This little tree ornament is one flat crochet piece. It has a lacy cream triangle, three plump puff fans stacked down the center and a small tan trunk. It hangs from a tan chain loop, so it can go on the tree as soon as the ends are woven in.
The look is soft and Scandinavian, with warm cream for the tree and sandy tan for the trunk and loop. Open mesh rows with vertical posts sit between solid single crochet bars, so the tree reads as three tiers. Each tier has one fan of three puff stitches that looks like a little bud.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished ornament is about 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide and 4 in (10.2 cm) tall, not counting the hanging loop.
You work the tree in turned rows from the tip down to the base, adding one stitch at each edge on every double crochet row. One round of single crochet edging goes around the whole triangle. Then you work the tan trunk into the bottom edge and add the hanging loop at the tip.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide x 4 in (10.2 cm) tall, plus a hanging loop about 2 in (5.1 cm) tall
- Skill level: Easy-intermediate (puff stitches and working into chain spaces)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK (light worsted, #3) cotton
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Number of pieces: 1 (a single flat ornament; no joining)
- Layout: one triangular tree with a trunk attached below the center of the base
- Piece size (triangle with edging): 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide x 3.25 in (8.3 cm) tall
- Size before edging: 3 in (7.6 cm) wide x 2.75 in (7.0 cm) tall
- Edging depth: about 0.25 in (0.6 cm) on every side
- Trunk: 1 in (2.5 cm) wide x 0.75 in (1.9 cm) tall
Materials
Choose a smooth mercerized or combed DK cotton. Cotton gives the puffs crisp definition and helps the triangle stay flat after blocking. A soft acrylic also works, but the mesh will look a little fuzzier.
- Cream (tree): 8 g, about 17 m
- Tan (trunk and hanging loop): 3 g, about 6 m
These amounts are for one ornament and include a margin for checking gauge and weaving in ends.
Tools:
- 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Stitch markers (2)
- Ruler or tape measure
- Blocking mat and rust-proof pins
- Spray bottle with water
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sk – skip
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sp – space
- RS / WS – right side / wrong side
- yo – yarn over
Special stitches:
- Puff: (yo, insert hook in indicated st, yo, pull up a loop to the height of a dc) 3 times, so there are 7 loops on the hook. Yo and pull through all 7 loops.
- Fan: (puff, ch 1, puff, ch 1, puff) all in the same st. A fan counts as 3 sts, one per puff. The 2 ch-1 sps inside the fan are not counted and are skipped on the next row.
Counting rule: Every ch-1 sp in a mesh row counts as 1 st. The turning ch-3 counts as 1 dc. The turning ch-1 on single crochet rows does not count.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 20 sc and 22 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) in sc rows. One dc row is about as tall as 2 sc rows.
Because this is a single piece, Rows 1-4 are your test swatch. Work them, lay the piece flat and measure before you go on.
Checkpoints:
- After Row 4: 7 sts; about 1.4 in (3.6 cm) wide at the base and about 1 in (2.5 cm) tall.
- After Row 7: 11 sts; about 2.2 in (5.6 cm) wide and 1.75 in (4.4 cm) tall.
- After Row 10: 15 sts; 3 in (7.6 cm) wide and 2.75 in (7.0 cm) tall.
- After edging: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide and 3.25 in (8.3 cm) tall.
- After trunk: 4 in (10.2 cm) total height.
Too big? Go down 0.5 mm in hook size. Also make sure you are not pulling the puff loops up taller than a dc.
Too small? Go up 0.5 mm in hook size. Tight puffs also make the tree narrower, so pull each loop up a little more.
Being off by up to 0.25 in (0.6 cm) at Row 10 is fine for an ornament. A bigger difference will show if you hang several trees side by side.
Tree Pattern
Work with cream in turned rows from the tip down. Choose the RS after Row 3; most crocheters pick the side where the puffs look plumpest.
Tier 1 (Tip)
Row 1: Ch 2, 3 sc in 2nd ch from hook. (3 sc)
Leave the remaining foundation ch free. The tip corner of the edging goes into it later.
