This little letter R keychain is a quick, personal accessory you can make in one evening. The letter is one solid piece in warm terracotta. Rows of small V-shaped stitches run along every stroke, so it looks almost braided. Three tiny cream flowers with sunny yellow centers and soft green leaves sit on top, and a gold key ring with a short chain makes it ready to clip onto a bag strap.
The palette is cozy and boho: earthy rust, cream, mustard, and sage. It makes a lovely bag charm or initial gift.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished letter measures 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall and 2.75 in (7.0 cm) wide, with strokes 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide. The flowers are 0.8 in (2.0 cm) across.
You chain a “spine” that traces the stem, top, and bowl of the R, then work two rounds of single crochet around both sides of it, shaping the corners as you go. The bowl is sewn shut against the stem, the leg is worked straight off the bowl, and the flowers and hardware are added last.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall x 2.75 in (7.0 cm) wide, without hardware
- Skill level: Easy to intermediate (careful corner counting)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) for the letter; sport/DK (#2/#3) for flowers and leaves
- Hooks: 4.0 mm (US G-6) for the letter; 3.0 mm for the appliqués
- Number of pieces: 1 letter, plus 3 flower appliqués and 3 leaves
- Layout: Single letter R; no multi-panel assembly
- Piece size: strokes 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide after Round 2
- Size before the built-in edge (after Round 1): 3.1 in (7.9 cm) x 2.35 in (6.0 cm), strokes 0.35 in (0.9 cm) wide
- Edge depth (Round 2): 0.2 in (0.5 cm) on every side
Materials
Choose a smooth cotton or cotton blend. It holds crisp corners, shows the V texture clearly, and survives daily handling on a bag.
- Terracotta, worsted cotton: 8 g, about 15 m
- Cream, sport/DK cotton: 3 g, about 12 m
- Mustard yellow, sport/DK cotton: 1 g, about 3 m
- Sage green, sport/DK cotton: 1 g, about 3 m
Quantities include a comfortable margin for a test piece, tails, and sewing.
Tools:
- 4.0 mm (US G-6) and 3.0 mm crochet hooks
- 4 locking stitch markers
- Tapestry needle
- Gold split key ring, 1 in (2.5 cm), with a short chain attached
- One 8 mm gold jump ring and two pairs of flat-nose pliers
- Blocking mat, rust-proof pins, and a spray bottle
- Scissors
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sc3tog – single crochet 3 together
- BLO – back loop only
- st(s) – stitch(es)
Special stitch – sc3tog: (Insert hook in next st, yarn over, pull up a loop) 3 times, yarn over, pull through all 4 loops. Three stitches become one.
Corner increase: Sc in next st, 3 sc in next st, sc in next st. Three stitches become five.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge controls the letter size and the bowl opening, so make one test letter before a set of initials.
- Spine gauge: 4 chains = 1 in (2.5 cm). The 11 stem chains measure 2.75 in (7.0 cm). Chain loosely so the spine does not pucker.
- Checkpoint 1 (after Round 1): Strokes are 0.35 in (0.9 cm) wide; the stem is 3.1 in (7.9 cm) long.
- Checkpoint 2 (after Round 2): Strokes are 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide; the stem is 3.5 in (8.9 cm) long.
- Checkpoint 3 (after the leg): The letter is 2.75 in (7.0 cm) at its widest, and the leg tip lines up with the stem bottom.
Too big? Use a 3.75 mm hook or chain more firmly. Too small? Use a 4.5 mm hook. Never change the stitch counts; every corner depends on them.
Letter R: Stem, Top, and Bowl
One chain travels up the stem, across the top, down the right side of the bowl, and back to the stem. All three corners turn the same way, so the outer edge is always the outside of each corner (left of the stem, top of the top bar, right of the bowl, bottom of the bowl). The inner edge is the other side of the chain.
With terracotta and the 4.0 mm hook, ch 33. Skip the first ch from the hook. Number the remaining 32 chains from the hook end:
- Ch 1–11: stem, bottom to top (ch 11 is Corner 1, top left)
- Ch 12–18: top bar
- Ch 19: Corner 2 (top right)
- Ch 20–23: right side of the bowl
- Ch 24: Corner 3 (bottom right of the bowl)
- Ch 25–32: bowl bottom, running back toward the stem
Mark ch 11, 19, and 24.
