The Sunny Ride organizer turns the back of a car seat into a little sunflower that holds things. A chocolate-brown center is ringed with twenty golden petals. A soft cream pocket sits across the lower half, big enough for a phone, pens, sunglasses, or a small notebook.
The colors are classic sunflower: golden yellow, deep brown, cream, and two sage-green leaves that peek out from the ends of the pocket. The stitches are simple and dense, so the piece holds up to everyday use.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished flower panel measures 14.5 in (36.8 cm) across from petal tip to petal tip. The pocket is 11 in (27.9 cm) wide and 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall.
The brown center is worked as a single crochet spiral. A yellow base round and twenty petals worked in rows follow, then an outline round. The pocket is a small oval basket worked in the round. The leaves and straps are made separately, and everything is sewn together at the end.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 14.5 in (36.8 cm) diameter panel
- Skill level: Confident beginner to intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4)
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 1 flower panel, 1 pocket, 2 leaves, 2 straps (6 parts, one finished organizer)
- Layout: Single panel with the pocket centered on the lower half and straps at the top
- Brown center: 9 in (22.9 cm) diameter
- Size before border: 9.5 in (24.1 cm) center with the yellow base round, plus unedged petals
- Border depth: About 0.25 in (0.6 cm) of outline added to each petal edge
- Petal length: About 2.5 in (6.4 cm) including the outline
Materials
Use a smooth worsted cotton or cotton blend. Cotton holds its shape, makes crisp petal tips, and stands up to sunlight better than fuzzy yarns. A firm acrylic also works.
- Brown: 35 g, about 63 m
- Golden yellow: 40 g, about 72 m
- Cream: 70 g, about 126 m
- Sage green: 10 g, about 18 m
These amounts are based on yarn of about 180 m per 100 g and include a margin for the gauge swatch and tails.
Tools:
- 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
- Locking stitch markers
- Tapestry needle
- 2 buttons, 5/8 in (1.6 cm)
- Sewing pins and measuring tape
- Blocking mat and rustproof pins
- Scissors
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- BLO – back loop only
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
- hdc2tog – half double crochet 2 together
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sp – space
- RS – right side
Special stitch – hdc2tog: Yarn over and insert the hook in the next st. Yarn over and pull up a loop. Yarn over, insert the hook in the following st, yarn over, and pull up a loop (5 loops on the hook). Yarn over and pull through all 5 loops.
Special technique – surface slip stitch: Hold the yarn behind the fabric. Insert the hook from the front between stitches, pull up a loop, and draw it through the loop on the hook. Repeat along the line you want.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 16 sc and 18 rounds = 4 in (10.2 cm). 14 hdc and 11 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm).
Before starting the whole project, test it by working the brown center through Round 10 and measuring. Every later measurement depends on this disc.
Checkpoints:
- Round 5: 2.25 in (5.7 cm) across
- Round 10: 4.5 in (11.4 cm) across
- Round 15: 6.75 in (17.1 cm) across
- Round 20: 9 in (22.9 cm) across
- Round 21: 9.5 in (24.1 cm) across
- Pocket Round 3: 94 sts, about 23.5 in (59.7 cm) around
If your disc is too big, go down to a 4.5 mm hook. If it is too small, go up to a 5.5 mm hook.
Part 1: Brown Center
With brown, work in a continuous spiral. Mark the first stitch of each round and move the marker up as you go.
Rnd 1: Magic ring, 6 sc in the ring. (6)
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each st around. (12)
Rnd 3: (Sc in next st, 2 sc in next st) 6 times. (18)
Rnd 4: Sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, (sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st) 5 times, sc in next st. (24)
Rnd 5: (Sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st) 6 times. (30)
Rnds 6–20: For each round, take the round number as N. Work (sc in next N − 2 sts, 2 sc in next st) 6 times, so the round has 6N sts. On even rounds, start with half of the plain sc, work the repeat, and end with the other half. This staggers the increases and keeps the disc round instead of hexagonal.
Key counts: Rnd 10 (60), Rnd 15 (90), Rnd 20 (120).
At the end of Rnd 20, sl st in the next st to smooth the step in the spiral. Fasten off.
