The Daffodil Pattern and Tutorial

It's finally here!

I'm sorry it's taken so long to write up my pattern but it's been very busy here over the last week. I was invited to the local Volunteer Framework Launch, then had a girly day out to attend, before I knew it the weekend was here, the sun was shining and the garden calling. So after all that I finally got a chance to sit down with my camera, a 4mm hook and some yellow acrylic dk yarn (Sirdar Hayfield Baby Bonus if you're asking).

The stitches I used were
UK -  chain (ch), slip stitch (sl st), double crochet (dc), half treble crochet (htr) and treble (tr)
US -  dc = single crochet,  htr = half double and tr = double

Leaving a long yarn end, start with 6 ch and join with a sl st to form a ring.

Catching the yarn end in at the back of the ring, work 12 dc in ring and join with sl st to 1st dc.

wrong side showing yarn carried through dc stitches

For the petals:

Ch 7, 1dc in 2nd chain from hook,

 
1dc in next 5 chains, 1 sl st into each of next 2 dc on ring. Repeat 5 times.

 

  The petals are a bit curly but will straighten out later on.

 

Work 1 dc in first 2 stitches of petal, 2 htr in next st, 2 tr in next st, 1htr in next st,

 3 dc in top of petal,

 

1 htr in next st, 2 tr in next st, 2htr in next st, 1 dc in each of last two st of petal ending with sl st at the base. Repeat 5 times.

 

Work 1 dc in each st to top of petal, ch3,

sl st in 3rd ch from hook (forms picot),

 1 dc in each st to base of petal. Repeat 5 times.

For the cup:

Sl st on right side  to centre ring or fasten off and re-join yarn.

Work 11 dc evenly around ring surface and join with a sl st. Mark the end of the 1st row, I've used a pretty stitch marker but a small safety pin or even contrasting yarn would do.

 

Then work:

 1 ch, 1 dc in each st to end, sl st to 1st dc.

1 ch, 1 dc in next 3 st, 2dc in next st, 1 dc in next 3 st, 2dc in next st, 1 dc in next 2st, 2dc in last st, sl st to 1st dc.

1 ch, 1 dc in each st to end, sl st to 1st dc.

*2dc in 1st st, sl st in next st* repeat to end.

Fasten off leaving a long end and using a yarn needle weave in down the inside of the daffodil cup.
 

Knot the yarn at the base ring (to stop the cup being distorted)  then make a loop by passing the needle up through the stitches on the base ring inside the cup, then back through the ring on the next stitch along, catching the yarn with your fingers to keep the loop long. Fasten off and weave in the end. Repeat with the other yarn end on the opposite side of the base ring (you won't need to make a knot this time).


Almost finished. Block and starch your daffodil, making sure the loops are standing up. Once blocked, cut the loops to give four stamens, then add a drop to each stamen from a Pinflair Pearl Wand if you have one or leave as they are. Your daffodil is ready to use.

This daffodil is a little larger than the one I made for the brooch, to make it smaller change the hook size and/or yarn. My original daff was made using a 3.5mm hook and the same acrylic yarn as I've used in the photos. Using a 4 ply cotton or even crochet thread would make lovely small daffs. I've used a single shade but different colours could be used for the petals and stamens to give a different look.

I hope you enjoy making it whether for yourself or for someone else. The pattern is completely free to use, however if you would like to you can make a donation to the Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal by clicking here. If you wish to copy or share this pattern or my photos please link back to me.

Enjoy!

H x

D is for Daffodils

Hello, how are you folks? I love having a garden, it's why we moved to this house. I find it so peaceful getting out in the sunshine and putting it to rights, in between the rain showers that is. At the moment the Spring bulbs are coming out and everything is starting to look more cheerful. The early flowering narcissi were gently nodding their golden heads in the spring sunshine when I was out there while the crocus flowers are providing carpets of purple, yellow and white in the gardens, parks and even roadsides. It really lifts the spirits after a long winter.

I'd been thinking for a little while of making a flower brooch for my Mum, so with Mother's Day being last Sunday, I came in after enjoying the flowers outside and had a bit of a play with some spare yarn from my stash. This is what I came up with, shown after blocking, do you like it?

 I wanted the stamens to be more visible, the trumpety cup part of the flower is just under 2cm and I felt they got a bit lost so out came my new Pinflair Pearl Wand. I bought this on impulse at the Hobbycrafts event I went to.

Now this I love! It was really easy to use, I just put a dot of the gel on the tip of each stamen and left it for 24 hours to harden. The wand instructions say it can be washed at 30 degrees and even ironed on the reverse so it should be plenty tough enough for anything my Mum might do with it. I think it worked well, the stamens don't disappear into the cup anymore. It was so much easier than using beads and worked so well I won't think of it as cheating, nope, definitely not. What do you think of it, have you used a Pearl Wand like this?

I made this spring green cardigan in Wendy Supreme Luxury Cotton 4 ply a little while ago. Unfortunately, my Mum didn't fancy being a model so here is the brooch on her cardigan minus Mum wearing it.

I wanted to design the brooch myself instead of going looking for a pattern and didn't want narrow petals so I worked it in the round using slip stitch, double crochet, half treble and treble stitches with a picot at the top of each petal ( for US it's slip stitch, single, half double and double crochet).  It was easy and quick to do and although I used it for a brooch for Mother's Day, I think it would be lovely for Easter too so plan to write up the pattern and post it on here for anyone who would like to make it. I've also toyed with the idea of crocheting stems and using pipe cleaners in them to make a posy.

 I hope everyone had a lovely weekend doing something special with your Mum if you could, or if you are a Mum being cherished.


H x