Sweet Nothings Crochet: DAISY BOLERO

free crochet bolero pattern, free crochet continuous motif pattern, free crochet flower motif pattern

DAISY BOLERO

I was gifted this lovely soft baby yarn and my friend (who gifted this) also said that she loved this pattern. I thought that this would be ideal for her daughter and this project was born!

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I love how the cute little flower motifs are worked in a continuous way. I think that a lighter yarn will work really well for this project, but you can use any yarn with a suitable hook, and make it to any size.

And inspired by this photo, here are my pattern notes as I work on my project.

Materials used : Today I’ve used 2 balls of Robin Bonny Babe double knitting acrylic yarn with a 4.0 mm crochet hook ; fabric glue to seal ends ; Mod Podge to stiffen motif

Note : Mod Podge will not work / stiffen acrylic

For Indians : You could use Anchor , Red ros e ; Red rose metallic or unbranded knitting cotton as well as Oswal or Vardhaman acrylic yarns

Difficulty level : Advanced Skill level.

Stitches used :

Starting slip knot : Here’s how you start with a slip knot. https://youtu.be/lJcqsVcs8cw

Starting slip knot 1 or the Sloppy Slip knot : This is a neat new way to start your work without a slip knot. https://youtu.be/YfC7KmGpifs

What is a chain stitch ? Here is an easy video tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXx5ukBjKkY

What is a slip stitch : Here is a neat video tutorial at https://youtu.be/weB3QNbA8Iw

Magic circle : To refresh your skill, please view this easy video https://youtu.be/ISC39yOqWro

Double Crochet : dc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (3 lps on hk);

[yo, draw through 2 lps] twice. One dc made.

Check out the video at https://youtu.be/xdnjB27zpYo

Chainless start for Double Crochet : I dislike the ch-2 / ch – 3 start, and this is what I do to start my row of dc.

Check out the video at https://youtu.be/wskv3iTjRx0

Abbreviations used :

lp(s) : Loop(s) sc : Single crochet

dc : Double crochet sp : Space

sl-st : Slip stitch ch : Chain

st(s) : Stitch(es) hk : Hook

yo : Yarn Over

Instructions : (Using U.S terminology)

Please note that I start all my rows with a ch 1, turning chain for ease.

Please check the top of this blog for easy video tutorials on all stitches used in today's pattern.

Please read through all my notes before you pick up your hook, so you know just where we're heading in our pattern.

In my patterns I work with the principle of stitch count and body measurement. This means that you need to work the stitch count in pattern, till you get the measurement (length and/or width) that you need for your project.

This pattern is worked bottom up.

I started this pattern off with the base of the top – so first you need to decide how long you want the top, and check out the measurements for that part of the body – so if you are taking this top all the way down to the waist, you will need to work half the round waist measure for your starting line – and if you are working it only till the mid-riff.. yup, you got it.. it’s the half mid-riff measure you will start with.

Also note that in patterns like this, you will need to take the largest body measure for your start count.

This means that if your chest/bust measure is slightly more than the waist measure, that’s the measure (chest/bust) you will use.

Part 1 : Back

We will work one back and two front sections for this pattern.

There is a small armhole shaping and then you will work all the way to the top of neck / shoulders.

The whole pattern is worked in trc or treble / triple crochet. I found it too loose and holey, and have opted to use dc all through. I will, however, write the pattern as charted, and you decide if you want to use a dc or trc.

Our stitch count is in multiples of 11 + 9.

Start : with fsc in multiples of 11 + 9 for half the round chest / bust / waist measure. Turn.

From the following row on, we will work a “V”-st which is (trc ; ch 5, trc) all in the same st or ch-sp.

Remember, if you are using a thicker yarn, or find the ch-sp too wide and holey, reduce the ch. I will however, write the pattern as charted.

We also start on the complicated continuous flower stitch in this row. Rather than complicate matters, I am going to tell you how to work this stitch here, and then in the instructions will just say work “Flower stitch”.

Our flower stitch is worked over 2 rows.

In the first row, we will work 4 petals of the flower, and in the next row we will work the last 2 petals of the same flower.

For the stitch, you will need to turn your work to complete petals.

Do not get confused about the direction.

Keep an image of what you are doing and you will be OK.

Though we will work the full flower stitch as one motion, I am going to divide it here into petals.

When we work the pattern though, “Flower Stitch” will be all four petals worked at once. Got it?

Finally the petal stitch is worked in trc or treble / triple crochet. If you find the stitch too long and loose (as I did), please change it to dc.

If you change the stitch to dc, you will start with ch 3, not ch 4 for Petal 1, and end with ch 3 and not ch 4 for Petal 4. Got it?

The stitches that you are skipping for Petals 2 and 3 are the fsc from the start row.

These instructions change slightly for the following rows, but you will get the gist of it shortly.

Petal 1 for Row 1 : (ch 4 ; Turn and work trc 2-tog in the 4^th ch from hk) ; Turn ;

Petal 2 for Row 1 : sk 2 sts, 3 trc-tog in the next st ;

Petal 3 for Row 1 : sk 4 sts, 3 trc-tog in the next st ;

Petal 4 for Row 1 : (ch 4 ; Turn and work trc 2-tog in the 4^th ch from hk)

Row 1 : trc in the 1^st 2 fsc ;

*ch 1, sk next 2 fsc, “V”-st in the next fsc ;

Work Petals 1 – 4 ; sk next 3 fsc, “V”-st in the next fsc* ;

rep *to* till the lasts 4 fsc ;

ch 1, sk next 2 fsc, trc in the last 2 fsc. Turn.

