Happy National Crochet Month 2014

Happy National Crochet Month! What is everyone doing to celebrate? As always, I am honored to be included in the month long celebration blog tour put on by Crochetville. Owners Amy Shelton and Donna Hulka do so much for the fiber community and we appreciate you! Let's have a round of applause for this dynamic duo!

Our focus charity this year is Halos of Hope. Halos is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization founded by Pam Haschke, herself a survivor of inflammatory breast cancer. Their mission is to provide volunteer-crafted hats to cancer centers across the country. Please consider making a hat or two to donate. You can send completed hats to Crochetville's official headquarters (also know as Amy's house). For all the details please visit Hat donation details and be sure to check out the hat pattern I was honored to contribute to the designer invitational program for Halos.

So who is ready for Spring? It has been such a crazy winter all over the country. Two days ago I enjoyed sunshine and 75 degree weather with all the windows open. Tomorrow it is supposed to be in the twenties again! So I decided I needed to create a little Spring of my own and I designed the "Passion Rose Motif". I love the look of the little rose buds just waiting to burst open. I am offering the pattern for free until the end of the month. Please be sure to stop by my Facebook page and say "Hello". I also love to see pictures of your projects from my patterns! Enjoy your celebration of National Crochet Month and thanks for visiting!

Passion Rose Motif

Design by Tammy Hildebrand

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Skill Level                           

Intermediate

Finished Measurements

7 1/2  inches square

Materials

Caron Simply Soft medium (worsted) weight acrylic yarn (6 oz/315 yds/170 g per skein):

1 ounce each: #0012 passion, #0014 pagoda, #9702 off white

Size I/9/5.5mm crochet hook

Tapestry needle

Gauge

Gauge is unimportant for this design

Pattern Notes

Join rounds with slip stitch as indicated.

Chain-3 at beginning of round counts as first double crochet.

Chain-4 at beginning of round counts as first double crochet, chain 1.

Chain-6 at beginning of round counts as first double crochet, ch 3.

Special Stitches

Cluster (cl): Yarn over, insert hook in indicated space and draw up a loop, yarn over and draw through 2 loops on hook (2 loops remain on hook); yarn over, insert hook in same space and draw up a loop, yarn over and draw through 2 loops on hook; yarn over and draw through all 3 loops on hook.

Popcorn (pc): Work 3 dc in indicated space, drop loop from hook, insert hook from front to back in first dc of 3-dc group, place dropped loop back on hook and draw through.

With passion, ch 3, join with sl st (see Pattern Notes), to form ring.

Rnd 1 (RS): Ch 3, (see Pattern Notes), 15 dc in ring, join in top of beg ch-3, fasten off. (16 dc)

Rnd 2: With RS facing, join pagoda with sc in any st, sc in each st around, join in beg sc, fasten off. (16 sc)

Rnd 3: With RS facing, join off white with sl st in any st, ch 4, (see Pattern Notes) dc in same st, (dc, ch 1, dc) in next st and in each st around, join in 3^rd ch of beg ch-4, fasten off. (32 dc, 16 ch-1 sps)

Rnd 4: With RS facing, join pagoda with sc in any ch-1 sp, ch 3, skip next ch-1 sp, [cl, (ch 2, cl) 3 times] in next ch-1 sp, ch 3, skip next ch-1 sp, *sc in next ch-1 sp, ch 3, skip next ch-1 sp, [cl, (ch 2, cl) 3 times] in next ch-1 sp, ch 3, skip next ch-1 sp; rep from * around, join in beg sc, fasten off. (4 sc, 16 cl)

Rnd 5: With RS facing, join passion with a sc in any sc, ch 3, sl st in top of next cl, ch 3, [pc in next ch-2 sp, ch 3, sl st in top of next cl, ch 3] 3 times, *sc in next sc, ch 3, sl st in top of next cl, ch 3, [pc in next ch-2 sp, ch 3, sl st in top of next cl, ch 3] 3 times; rep from * around, join in beg-sc, fasten off. (4 sc, 12 pc)

Rnd 6: With RS facing, join off white with sl st in any sc, ch 3, 2 dc in same st, sc in next ch-3 sp, sc in top of next pc, working over ch-3 sp, [3 dc in top of next cl of rnd 4, sc in top of next pc] twice, sc in next ch-3 sp, *3 dc in next sc, sc in next ch-3 sp, sc in top of next pc, working over ch-3 sp, [3 dc in top of next cl of rnd 4, sc in top of next pc] twice, sc in next ch-3 sp; rep from * around, join in top of beg ch-3, fasten off. (36 dc, 8 sc)

Rnd 7: With RS facing, join pagoda with sc in sc of any corner, ch 6, (see Pattern Notes), [dc, (ch 3, dc) twice] in same st, [skip next st, (sc, ch 5, sc) in next st] twice, [skip next 2 sts, (sc, ch 3, sc) in next st] twice, skip next st, (sc, ch 3, sc) in next st, skip next st, *[dc, (ch 3, dc) 3 times] in next st, [skip next st, (sc, ch 3, sc) in next st] twice, [skip next 2 sts, (sc, ch 3, sc) in next st] twice, skip next st, (sc, ch 3, sc) in next st; rep from * around, join in 3^rd ch of beg ch-6, fasten off. (16 dc, 40 sc)