in the same st.
- Half shell: 3 dc in the same st.
- Rev sc: Work from left to right (for right-handers). Insert the hook in the next st to the right, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, and pull through both loops. This makes the beaded, rope-like edge.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 18 sc and 18 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) in plain sc worked in rows.
To make a swatch, ch 19, sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and across (18 sts), then work 17 more rows. It should measure 4 in (10.2 cm) each way. Square gauge matters here because the border works 1 sc per row end and 1 sc per stitch.
Use the base square as your test piece. Measure it at these checkpoints:
- After Row 4: width 6.9 in (17.5 cm)
- After Row 16: height 3.6 in (9.1 cm)
- After Row 31: 6.9 in x 6.9 in (17.5 cm x 17.5 cm)
- After Border Rnd 2: 8.1 in (20.6 cm) square
- After Border Rnd 4: 8.9 in (22.6 cm) square
If your piece is too big, go down to a 3.75 mm hook. If it is too small, go up to 4.5 mm. If the width is right but the height is off, adjust the tension on your turning chains and loops. Don’t change the stitch count.
Base Square
The base is plain white sc. Every fourth row is worked in BLO on the RS, which leaves a line of free front loops on the RS for a petal layer. Row 1 is a WS row, so all even rows are RS rows.
With MC, ch 32.
Row 1 (WS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (31 sts)
Rows 2–3: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (31 sts)
Row 4 (RS, petal row base): Ch 1, sc in BLO of each st across, turn. (31 sts) The free FLs now sit in a straight line on the RS.
Rows 5–7: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (31 sts)
Row 8 (RS): Repeat Row 4. (31 sts)
Keep going the same way, working Rows 5–8 as a 4-row repeat. The BLO rows fall on Rows 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, and 28, which gives 7 lines of free front loops.
Rows 29–31: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (31 sts)
Fasten off. Don’t weave in the end. Leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail to hide in the border.
Checkpoint: 31 sts x 31 rows, 6.9 in x 6.9 in (17.5 cm x 17.5 cm). Place a marker in each corner stitch.
Petal Layers
Each layer takes two passes: a white petal row worked into the free FLs, then a contrast rim worked across the top of that row. The layers alternate between Layer A (5 full shells) and Layer B (half shell, 4 full shells, half shell), so the petals stagger like scales.
Work the layers from bottom to top, starting with Row 4 and ending with Row 28. Hold the square RS facing with Row 31 at the top. The petals lean upward and cover the base of the next layer.
Layer A (on the free FLs of Rows 4, 12, 20, and 28)
Petal row: With RS facing, join MC with a sl st in the first free FL at the right edge. Ch 1, sc in same FL, *sk 2 FLs, shell in next FL, sk 2 FLs, sc in next FL; repeat from * 4 more times. Fasten off.
Count: 1 sc + 5 x (5 dc + 1 sc) = 31 sts, using all 31 FLs.
Rim: With RS facing, join CC in the first st of the petal row (the sc at the right edge). Ch 1, sc in same st, *sc in next 2 dc, 3 sc in center dc of shell, sc in next 2 dc, sc in next sc; repeat from * 4 more times. Fasten off.
Count: 31 sts worked 1-per-st + 10 extra (2 extra at each of 5 shell centers) = 41 sts.
Layer B (on the free FLs of Rows 8, 16, and 24)
Petal row: With RS facing, join MC in the first free FL at the right edge. Ch 3 (counts as dc), 2 dc in same FL (half shell), sk 2 FLs, sc in next FL, *sk 2 FLs, shell in next FL, sk 2 FLs, sc in next FL; repeat from * 3 more times, half shell in last FL. Fasten off.
Count: 3 dc + 1 sc + 4 x (5 dc + 1 sc) + 3 dc = 31 sts, using all 31 FLs.
Rim: With RS facing, join CC in the top of the beginning ch-3. Ch 1, sc in same st, sc in next 2 dc, sc in next sc, *sc in next 2 dc, 3 sc in center dc, sc in next 2 dc, sc in next sc; repeat from * 3 more times, sc in last 3 dc. Fasten off.
Count: 31 sts worked 1-per-st + 8 extra (2 extra at each of 4 shell centers) = 39 sts.
Checkpoint: You now have 7 petal layers. Each petal stands about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) tall. The layers are 4 rows, or 0.9 in (2.3 cm), apart, so each row of petals reaches the base of the row above. The petal ends sit right at the side edges. Leave all tails hanging at the sides so the border can catch them.
Border
Border gauge: The border uses the same 18 sts per 4 in (10.2 cm). The base has 31 sts and 31 rows at a square gauge. Working 1 sc per st and 1 sc per row end therefore gives 31 sts on every side, and the border lies flat.
The corners are worked into ch-2 spaces. The per-side counts below do not include the corner spaces. Corner stitches are counted only where stated.
Rnd 1 (MC): With RS facing, join MC in the top right corner st. Ch 1, sc in same st and in each st across the top (31 sc); ch 2. Working across the row ends of the left side, make 31 sc (1 per row); ch 2. Working into the foundation ch loops, make 31 sc; ch 2. Working across the row ends of the right side, make 31 sc; ch 2. Join with a sl st to the first sc. Fold the petal tails toward the edge and crochet over them as you go.
