Pattern Description:
This free crochet pattern creates a beautiful, easy-to-make Sunflower Book Marker, ideal for enhancing the reading experience and using up scrap yarn.
The finished item also makes a great gift. The pattern can be adapted by leaving off the tassel to create a cute crochet charm, a keychain, or a zipper grab for a purse.
Materials Needed & Measurements:
- Hook: A 3.5mm hook (E hook) is recommended, but a 3 mm or 4 mm size hook can also be used.
- Yarn: Worsted weight 4ply US (10ply AU) yarn, needed in two colors.
- Other Tools: Some kind of stitch marker.
- Stem Measurement (Chain Length): Chain 40 or 45, depending on yarn thickness or book length. This measurement is based on a regular size paperback book.
- Tassel Tool Measurement: A flat item, or a piece of cardboard, cut to measure 8 cms or 3 inches wide.
- Tassel Wrapping: Wrap the yarn around the 8 cm/3 inch tool 10 times, or 5 times if two strands of yarn are being used.
Abbreviations Used:
- ch = Chain
- sl st = Slip Stitch
- st = Stitch
- SC = Single Crochet
- DC = Double Crochet
- HDC = Half Double Crochet
Instructions for Making the Sunflower Book Marker Pattern:
Making the Center of the Flower
To begin the center of the flower, first use the brown yarn and ch 4. Then, sl st into the beginning ch to form a ring, and ch 1.
- Round 1 SC 8 into the center of the ring, resulting in 8 sts. Place a marker at the beginning st and ch 1. Note that the work is performed in one continuous round.
- Round 2 SC 2 into each st around, resulting in 16 sts. Sl st into the beginning st. Ch 1 and cut the yarn, ensuring enough of a tail is left to hide later.
Making the Petals of the Flower
Switch to the yellow yarn and attach it to any of the SC spaces. The petals are then formed by repeating the following sequence for a total of 16 petals:
- ch 6 and DC into the 3rd ch from the hook.
- HDC in the next st.
- SC in the next st.
- Sl st into the last st.
- Then, sl st into the following SC on your circle*.
After the 16 petals are completed, sl st into the beginning st, ch 1, and cut the yarn.
Making the Stem
To create the stem, change colors to green yarn. Attach the green yarn to the back of any petal to help hide the join.
The length of the stem (chain) will depend on the thickness of the yarn or the length of the book being read.
For a regular size paperback book, ch 40 or 45. On the 40th ch, pull the yarn to leave a loop open. This open loop is where the tassel will be attached.
Making the Tassel
The tassel requires a flat item, or a piece of cardboard, cut to measure 8 cms or 3 inches wide to wrap the yarn around.
- While holding onto the tail of the yarn, wrap the yarn around the 8 cm/3 inch tool 10 times. If using two strands of yarn simultaneously, wrap only 5 times.
- Cut the yarn on the same side where the wrapping began.
- Cut along the wrapped yarn on that same side.
- Lay the yarn strings out flat and cut another piece of yarn. It is recommended that this piece be too long rather than too short.
- Place this new piece in the center of the yarn strings and use it to tie them together.
- Leave these tails at the top as you fold the main tails in half.
- Cut another piece of string, ensuring it is again better to have it too long than too short.
- Holding this piece of string with one hand, wrap the yarn around the top of the tassel about 4 or 5 times to create a head. Do not tie the yarn too tightly.
- Tie this string.
- Use the hook to feed these tails (from the tie just made for the head) through the wrapped string.
- Attach the original strings to the open chain loop that was left on the stem (ch 40/45). Tie them all together.
- Feed those tails through the top connection.
- Cut the tail ends to even them out, completing the bookmark.
The completed sunflower can be utilized as a cute crochet charm, a keychain, or a zipper grab for a purse if the tassel is left off.