Round 1: Working along the outer edge, sc in ch 1 (2nd ch from hook), sc in ch 2–10 (9 sc), 3 sc in ch 11, sc in ch 12–18 (7 sc), 3 sc in ch 19, sc in ch 20–23 (4 sc), 3 sc in ch 24, sc in ch 25–31 (7 sc), 3 sc in ch 32.
Rotate and work into the remaining loops along the inner edge: sc in ch 31–25 (7 sc), sc in ch 24, sc in ch 23–20 (4 sc), sc in ch 19, sc in ch 18–12 (7 sc), sc in ch 11, sc in ch 10–2 (9 sc), 2 sc in ch 1. Join with sl st to first sc. (72 sts)
Check: outer edge 1 + 9 + 3 + 7 + 3 + 4 + 3 + 7 = 37; bowl cap 3; inner edge 7 + 1 + 4 + 1 + 7 + 1 + 9 = 30; stem cap finish 2. Total 37 + 3 + 30 + 2 = 72.
Bend the chain gently at each marker as you go. The 3 sc on the outside of each corner turn the strip into the R shape.
Round 2 (BLO throughout): Ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in next 9 sts, corner increase, sc in next 7 sts, corner increase, sc in next 4 sts, corner increase, sc in next 7 sts, 2 sc in each of next 3 sts (bowl cap).
Inner edge: sc in next 6 sts, sc3tog (Corner 3), sc in next 2 sts, sc3tog (Corner 2), sc in next 5 sts, sc3tog (Corner 1), sc in next 8 sts, 2 sc in each of last 2 sts. Join with sl st to first sc. (78 sts)
Check:
- Outer edge and bowl cap: 2 + 9 + 5 + 7 + 5 + 4 + 5 + 7 + 6 = 50
- Inner edge and stem cap: 6 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 5 + 1 + 8 + 4 = 28
- Total: 50 + 28 = 78
Working in back loops leaves the front loops of Round 1 lying on the right side as a chain of Vs. With the spine and the tops of Round 2, they form the parallel V lines along every stroke.
Fasten off, leaving a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail.
Close the bowl: Lay the letter flat, right side up. The 6 bowl-cap sts now touch the inner edge of the stem level with ch 6–8, 1.5 in (3.8 cm) above the stem bottom. With the tail, whipstitch the cap to the 4 inner stem sts beside it. Keep the seam flat and weave in.
Checkpoint: The bowl opening is about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) wide and 0.5 in (1.3 cm) tall.
Letter R: The Leg
The leg is worked straight off the bowl’s bottom edge, so the letter stays one piece.
Find the 7 outer-edge sts along the bowl bottom (worked into ch 25–31). Counting from the stem end, mark the 3rd st.
Round 1: With right side facing and the 4.0 mm hook, join terracotta with sl st in the marked st. Ch 8. Skip the first ch from the hook; the remaining 7 chains are the leg spine, and the one next to the hook is the tip.
Sc in tip ch and next 6 ch (7 sc). Sl st into the next bowl st on that side of the base. Rotate and work along the other side of the spine: sc in next 6 ch, 2 more sc in tip ch. Join with sl st to first sc. (15 sts)
Check: 7 + 6 + 2 = 15. The tip ch now holds 3 sc.
Round 2 (BLO): Ch 1, 2 sc in first st, sc in next 6 sts, sl st into the next unused bowl st on that side of the base, sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in each of last 2 sts. Join with sl st to first sc. (18 sts)
Check: 2 + 6 + 6 + 4 = 18. The anchoring sl sts are not counted.
Fasten off, tack the leg base flat to the bowl with the tail, and weave in. Angle the leg down and to the right so its tip is level with the stem bottom. The letter now measures 2.75 in (7.0 cm) at its widest.