Part 2: Yellow Base Round and Petals
Rnd 21: Join yellow in any st of Rnd 20. Ch 1, sc in each st around, then join with a sl st to the first sc. (120) Do not fasten off.
The petals are worked in rows. Each petal uses 6 sts of Rnd 21, so 120 ÷ 6 = 20 petals, with no sts skipped between them.
Petal Row 1 (RS): Ch 2 (does not count as a stitch here or in later rows). Hdc in the same st and in the next 5 sts, then turn. (6)
Row 2: Ch 2, hdc in each st, turn. (6)
Row 3: Ch 2, hdc in each st, turn. (6)
Row 4: Ch 2, hdc2tog, hdc in next 2 sts, hdc2tog, turn. (4)
Row 5: Ch 2, hdc in each st, turn. (4)
Row 6: Ch 2, hdc2tog twice, turn. (2)
Row 7: Ch 1, sc2tog. (1) This is the petal tip. Do not turn.
Travel down: Sl st once into each row end of Rows 6 through 1 down the side you just finished on. That is 6 sl st, and it brings you back to the base. Begin Row 1 of the next petal in the next unworked st of Rnd 21.
Repeat until all 20 petals are done. After the last petal, sl st into the first st of Rnd 21 and fasten off.
Each petal is about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) wide at the base and about 2.25 in (5.7 cm) long before the outline.
Part 3: Pocket
With cream, work in joined rounds. The pocket starts as a flat oval base.
Base: Ch 41.
Rnd 1: Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc in the next 38 ch, and 3 sc in the last ch. Rotate and work along the other side of the chain: sc in the next 38 ch, then 2 sc in the last ch (the same ch as the first sc). Join to the first sc. (1 + 38 + 3 + 38 + 2 = 82)
Rnd 2: Ch 1. 2 sc in the first st, sc in the next 38 sts, 2 sc in each of the next 3 sts, sc in the next 38 sts, and 2 sc in each of the next 2 sts. Join. (2 + 38 + 6 + 38 + 4 = 88)
Rnd 3: Ch 1. Sc in the first st, 2 sc in the next st, sc in the next 38 sts, (sc in the next st, 2 sc in the next st) 3 times, sc in the next 38 sts, and (sc in the next st, 2 sc in the next st) 2 times. Join. (3 + 38 + 9 + 38 + 6 = 94)
The base now measures about 11 in × 1.5 in (27.9 cm × 3.8 cm).
Rnd 4 (turning round): Ch 1, sc BLO in each st around, then join. (94) Working in the back loop only turns a crisp edge, so the walls rise straight up from the base.
Rnds 5–22: Ch 1, sc in each st around, then join. (94 each round)
Rnd 23 (rim): Loosely sl st in each st around. (94) This makes the chain-like line along the top edge. Fasten off.
The walls are about 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall from the base fold to the rim.
Part 4: Leaves (Make 2)
With sage green:
Rnd 1: Ch 11. Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, work sc, hdc, 5 dc, hdc, and sc, one stitch in each ch. Then work (sc, ch 2, sc) in the last ch for the tip. Working along the other side of the chain: sc, hdc, 5 dc, hdc, and sc. Sl st to the first sc. (20 sts + ch-2 tip)
Rnd 2: Ch 1. Sc in the next 10 sts, (sc, ch 2, sc) in the ch-2 sp, sc in the next 10 sts, and sl st to the first sc. (22 sts + ch-2 tip)
Vein: Surface slip stitch along the center chain from the base to just below the tip. Fasten off and leave a long tail for sewing.
Each leaf is about 3 in (7.6 cm) long and 1.5 in (3.8 cm) wide.
Part 5: Straps (Make 2)
With cream:
Row 1: Ch 6. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across, then turn. (5)
Rows 2–52: Ch 1, sc in each st, turn. (5)
Row 53 (buttonhole): Ch 1, sc in the first st, ch 3, skip 3 sts, sc in the last st, turn. (2 sc + ch-3 sp)
Row 54: Ch 1, sc in the first st, 3 sc in the ch-3 sp, sc in the last st, turn. (5)
Row 55: Ch 1, sc in each st. (5) Fasten off.
Each strap is 1.25 in × 12 in (3.2 cm × 30.5 cm).
Border: Petal Outline
Border gauge: 4 sc per 1 in (2.5 cm) along the petal edges.
