The Rosewood Star is a six-petal flower ornament. Its pointed leaf-shaped petals are dusty rose, and a cream stamen star sits at the center. Each petal has a raised center vein and a rope-like edge, so the ornament looks detailed even from across the room.
The colors are soft and vintage. A muted dusty rose is used for the petals, vein, border and hanging loop. Creamy off-white is used for the six stamens and their round bobble tips. The design also works well in deep burgundy with blush stamens if you want a richer version for the tree.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished ornament measures about 6.5 in (16.5 cm) from one petal tip to the opposite petal tip. The hanging loop adds about 1.75 in (4.4 cm).
Construction is simple and modular. You make six identical petals in the round around a foundation chain and add a surface slip stitch vein to each. Then you sew the petals together at the center and work one round of reverse single crochet around the outline of the whole flower. The cream stamen star is made separately and sewn on top last.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: about 6.5 in (16.5 cm) tip to tip, not including the loop
- Skill level: Easy-intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK (#3), cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Number of pieces: 7 (6 petals + 1 stamen star)
- Layout: 6 petals radiating from one center point, 60 degrees apart
- Petal size before border: 3 in long x 1.3 in wide (7.6 x 3.3 cm)
- Petal size after border: 3.25 in x 1.5 in (8.3 x 3.8 cm)
- Border depth: about 1/8 in (0.3 cm) on every free edge
- Stamen arm length: about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) each
Materials
Choose a smooth DK cotton, either mercerized or matte. Cotton holds the pointed tips and the crisp rope edge better than acrylic, and it blocks flat. Avoid fuzzy yarns, because they hide the vein and the border texture.
- Color A, Dusty Rose: 20 g, about 50 m (55 yd)
- Color B, Cream: 5 g, about 12 m (13 yd)
Tools:
- 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- 12 locking stitch markers
- Rust-proof pins and a foam blocking mat
- Spray bottle with cool water
All quantities include a margin of roughly 20 percent for your gauge swatch, a practice petal and sewing tails.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- BLO – back loop only
- rev sc – reverse single crochet (crab stitch)
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- rnd – round
Reverse single crochet (rev sc): If you crochet right-handed, work from left to right. Insert the hook into the next stitch to the right, yarn over and pull up a loop, then yarn over and pull through both loops. This makes the twisted, rope-like edge.
4-dc bobble: In the same stitch, 4 times: (yarn over, insert hook, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through 2 loops). Then yarn over and pull through all 5 loops on the hook.
Surface slip stitch: Hold the working yarn behind the piece. Insert the hook from front to back through the fabric, pull up a loop, and draw it through the loop on the hook.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 20 sc and 22 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) with a 3.5 mm hook. Gauge is not critical for an ornament, but it controls how well the petals fit together at the center.
Make one complete petal, including Rnd 2, before you make the other five. Measure it lying flat, without stretching.
Checkpoints:
- Foundation chain of 13: about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) long
- After Rnd 1: 2.75 in long x 1 in wide (7.0 x 2.5 cm)
- After Rnd 2: 3 in long x 1.3 in wide (7.6 x 3.3 cm)
- After border, per petal: 3.25 in x 1.5 in (8.3 x 3.8 cm)
- Finished flower: 6.5 in (16.5 cm) tip to tip
If your petal is too big, go down to a 3.25 mm hook. If it is too small, go up to a 3.75 mm hook. Do not change the stitch counts, because the joining and border math depends on them.
Petal (Make 6)
With Color A, ch 13. You skip the chain closest to your hook, which leaves 12 working chains. Number them 1 to 12, starting at the hook end. Chain 1 becomes the base point and chain 12 becomes the tip.
