The Rosewood Garden Square is a lacy motif with a layered rose in the middle. The flower is three tiers of petals around a cream puff-stitch center. An open ecru frame turns it into a square, and a sprig of sage leaves sits in each corner. The result looks soft, vintage and slightly three-dimensional.
The palette is ecru, deep dusty rose, blush pink and sage green. It suits a cottage-style home, and because the motif is a single piece, you can also use it on its own as a coaster, a sachet front or an appliqué.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished motif measures 7 x 7 in (17.8 x 17.8 cm) after blocking, not counting the corner loops.
Here is the order of work: the cream center first, then three petal layers worked in the round, each anchored behind the one before. Next comes an ecru frame that squares the circle, and finally a two-round picot border. The leaf sprigs are made separately and sewn into the corners.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 7 x 7 in (17.8 x 17.8 cm)
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK (light worsted / #3), cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 4.0 mm (G-6)
- Number of pieces: 1 motif, plus 4 small leaf sprigs sewn on
- Layout: Single square; no joining
- Piece size: 7 x 7 in (17.8 x 17.8 cm)
- Size before border: 6.25 x 6.25 in (15.9 x 15.9 cm)
- Border depth: 0.375 in (1.0 cm) on each side, over 2 rounds
Materials
Use a smooth DK cotton or cotton blend. Cotton shows the petal edges and picots clearly and blocks crisply. A fluffy acrylic will blur the layers. Quantities assume about 2.4 m per gram, which is typical for DK cotton.
- Ecru (Color A): 20 g / 48 m, for the center, frame and border
- Dusty Rose (Color B): 8 g / 19 m, for the inner petal layer
- Blush Pink (Color C): 14 g / 34 m, for the middle and outer petal layers
- Sage Green (Color D): 6 g / 14 m, for the leaf sprigs
All quantities include a margin of about 15% for swatching and weaving in ends.
Tools:
– 4.0 mm (G-6) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Stitch markers (4)
– Rustproof pins and a blocking mat
– Spray bottle
– Ruler or tape measure
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- hdc: half double crochet
- dc: double crochet
- tr: treble crochet
- sp: space
- lp: loop
- st(s): stitch(es)
- rep: repeat
Special stitches:
- Puff stitch (puff): (Yarn over, insert hook in the stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop to 0.5 in / 1.3 cm) 3 times, so you have 7 loops on the hook. Yarn over and draw through all 7 loops.
- Back post anchor sc: Working from the back of the piece, insert the hook from back to front to back around the post of the stitch named, then complete an sc. This anchors the next petal layer behind the one in front.
- Picot: Ch 3, then sl st into the 3rd ch from the hook.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge is not critical for a single motif, but checking it keeps the frame square and the border flat. Work the first two rounds of the center and measure before you continue.
- Border gauge: 19 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm)
- After Round 2 (center): 1.25 in (3.2 cm) across
- After Round 4 (inner petals): 2.25 in (5.7 cm) across
- After Round 6 (middle petals): 3.5 in (8.9 cm) across
- After Round 8 (outer petals): 5 in (12.7 cm) across
- After Round 10 (squared frame): 5.75 in (14.6 cm) per side
- After Round 11 (mesh): 6.25 in (15.9 cm) per side
- After the border: 7 in (17.8 cm) per side
If your piece is more than 0.25 in (0.6 cm) too big at any checkpoint, go down to a 3.75 mm hook. If it is too small, go up to a 4.5 mm hook. Change the hook before you work the frame, because the frame decides the final size.
Pattern
Center (Color A, Ecru)
Round 1: Make a magic ring, ch 1, and work 8 sc in the ring. Sl st to the first sc. Pull the ring tight. (8 sc)
Round 2: Ch 1, then work a puff in the first sc and ch 1. Puff in the next sc, ch 1. Rep from * 6 more times. Sl st to the top of the first puff and fasten off. (8 puffs, 8 ch-1 sps)
Checkpoint: the center is 1.25 in (3.2 cm) across, with the puffs forming a bumpy cream ring.