Flowers and Leaves (Make 3 Each)
Flower center: With yellow and the 3.0 mm hook, make a magic ring, work 5 sc in the ring, pull closed, and join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off. (5 sts)
Petals: Join cream in any sc. In each of the 5 sts: (sl st, ch 2, 2 dc, ch 2, sl st). Join with sl st to first sl st. (5 petals) Fasten off, leaving an 8 in (20.3 cm) tail. The flower measures 0.8 in (2.0 cm) across.
Leaf: With green and the 3.0 mm hook, ch 5. Sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next 2 ch, (sc, ch 1, sc) in last ch for the tip. Working along the other side of the chain: hdc in next 2 ch, sc in last ch. Join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off, leaving a tail. The leaf is 0.5 in (1.3 cm) long.
Placement:
- Flower 1: over Corner 1 (top left), leaf pointing down the stem.
- Flower 2: on the bowl’s right side just above Corner 3, leaf below it.
- Flower 3: on the stem 0.25 in (0.6 cm) above the bottom, leaf to its lower right.
Sew each leaf first, tucking its base under the flower, then sew each flower through its center and the base of every petal so the petals sit up slightly.
Built-In Edge (Border)
There is no separate border: Round 2 is the edge. It adds 0.2 in (0.5 cm) to each side of every stroke, taking strokes from 0.35 in (0.9 cm) to 0.75 in (1.9 cm).
Edge gauge: 4 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm) along straight edges.
Round 2 counts per side:
- Stem, outer edge: 9 sc between the bottom cap and Corner 1
- Top bar, outer edge: 7 sc between Corners 1 and 2
- Bowl right side: 4 sc between Corners 2 and 3
- Bowl bottom, outer edge: 7 sc between Corner 3 and the bowl cap
- Each outer corner: 5 sts; each cap: 6 sts
- Inner edges: 6, 2, 5, and 8 sc, separated by three sc3tog
Why the math works: On the outside of a turn the fabric travels farther, so each outer corner gains 2 sts. On the inside it travels less, so each inner corner loses 2 sts. Three corners gain 6 and three lose 6, so they cancel. The only net growth is the two caps going from 3 to 6 sts each (+6), so Round 2 is 72 + 6 = 78. The leg works the same way: 15 + 3 at the tip = 18.
Final Blocking
- Mist the letter until damp, not soaked.
- Pin it right side up on the mat, with the stem straight at 3.5 in (8.9 cm).
- Pin the top bar square to the stem and the width at 2.75 in (7.0 cm).
- Pin the leg tip level with the stem bottom.
- Ease every stroke to 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide.
- Let it dry completely, then unpin.
- Sew on the leaves and flowers.
- Open the jump ring with two pliers, pass it through the top edge 2 sts right of Corner 1, add the key-ring chain, and close it fully.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Round 1: 72 sts; Round 2: 78 sts
- Leg: 15 sts, then 18 sts
- Letter is 3.5 in (8.9 cm) x 2.75 in (7.0 cm)
- All strokes are 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide
- Bowl seam is flat and invisible from the front
- Three flowers and three leaves are sewn securely
- Jump ring is closed with no gap
- All tails are woven in
Troubleshooting
The letter curls. The spine is too tight. Chain it with a hook one size larger.
Corners look rounded. Put all 3 increase sc into the single center stitch, and pin corners square when blocking.
Inner corners pucker. Check you worked sc3tog, not sc2tog. Recount the inner edge: 6, 2, 5, 8.
The bowl cap misses the stem. Your chain is loose. Ease it over with the seam or chain more firmly.
The V texture is faint. Work Round 2 in back loops only and use smooth cotton.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, roll in a towel, and dry flat. Remove the hardware first if possible to keep the gold bright.
Final Notes
Everything follows from the spine: 4 chains per inch gives a 2.75 in (7.0 cm) stem. Round 1 (72 sts) makes the letter 3.1 in (7.9 cm) tall with 0.35 in (0.9 cm) strokes. Round 2 (78 sts) adds 0.2 in (0.5 cm) all around for a 3.5 in (8.9 cm) letter with 0.75 in (1.9 cm) strokes. The 18-stitch leg sets the width at 2.75 in (7.0 cm), and three flowers finish it. Check each stage and every initial will match.
Happy crocheting!