Sunflower Crochet Coaster Pattern

A sunflower coaster is three rounds of brown double crochet and one round of yellow petals. The center is a plain flat circle of 36 stitches, and each of the twelve petals takes exactly three of those stitches, so the round closes with nothing left over. If you can already work a double crochet circle, the only new move is the tiny picot that gives every petal its point.

This pattern is written in US crochet terms.

What You Need

• Worsted weight (#4) cotton yarn in walnut brown and sunflower yellow
• Optional: a little green in the same weight for a leafy round behind the petals
• US H-8 (5 mm) hook, or US G-6 (4 mm) if you want a denser fabric
• Yarn needle and scissors

One coaster uses only a small part of a ball in each color. If you want a real figure for your own yarn, weigh the finished coaster on a kitchen scale and compare it with the weight printed on the ball band. If you are still choosing fiber, the guide to the best yarn for crochet coasters explains why cotton is the usual pick.

Finished Size and Gauge

With worsted cotton and a 5 mm hook, the brown center comes out at about 3.25 in (8 cm) and the finished sunflower at about 4.5 in (11.5 cm) from petal tip to petal tip. Treat both numbers as approximate, because gauge varies from one crocheter to the next. Exact gauge is not critical here. What matters is that the center lies flat before you add the petals.

Abbreviations

• ch: chain
• sl st: slip stitch
• sc: single crochet
• hdc: half double crochet
• dc: double crochet
• st(s): stitch(es)
• picot: ch 2, sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook

The Brown Center

The center is the same joined double crochet circle used in the classic round coaster, stopped one round early. The chain 3 at the start of each round counts as a double crochet.

1. Rnd 1: With brown, make a magic ring. Ch 3 (counts as dc), 11 dc in the ring. Pull the tail to close the ring and join with a sl st in the top of the ch 3. (12 dc)
2. Rnd 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in the same st, 2 dc in each of the next 11 sts. Join with a sl st in the top of the ch 3. (24 dc)
3. Rnd 3: Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in the same st, dc in the next st, [2 dc in the next st, dc in the next st] 11 times. Join with a sl st in the top of the ch 3. (36 dc)

Fasten off the brown and count the edge. You need 36 stitches, and the chain 3 is one of them. If you have 35 or 37, find the mistake now, because the petal round only works on a multiple of three.

How One Petal Is Built

Each petal sits on three stitches of the center and puts two stitches into each of them. The stitches climb in height toward the middle and come back down again: single crochet and half double crochet in the first stitch, two double crochets with a picot between them in the second, then half double crochet and single crochet in the third. The picot is the pointed tip. Because the tall stitches are spread across all three stitches instead of being packed into one, the petals fan out without forcing the edge to ruffle.

Twelve petals of three stitches use 12 x 3 = 36 stitches, which is the whole center.

The Yellow Petal Round

1. Join: With the right side facing, join yellow with a sl st in any st of Rnd 3. Ch 1 (does not count as a st).
2. Petal 1: (Sc, hdc) in the same st as the join, (dc, picot, dc) in the next st, (hdc, sc) in the next st.
3. Petals 2 to 12: [(Sc, hdc) in the next st, (dc, picot, dc) in the next st, (hdc, sc) in the next st] 11 times.
4. Close: Join with a sl st in the first sc. Fasten off. (12 petals: 24 sc, 24 hdc, 24 dc and 12 picots)

Between two petals you will see two single crochets side by side, one ending a petal and one starting the next. That pair forms the dip between the points.

Optional Green Round Behind the Petals

A green round behind the petals shows in the dips like a ring of leaves and adds a second layer at the edge. Decide before you start the yellow, because it changes where the petals go.

1. Petals: Work the whole petal round as written, but insert your hook in the front loop only of each Rnd 3 stitch. This leaves 36 unused back loops behind the petals.
2. Green round: Fold the petals forward. Join green with a sl st in any unused back loop of Rnd 3. Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in the same loop, dc in each of the next 2 loops, [2 dc in the next loop, dc in each of the next 2 loops] 11 times. Join with a sl st in the top of the ch 3. Fasten off. (48 dc)

That green round is simply the fourth round of a double crochet circle, 36 stitches growing to 48, so it lies flat behind the flower.

Finishing and Blocking

You will have at least four tails: two brown and two yellow. Weave each one into stitches of its own color on the wrong side so nothing shows through, changing direction at least once. The article on weaving in ends and clean joins covers the method in detail, including a neater way to close the last round.

Petals tend to curl a little straight off the hook. Dampen the coaster, lay it flat, and open each petal with your fingers so the picot points outward. Pinning each tip while it dries gives the crispest shape. See how to block crochet coasters for the wet and spray methods. For washing later, follow the care instructions on your yarn label and reshape the petals while the coaster is damp.

Troubleshooting the Petals

• You run out of stitches early or have some left: a petal was worked over two or four stitches. Each petal must cover exactly three.
• The center cups before the petals go on: your double crochet is tight. Go up one hook size for the center and try again.
• The petals ruffle: your yellow is looser than your brown. Work the petal round with a hook one size smaller.