Inner Petal Layer (Color B, Dusty Rose)
Round 3: Join Color B with a sl st in any ch-1 sp. Ch 1 and sc in the same sp, then ch 3. Sc in the next ch-1 sp, ch 3. Rep from * 6 more times. Sl st to the first sc. (8 sc, 8 ch-3 lps)
Round 4: Work (sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc) in each ch-3 lp around. Sl st to the first sc and fasten off. (8 petals, 56 sts)
These small rounded petals sit right around the center. The open ch-3 lps behind them give this layer its lacy look.
Middle Petal Layer (Color C, Blush Pink)
Round 5: Fold the Round 4 petals forward. Join Color C with a back post anchor sc around any Round 3 sc, then ch 5. Back post anchor sc around the next Round 3 sc, ch 5. Rep from * 6 more times. Sl st to the first sc. (8 sc, 8 ch-5 lps)
Round 6: Work (sc, hdc, 2 dc, tr, ch 2, tr, 2 dc, hdc, sc) in each ch-5 lp around. Sl st to the first sc. Do not fasten off. (8 petals, 80 sts, 8 ch-2 tips)
Each petal comes to a point at its ch-2 tip and sits directly behind a Dusty Rose petal.
Outer Petal Layer (Color C, continued)
Round 7: Fold the Round 6 petals forward. Ch 1 and work a back post anchor sc around the first Round 5 sc, then ch 7. Back post anchor sc around the next Round 5 sc, ch 7. Rep from * 6 more times. Sl st to the first sc. (8 sc, 8 ch-7 lps)
Round 8: Work (sc, hdc, 2 dc, 2 tr, ch 3, 2 tr, 2 dc, hdc, sc) in each ch-7 lp around. Sl st to the first sc and fasten off. (8 petals, 96 sts, 8 ch-3 tips)
Checkpoint: the flower is 5 in (12.7 cm) across. Place a marker in the ch-3 tip of any petal and call it a side petal. Going around, the petals alternate: side, corner, side, corner, and so on. That gives 4 side petals and 4 corner petals.
Squaring Frame (Color A, Ecru)
Round 9: Join Color A with a sl st in the marked side-petal tip. Ch 1 and sc in the same tip. Ch 7, then work (tr, ch 9, tr) in the next corner-petal tip. Ch 7, then sc in the next side-petal tip. Rep from * 3 more times, leaving out the last sc. Sl st to the first sc. (4 sc, 8 tr, 8 ch-7 lps, 4 ch-9 corner lps)
The long ch-9 lps reach the corners. The shorter ch-7 lps run along the sides.
Round 10 (conversion round): Ch 1, then work one side as follows:
- sc in the side sc
- 7 sc in the ch-7 lp
- sc in the tr
- in the ch-9 corner lp: 4 sc, (sc, ch 2, sc), 4 sc
- sc in the next tr
- 7 sc in the next ch-7 lp
Rep this side sequence 3 more times and sl st to the first sc.
Count each side between the ch-2 corners: 5 + 1 + 7 + 1 + 7 + 1 + 5 = 27 sc per side. This includes the sc on each side of the corner ch-2. (108 sc, 4 ch-2 corners)
Checkpoint: 5.75 in (14.6 cm) per side.
Round 11 (mesh, conversion round): Sl st into the next corner ch-2 sp. Ch 6 (counts as dc + ch 3), then dc in the same sp. Work the side as follows:
- ch 1, skip 1 sc
- dc in the next sc, ch 1, skip 1 sc. Rep from * 12 more times
- (dc, ch 3, dc) in the next corner sp
Rep the side sequence around, leaving out the last corner. Sl st to the 3rd ch of the beginning ch-6.
Each side has 13 dc and 14 ch-1 sps, which replace the 27 sc one for one. Add the 2 corner dc and you get 27 + 2 = 29 sts per side. (116 sts, 4 ch-3 corners)
Checkpoint: 6.25 in (15.9 cm) per side. This is your size before the border.
Border
Border gauge: 19 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm). Stay with Color A.
Border Round 1 (trim round): Sl st into the corner ch-3 sp. Ch 1 and work (2 sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in the same sp. Sc in each dc and each ch-1 sp across the side (29 sc), then (2 sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in the corner sp. Rep from * around, leaving out the last corner. Sl st to the first sc.