In the following row, we will complete the last 2 petals of the flower.

So let’s look at the 4 petals.

The last 2 petals will be worked into the “centre” of the petals you have created.

Yes, there is “no real centre”, but you need to “create one” so that all the six petals can be neatly joined together. This is the centre of the petals mentioned in Row 2 instructions. Got it?

Row 2 : trc in the 1^st 2 trc ;

*ch 3, 5 sc in the next ch-3 sp ;

(ch 3, trc 3-tog in the centre of the petals) ;

rep (to) once* ;

rep *to* till the last 2 trc ;

ch 3, trc in the last 2 trc. Turn.

Yaay.. You have successfully made your first row of daisy flowers. Neat isn’t it?

Now for the little twist.

We will work our next set of daisies in between the earlier set, and just over the “V”-sts.

So basically you are going to work the same pattern for Petals 1 – 4, but the placement is different. From now on, you will work the pattern for Petals 1 – 4 only in this way

Petal 1 : (ch 4 ; Turn and work trc 2-tog in the 4^th ch from hk) ; Turn ;

Petal 2 : 3 trc-tog in the next ch-3 sp ;

Petal 3 : sk next “V”-st , 3 trc-tog in the next ch-3 sp ;

Petal 4 : (ch 4 ; Turn and work trc 2-tog in the 4^th ch from hk)

Row 3 : trc in the 1^st 2 trc ;

*work Petals 1 – 4 ; ch 3, “V”-st in the next ch-3 sp* ;

rep *to* till the last 2 trc ;

trc in the last 2 trc. Turn.

Once again we will work the last 2 petals for our flower.

Row 4 : trc in the 1^st 2 trc ;

ch 1, trc 3-tog in the centre of the petals ;

*(ch 3, trc 3-tog in the centre of the petals) ;

ch 3, 5 sc in the next “V”-st ; rep (to) once* ;

rep *to* till the last 2 trc ;

ch 1, trc in the last 2 trc. Turn.

Our 2^nd set of flower are done and are right in the middle of the earlier set.

Remember you are working the pattern for Petals 1 – 4 like you did in Row 3.

Row 5 : trc in the 1^st 2 trc ;

*ch 1, “V”-st in the next ch-3 sp ;

Work Petals 1 – 4* ;

rep *to* till the last 2 trc ;

trc in the last 2 trc. Turn.

Row 6 : trc in the 1^st 2 trc ;

*ch 3, 5 sc in the next “V”-st ;

(ch 3, trc 3-tog in the centre of the petals) ;

rep (to) once* ;

rep *to* till the last 2 trc ;

ch 3, trc in the last 2 trc. Turn.

And complicated as it may have seemed, you have successfully finished one pattern repeat.

You should have three rows of daisy flowers.

Rep Rows 3 – 6 till you reach the armhole level, ending with Row 6.

Part 2 : Armhole decrease ideas

For the shaping of the armhole, you will first need to decide how deep you want this opening.

I have struggled to figure out an easy way to write this part – as the flowers make the decrease pretty tricky. If you have figured it out, go ahead.. else here is what I suggest.

We do one single row decrease and then continue with pattern. When you are done with the pattern , you can shape the armhole with sc neatly during finishing.

Decrease row : sl-st past the 1^st 2 trc , 5 sc , and the next ch-3 sp ;

2 trc in the next ch-3 sp ;

The continue with instructions as given for Row 3, all the way till the 2^nd last ch-3 sp from end ; 2 trc in that 2^nd last ch-3 sp.

Continue with pattern till you reach the shoulder.

Part 3 : Front

Once again I have struggled to try and write the pattern in a way that is easy to understand.

What I suggest is that you do not work the lower curved edge, unless you are able to figure out how to do it yourself. Sorry. As it is, I feel this is an advanced skill level, and now to try and get that curved edge, methinks is too much pattern instruction. L

That said, if you work decreases about the same way we have for the armhole, you could well figure this out yourself.

Instructions here are going to be for a straight edge only.

OK, so for the two front sections, I’ll suggest working with half the back measure and working all the way to the neckline in pattern.

For the neckline decrease, you will decrease as you have for the armhole.

Now the slight difference here is that we need a “V”-neckline and we need shoulders for the front – the back was one piece all the way to the top, and that was relatively easy.

So what I suggest is that you work the decreases every alternate row, and using the same principle as we have for the armhole.

You will get a bit of a jagged edge, but you can easily straighten that up when you finish off, with an sc in each flower petal that is sticking out, and chains to join two flower petals or end sts.

Please remember to keep notes of whatever creative genius you are working along one side, so you can easily mirror and duplicate it for the other side.

Part 4 : Finishing

Now that you have the two front and one back piece, join the shoulders and sides, using one of the joining techniques at the top of this blog.

Let us then run a round of sc all around the armhole and the neckline and front placket.

I then ran a round of hdc in each sc all around.

There is a chart for a flower motif border as well. I opted not to make it, but here is the chart for you anyway.

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Here are some of my other creations.

https://shyamanivas.blogspot.com/2019/05/shankh-bolero-plus-scarf.html

https://shyamanivas.blogspot.com/2019/04/makadee-bolero.html