Rnd 1: Work 3 sc in the 2nd ch from the hook (ch 1). These are the 3 base-point sts. Working along the chain: sc in next ch, hdc in next 2 ch, dc in next 4 ch, hdc in next 2 ch, sc in next ch. This gives 10 side sts in chs 2–11. Work 3 sc in the last ch (ch 12) for the 3 tip sts. Rotate the petal and work into the free loops on the other side of the foundation chain: sc in next ch, hdc in next 2 ch, dc in next 4 ch, hdc in next 2 ch, sc in next ch. This gives 10 side sts in chs 11–2. Join with sl st to first sc. (26 sts)
Check: 3 base + 10 side + 3 tip + 10 side = 26. The tall dc in the middle and the short sc at each end give the leaf its point at both ends.
Rnd 2 (BLO): Ch 1 (does not count). Work in BLO throughout:
- Base point: sc in first st, (sc, ch 2, sc) in next st, sc in next st.
- Side A: sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts (12 sts).
- Tip: sc in next st, (sc, ch 2, sc) in next st, sc in next st.
- Side B: sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts (12 sts).
Join with sl st to first sc. (32 sc and 2 ch-2 sps)
Check: base 4 sc + side A 12 + tip 4 sc + side B 12 = 32. The front loops left unworked in this BLO round make a fine line just inside the edge. The two increases on each side keep the widest part of the petal flat.
On four of the petals, fasten off and leave a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail for sewing. On the other two, fasten off and weave in the tails.
Center vein: With Color A and the right side facing you, join at the base point. Work 1 surface sl st over each foundation chain, from ch 1 to ch 12, ending at the tip. (12 surface sl sts) Fasten off and weave in. The vein should lie flat and straight. If it puckers, work it more loosely.
On both sides of each petal, place a marker in the third side stitch from the base point. The seams will end at these markers.
Make All Pieces
Pieces needed for one ornament:
- Color A, Dusty Rose: 6 petals with center veins
- Color B, Cream: 1 stamen star (pattern below)
Stamen star: With Color B, make a magic ring. Ch 1, work 6 sc in the ring, pull the ring closed and sl st to the first sc. (6 sc)
Arms: Ch 9, work a 4-dc bobble in the 3rd ch from the hook, sl st in each of the next 6 ch back toward the ring, sl st in the next sc of the ring. Repeat from * to * 5 more times. The last sl st goes in the first sc. (6 arms, each 6 sl sts long plus 1 bobble)
Each arm should measure about 1.5 in (3.8 cm), including the bobble. Fasten off and leave a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail for sewing.
Layout grid, seen from the front with the top petal pointing up:
P1
P6 P2
(S)
P5 P3
P4
P1 to P6 are the petals, placed clockwise and 60 degrees apart, with their base points meeting at the center. S is the stamen star, with one arm lying along each petal’s vein.
Joining
Lay the six petals right side up in the layout above, with their base points touching at the center.
Method: Using the long Color A tails, whipstitch through the outer loops of the Rnd 2 stitches.
Stitch-to-stitch logic: Each side of a petal has 12 side sts. Start at the base point and match the first 3 side sts of one petal to the first 3 side sts of the petal next to it, stitch for stitch. Stop at the markers. That makes 3 whipstitches per seam and 6 seams in total.
Sew P1 to P2, then P2 to P3, and so on until P6 is sewn back to P1. Then run the tail through the 6 base ch-2 spaces at the center and pull gently to close the small hole. Knot and weave in.
Tension: Pull each whipstitch just tight enough that the edges meet. Tight stitches will make the flower cup. Loose stitches leave gaps that show light through the center.
Size checkpoint: Measure from one tip to the opposite tip. It should be about 6.25 in (15.9 cm) before the border. Each petal now has 9 free side sts on each side, plus its tip.
Border
Border gauge: Work 1 rev sc in each free sc and 3 rev sc in each ch-2 tip space. The border adds about 1/8 in (0.3 cm) to every edge.
With the front facing you, join Color A with a sl st in the first free st after the seam on the right-hand side of P1. This means you start at a valley between two petals.
Border Rnd (rev sc): Work left to right around the outline. For each petal:
- 1 rev sc in each of the 9 free side sts.