Per side, this is 29 sc worked one per existing stitch, plus 2 sc from each corner, so 29 + 4 = 33 sc. (132 sc, 4 ch-2 corners)
Border Round 2 (picot round): Sl st into the corner ch-2 sp. Ch 1 and work (sc, ch 5, sc) in the same sp. Then work each side as follows, using the 33 sc of the round below:
- sc in the next 4 sc, picot
- sc in the next 5 sc, picot. Rep from * 4 more times
- sc in the last 4 sc
- (sc, ch 5, sc) in the corner sp
Rep around, leaving out the last corner. Sl st to the first sc and fasten off.
Each side has 33 sc (4 + 25 + 4) and 6 picots. The corners add 2 sc each. (140 sc, 24 picots, 4 ch-5 corner lps)
Why the math works: Round 10 sets each side at 27 sts, and it is symmetrical around a center sc that lines up with the side petal. Round 11 replaces each of those 27 sts with one mesh stitch and adds only the 2 corner dc, for 29. Border Round 1 adds 2 sc per corner on each side, for 33. Border Round 2 adds no side stitches. Its picots sit after stitches 4, 9, 14, 19, 24 and 29, which is symmetrical around stitch 17, the center.
At 19 sc per 4 in (10.2 cm), 33 sc measures about 7 in (17.8 cm), which matches the finished size.
Leaf Sprigs (Color D, Sage Green; make 4)
Leaf (make 3 per sprig):
- Ch 8. Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook: sc, hdc, dc in the next 2 ch, hdc, sc, then sl st in the last ch.
- Ch 1 and rotate the leaf. Working along the other side of the foundation chain: sl st, sc, hdc, dc in the next 2 ch, hdc, sc.
- Sl st into the tip ch.
Each leaf has 14 sts and measures about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) long.
Sprig: Make Leaf 1, then ch 8 and make Leaf 2 on that chain. Ch 8 and make Leaf 3. Sl st into the base of Leaf 1 to gather the three leaves into a fan. Fasten off and leave an 8 in (20.3 cm) tail.
Placement: Lay one sprig in each corner gap, between the outer petals and the Round 9 corner lp. Point the middle leaf toward the corner and fan the other two toward the neighboring sides. Sew the base and the leaf tips to the frame chains and the corner-petal tip. Keep your stitches on the back.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends along stitches of the same color.
- Spray the motif evenly until it is damp, not dripping.
- Pin it face up to a 7 in (17.8 cm) square on the blocking mat.
- Pin each corner ch-5 lp out to a point, then pin the middle of each side.
- Open each picot with a pin tip.
- Shape the petals by hand. Cup the inner layer slightly and lift the outer petal points.
- Let it dry completely, at least 6 hours, before unpinning.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- [ ] Each side measures 7 in (17.8 cm)
- [ ] Round 10 has 27 sc per side, and Border Round 1 has 33
- [ ] Each side has 6 picots, evenly spaced
- [ ] All 3 petal layers have 8 petals, stacked in line
- [ ] The leaf sprigs are centered in the corners and lie flat
- [ ] No ends show on the front
Troubleshooting
- The frame ruffles: Your chains are too loose. Work them on a hook one size smaller, or ch 6 instead of 7 in Round 9 and work 6 sc into those lps in Round 10. That makes 25 sc per side; adjust the counts that follow to match.
- The frame cups: Your chains are too tight. Work Round 9 on a hook one size larger.
- The petals flop forward: Make sure every anchor sc goes around the post of the correct round, not into a petal stitch.
- The corners round off: Pin the corner loops harder when you block. Check that each Round 9 corner has its ch-9 lp.
- The picots are crooked: Recount the 33 sc on that side. Usually one sc is missing next to a corner.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with a mild detergent. Press out the water in a towel, then dry flat and reshape the petals while the motif is still damp.
Final Notes
Here is the full measurement chain:
| Stage | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Center | 1.25 in (3.2 cm) |
| Inner petals | 2.25 in (5.7 cm) |
| Middle petals | 3.5 in (8.9 cm) |
| Outer petals | 5 in (12.7 cm) |
| Squared frame | 5.75 in (14.6 cm) |
| Mesh | 6.25 in (15.9 cm) |
| Bordered | 7 in (17.8 cm) |
The stitch counts per side run 27, then 29, then 33. If you match each checkpoint, the finished square will block to size.
Happy crocheting!