Outline round: Join yellow in the valley between any two petals. Work 9 sc evenly up the right edge of the petal, (sc, ch 2, sc) in the tip st, 9 sc evenly down the left edge, and sl st into the valley before the next petal. Repeat from * to * around.
On the side where you traveled down with slip stitches, work your sc under both loops of the sl st edge so the line stays smooth. Join and fasten off.
Counts per petal: 9 + 2 + 9 = 20 sc, plus 1 ch-2 tip and 1 valley sl st.
Round total: 20 petals × 20 sc = 400 sc, plus 20 ch-2 tips and 20 sl st.
Why the math works: Each petal edge has six hdc rows and one sc row, about 2.25 in (5.7 cm) long. Nine sc at 4 sc per inch also cover 2.25 in (5.7 cm), so the outline lies flat. The ch-2 at the tip makes the point. The valley sl st pulls the gap between petals in tight, which keeps the outline from flaring.
Assembly
- Lightly pin the panel flat and steam it before sewing. See Final Blocking for the method.
- Pocket: Flatten the pocket so the back half of the rim (47 sts) lies straight. Center it on the panel with the back rim along a horizontal line through the center of the disc. The pocket ends will reach about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) past the brown center onto the petals on each side. Whipstitch the 47 back rim sts to the panel. Then whipstitch along the back edge of the base fold and up both curved ends. Leave the front wall free so it bulges forward.
- Leaves: Tuck the base of each leaf 0.5 in (1.3 cm) behind one end of the pocket, with the tip pointing out and slightly up. Sew around the hidden base and tack the leaf to the petals at its midpoint.
- Straps: On the back of the panel, place each strap vertically with its center 3.5 in (8.9 cm) from the panel’s vertical centerline. That puts the two straps 7 in (17.8 cm) apart, center to center. Measure your headrest posts and adjust. Overlap the Row 1 end 1.5 in (3.8 cm) onto the back of the top petals and the center. Sew a square around the overlap.
- Buttons: Sew one button on the seat-facing side of each strap at Row 14, about 3 in (7.6 cm) from the sewn end. Loop the buttonhole end over the headrest post and button it.
Final Blocking
- Lay the organizer face down on a towel or blocking mat.
- Pin the brown center into a true 9.5 in (24.1 cm) circle, measured to the outer edge of the yellow base round.
- Pin each petal tip outward so the panel measures 14.5 in (36.8 cm) across in two directions.
- Hold a steam iron just above the fabric without touching it and steam the petals and center.
- Turn the piece face up. Stuff the pocket with a folded towel to shape the bulge, then lightly steam the pocket walls.
- Let it dry completely before removing the pins.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Brown center measures 9 in (22.9 cm) and lies flat
- Rnd 21 has 120 sts, and there are exactly 20 petals
- Every petal has a sharp tip and 9 sc per outline side
- Panel measures 14.5 in (36.8 cm) tip to tip
- Pocket has 94 sts per round and sits straight and centered
- Leaves are tucked evenly at both pocket ends
- Straps are 7 in (17.8 cm) apart and hold the weight without stretching
- All ends are woven in on the back
Troubleshooting
- Center ruffles: Your tension is loose for the increases. Re-work with a smaller hook.
- Center cups: Your tension is too tight. Use a larger hook.
- Petals overlap or curl: Block them firmly, and check that each petal starts in its own 6 sts.
- Rounded tips: Make sure Row 7 is a real sc2tog and the outline has a ch-2 at the tip.
- Pocket leans: Check that Rnd 4 is worked in BLO. Re-sew the back rim along a straight line.
- Panel sags on the seat: Move the buttons closer to the sewn ends to shorten the loops.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap and lay flat to dry, reshaping the petals. Do not tumble dry.
Final Notes
The measurements build on each other. A 9 in (22.9 cm) brown center grows to 9.5 in (24.1 cm) with the 120-stitch yellow round. Twenty petals of 6 sts each, with a 400-sc outline, bring the panel to 14.5 in (36.8 cm). The 94-stitch pocket, 11 in (27.9 cm) wide, finishes the piece, and the 12 in (30.5 cm) straps hang it. If you check your gauge at each step, the parts will fit together.
Happy crocheting!