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, 2 sc in first st, sc in next st, 2 sc in last st. (5 sc)
Row 3 (fan row): Ch 3 (counts as dc), turn, dc in first st, sk next st, fan in next st (the center st), sk next st, 2 dc in last st. (7 sts: 4 dc and 1 fan of 3)
Row 4 (bar row): Ch 1, turn, sc in each of the first 2 dc, sc in top of each of the 3 puffs (sk the ch-1 sps inside the fan), sc in next dc, sc in top of turning ch-3. (7 sc)
Measure now and compare with the Row 4 checkpoint.
Tier 2
Row 5 (mesh row): Ch 3 (counts as dc), turn, dc in first st, ch 1, sk next st, dc in next st 2 times, ch 1, sk next st, 2 dc in last st. (9 sts: 6 dc and 3 ch-1 sps)
The center st of Row 5 is a ch-1 sp. It sits directly above the middle puff of the first fan.
Row 6 (fan row): Ch 3 (counts as dc), turn, dc in first st, ch 1, sk next st, dc in next ch-1 sp, sk next dc, fan in center ch-1 sp, sk next dc, dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, sk next dc, 2 dc in top of turning ch-3. (11 sts: 6 dc, 2 ch-1 sps and 1 fan of 3)
Check the stitch order across Row 6: 2 dc, ch-1 sp, dc, fan, dc, ch-1 sp, 2 dc. That is 2 + 1 + 1 + 3 + 1 + 1 + 2 = 11. The single dc on each side of the fan forms a vertical post that frames it.
Row 7 (bar row): Ch 1, turn, sc in each dc and each ch-1 sp across, sc in top of each puff (sk the ch-1 sps inside the fan), sc in top of turning ch-3. (11 sc)
Tier 3
Row 8 (mesh row): Ch 3 (counts as dc), turn, dc in first st, ch 1, sk next st, dc in next st 4 times, ch 1, sk next st, 2 dc in last st. (13 sts: 8 dc and 5 ch-1 sps)
Again, the center st (the 7th) is a ch-1 sp above the middle puff.
Row 9 (fan row): Ch 3 (counts as dc), turn, dc in first st, ch 1, sk next st, dc in next st 2 times, sk next st, fan in center ch-1 sp, sk next st, dc in next st, ch 1, sk next st 2 times, 2 dc in top of turning ch-3. (15 sts: 8 dc, 4 ch-1 sps and 1 fan of 3)
The stitch order across Row 9 is: 2 dc, ch-1 sp, dc, ch-1 sp, dc, fan, dc, ch-1 sp, dc, ch-1 sp, 2 dc. That is 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 3 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 2 = 15.
Row 10 (bar row): Ch 1, turn, sc in each dc and each ch-1 sp across, sc in top of each puff (sk the ch-1 sps inside the fan), sc in top of turning ch-3. (15 sc)
Fasten off. The triangle should now be 3 in (7.6 cm) wide and 2.75 in (7.0 cm) tall.
Stitch Count Summary
| Row | Type | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | sc | 3 |
| 2 | sc | 5 |
| 3 | fan | 7 |
| 4 | bar | 7 |
| 5 | mesh | 9 |
| 6 | fan | 11 |
| 7 | bar | 11 |
| 8 | mesh | 13 |
| 9 | fan | 15 |
| 10 | bar | 15 |
Every dc row adds exactly 1 st at each edge. The fan never changes the count. It goes into 1 st and the sts on either side of it are skipped, so 3 sts are used and 3 sts are made.
Border (Edging)
The edging is one round of cream sc around the whole triangle. It straightens the stepped row ends and gives the tree a smooth, raised outline.
Edging gauge: same as the body, 20 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm). Along the slanted sides, work 1 sc into the end of each sc row and 2 sc into the end of each dc row.
Edging Round: With RS facing, join cream with a sl st in the first st of Row 10 (a bottom corner).
- First bottom corner: Ch 1, 3 sc in same st.
- Bottom edge: Sc in next 13 sts.
- Second bottom corner: 3 sc in last st of Row 10.
- First slanted side: Working into the row ends from Row 9 up to Row 1, work 14 sc. That is 1 sc in each of the 4 sc row ends (Rows 7, 4, 2 and 1) and 2 sc in each of the 5 dc row ends (Rows 9, 8, 6, 5 and 3).