- 1 rev sc in the sc before the tip, 1 rev sc in the next sc, 3 rev sc in the ch-2 sp, 1 rev sc in the next sc, 1 rev sc in the sc after the tip.
- 1 rev sc in each of the 9 free side sts down the other side.
At each valley, go straight into the first free st of the next petal. Do not add a stitch at the seam.
Per petal: 9 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 9 = 25 rev sc. Whole ornament: 6 x 25 = 150 rev sc. Join with sl st to the first rev sc.
Why the math works: The petal edge has 32 sc. Of these, 4 sit at the base point in the center and 6 (3 per side) are hidden in the seams. That leaves 18 free side sts and 4 tip sc, which makes 22. The 3 rev sc in the tip space bring the total to 18 + 4 + 3 = 25. One rev sc per stitch keeps the sides flat, and the 3 stitches in the tip space keep each point sharp instead of rounded.
Hanging loop: Do not fasten off. Sl st along the border to the center rev sc at the tip of P1. Ch 20 and sl st in the same st. Fasten off and weave in. The loop hangs about 1.75 in (4.4 cm) above the tip.
Stamens: Center the stamen star on the flower, with one arm along each petal vein. Use the Color B tail to sew the ring down. Then tack each arm at its midpoint and just below the bobble. Leave the bobbles free so they stand up slightly.
Final Blocking
- Spray the ornament until it is evenly damp but not dripping.
- Lay it face up on the blocking mat.
- Pin the center first. Then pin each tip outward so it sits 3.25 in (8.3 cm) from the center.
- Check that the petals are 60 degrees apart and that each vein runs straight to its tip.
- Pin each petal at its widest point so it measures 1.5 in (3.8 cm) across.
- Smooth the stamen arms straight with your fingers. Do not pin through the bobbles.
- Let it dry completely, at least 12 hours, before you remove the pins.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Six petals, each 3.25 in x 1.5 in (8.3 x 3.8 cm)
- Each petal has 32 sc in Rnd 2 and a sharp tip point
- Each vein has 12 surface sl sts and lies flat
- Six seams, each 3 sts long, with no gaps at the center
- Border has 25 rev sc per petal, 150 in total
- Six stamen arms, each about 1.5 in (3.8 cm), lying over the veins
- Hanging loop is secure and centered on P1
- All ends are woven in and can’t be seen from the front
- Ornament measures 6.5 in (16.5 cm) tip to tip
Troubleshooting
Petal curls like a canoe: Rnd 2 is too tight. Use a larger hook for Rnd 2 only, and check that you made both increases on each side.
Petal tips are rounded: Check that you worked (sc, ch 2, sc) at the tip in Rnd 2 and 3 rev sc in that space in the border.
Petal edges are wavy: You may have extra stitches. Recount Rnd 2, which must have 32 sc.
Center has a hole: Pull the gathering thread through the 6 base ch-2 spaces more firmly. The stamen ring also covers small gaps.
Border flares at the valleys: You probably added a stitch at a seam. Go straight from one petal into the next.
Stamen arms twist: Work the sl sts back along the chain more loosely, and steam the arms lightly before you tack them down.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press the water out in a towel, and dry flat while reshaping the petals. Store flat in tissue paper between seasons so the points stay crisp.
Final Notes
Here is the full measurement chain. A 13-chain foundation gives a petal 2.75 in (7.0 cm) long after Rnd 1 and 3 in x 1.3 in (7.6 x 3.3 cm) after Rnd 2. Joined at their bases, the six petals measure 6.25 in (15.9 cm) across. The border, 25 stitches per petal, brings each petal to 3.25 in x 1.5 in (8.3 x 3.8 cm) and the flower to 6.5 in (16.5 cm) tip to tip. If you check each stage, the finished ornament will match.
Make a set in dusty rose, then a few in burgundy with blush stamens, and hang them together for a soft, coordinated tree.
Happy crocheting!