Count: 31 sc per side, 124 sc + 4 ch-2 corner sps. Keep the petals folded toward the center so you don’t catch them.
Rnd 2 (MC, eyelet round): Sl st into the corner ch-2 sp. Ch 3 (counts as dc), (ch 2, dc) in same sp. *Dc in first sc of side, [ch 1, sk 1, dc in next sc] 15 times, (dc, ch 2, dc) in corner sp; repeat from * around, leaving out the last corner group. Join with a sl st to the top of the beginning ch-3.
Count per side: 1 corner dc + 16 dc + 15 ch-1 sps + 1 corner dc = 33 sts. Total: 132 sts + 4 ch-2 corner sps. The 15 ch-1 sps on each side are your drawstring eyelets.
Checkpoint: 8.1 in (20.6 cm) square.
Rnd 3 (CC): Join CC in any corner ch-2 sp. Ch 1, *(sc, ch 2, sc) in corner sp, sc in each dc and ch-1 sp across the side; repeat from * around, join.
Count per side: 33 sts worked 1-per-st + 2 corner sc = 35 sts. Total: 140 sc + 4 ch-2 corner sps.
Rnd 4 (CC, crab stitch): Ch 1, don’t turn. Working from left to right, rev sc in each sc and 2 rev sc in each corner ch-2 sp. Join and fasten off.
Count: 140 sts worked 1-per-st + 8 extra (2 per corner sp) = 148 sts.
Why the math works: The base gives 31 sts per side. Rnd 2 places 16 dc on the odd-numbered sts (1, 3, 5 … 31) with 15 chains between them. That uses all 31 sts exactly, and the 2 corner dc bring the side to 33. Rnd 3 keeps those 33 and adds 2 corner sc for 35. Every side is the same, so the square stays square.
For depth, Rnd 1 adds 0.2 in (0.5 cm), Rnd 2 adds 0.4 in (1.0 cm), and Rnds 3–4 together add 0.4 in (1.0 cm). That makes 1 in (2.5 cm) per side, and 6.9 in + 1 in + 1 in = 8.9 in (22.6 cm).
Drawstring
With CC, ch 120, or chain until it measures 40 in (101.6 cm) when lightly stretched. Sl st in the back bump of the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. Fasten off and tie an overhand knot at each end.
Start at one corner and weave the cord in and out of every ch-1 eyelet and each corner sp on Rnd 2, all the way around. On the back, it shows as a neat dashed line about 1 in (2.5 cm) in from the edge. Bring both ends out at the starting corner and even them up, leaving tails about 5 in (12.7 cm) long.
To use it, place a bar of soap on the white back and pull both cord ends. The square gathers into a round petal puff. Tie the ends in a bow, or knot them together to make a hanging loop.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all remaining ends on the back, sliding them under the sc grid.
- Soak the piece in cool water for 10 minutes, then press the water out in a towel. Don’t wring it.
- Slide the drawstring loose so the edges can lie flat.
- Lay the square RS up and pin the four corners to 8.9 in (22.6 cm) square.
- Pin the middle of each side to keep the edges straight.
- Fluff each petal with your fingers so it stands up and leans toward the top edge.
- Let it dry completely, then snug the cord back up.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- The base square has 31 sts and 31 rows.
- There are 7 petal layers, alternating A and B, starting with A.
- Layer A rims have 41 sts and Layer B rims have 39 sts.
- Border Rnd 1 has 31 sc per side, and Rnd 2 has 33 sts per side with 15 eyelets.
- Rnd 3 has 35 sc per side, and Rnd 4 has 148 sts in total.
- The square measures 8.9 in (22.6 cm) on every side.
- The cord gathers smoothly, and both knotted ends come out at the same corner.
- No tails show on the RS.
Troubleshooting
Petals look flat. Your dc are too short or too loose. Work a little tighter and pull the shell loops up evenly.
Petals cup inward too much. Make sure you skip exactly 2 FLs on each side of every shell.
Edges wave after the border. You probably added sc on the sides. Recount: Rnd 1 needs 31 per side.
Corners pull in. Check that each corner has a ch-2 sp on Rnds 1–3 and 2 rev sc on Rnd 4.
Square is taller than wide. Your row gauge is looser than your stitch gauge. Tighten your turning ch-1 and work the base again on the same hook.
Drawstring won’t gather. The cord is too thick for the eyelets. Make it again with a 3.5 mm hook.
Care
Rinse after each use and hang it open to dry. Machine wash warm, then air dry or tumble dry low. Cotton may shrink slightly, so reblock if needed.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is short and easy to check. 31 sts and 31 rows make a 6.9 in (17.5 cm) base. Seven staggered petal layers cover the front without changing the size. Four border rounds add 1 in (2.5 cm) per side for an 8.9 in (22.6 cm) square, and a 40 in (101.6 cm) cord turns it into a soap puff. If you check each stage, the finished piece will match.
Happy crocheting!