- Tip corner: 3 sc in the free foundation ch at the tip.
- Second slanted side: Working down the row ends from Row 1 to Row 9, work 14 sc the same way.
- Join with sl st to first sc and fasten off.
Count per side: 13 sc on the bottom edge, 14 sc on each slanted side and 3 corner groups of 3 sc. Total: 13 + 14 + 14 + 9 = 50 sc.
Why the math works: A dc row is about twice as tall as an sc row. Working 2 sc per dc row end and 1 sc per sc row end makes the edging match the real length of each side, so the slanted sides lie flat without ruffling or cupping. The 3-sc corner groups add the extra length needed to turn each point. The bottom edge uses the 13 sts between the two corner sts of Row 10 (15 − 2 = 13), so nothing is added or lost.
Trunk
Hold the tree RS facing, with the base at the top. Count the 19 sts of the bottom edge, from the first sc of the first corner group to the last sc of the second corner group. The 10th st is the center. Place markers in the 8th and 12th sts.
Row 1: Join tan with sl st in the 8th st, ch 1, sc in same st and in next 4 sts, ending in the 12th st. (5 sc)
Rows 2-4: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (5 sc)
Fasten off. The trunk is 1 in (2.5 cm) wide and 0.75 in (1.9 cm) tall, which brings the ornament to 4 in (10.2 cm) tall overall.
Hanging Loop
Join tan with sl st in the center sc of the tip corner group. Ch 20, then sl st in the same st. Fasten off. The loop rises about 2 in (5.1 cm) above the tip.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends along the edging on the WS. Hide the tan ends inside the trunk.
- Mist the ornament evenly with water until it is damp but not dripping.
- Lay it RS up on a blocking mat.
- Pin the three corners first: base width 3.5 in (8.9 cm), triangle height 3.25 in (8.3 cm).
- Pin the middle of each slanted side so the edges run straight.
- Gently pull the trunk down and pin it square at 1 in (2.5 cm) wide.
- Round out each puff with your fingertips. Do not pin through the puffs.
- Let it dry completely, which takes at least several hours, before you unpin it.
For a stiffer ornament, mist it with a light fabric stiffener or starch before the final drying.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Stitch counts match the table for Rows 1-10.
- Each fan has 3 distinct puffs and sits on the center line.
- The dc posts on each side of the fans line up in neat vertical columns.
- The edging has 50 sc, with 3 sc at each corner.
- Both slanted sides are the same length and lie flat.
- The trunk is centered, with 7 edging sts free on each side.
- The triangle measures 3.5 in (8.9 cm) x 3.25 in (8.3 cm).
- Total height is 4 in (10.2 cm), plus the 2 in (5.1 cm) loop.
- All ends are woven in securely and trimmed.
Troubleshooting
The sides ruffle. You worked more than 2 sc into some dc row ends. Rework them so each side has 14 sc.
The sides pull in or curl. You worked only 1 sc into some dc row ends. Rework with 2 sc in each dc row end.
A fan is off-center. Count the row before the fan row. The fan must go in the exact center st: the 3rd of 5, the 5th of 9 or the 7th of 13.
The puffs look flat or small. Pull each loop up to full dc height before starting the next one, and keep the closing yo firm.
Row counts are off by 1 or 2. Usually the turning ch-3 was skipped. It counts as a st, and the last st of each dc row goes into its top.
The trunk sits crooked. Undo it, recount the 19 bottom sts and join in the 8th.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press the water out in a towel and dry flat in shape. Store flat between layers of tissue so the puffs keep their shape.
Final Notes
The whole ornament depends on one chain of measurements. A gauge of 20 sc and 22 rows to 4 in (10.2 cm) gives 15 sts at Row 10, with a triangle 3 in (7.6 cm) wide and 2.75 in (7.0 cm) tall. The 50-stitch edging adds about 0.25 in (0.6 cm) on every side, making the triangle 3.5 in (8.9 cm) x 3.25 in (8.3 cm). The 4-row trunk adds 0.75 in (1.9 cm), for a total height of 4 in (10.2 cm).
Check each stage against its checkpoint and every tree you make will match the last. Make one for a gift tag, or a handful for the whole tree.
Happy crocheting!