Project introduction
This post is a pattern overview, not the full step by step tutorial. If you want a handmade gift that never wilts, this free crochet carnation project is a sweet choice for Mother’s Day, since the carnation is the official flower of the day. Make a single bloom for mom or grandma, or gather several into an everlasting bouquet crocheted with your own hands and love.
Before you choose yarn, it helps to know the color meanings given in the source notes. White carnations stand for purity and luck, light red for admiration, dark red for love and affection, pink for gratitude, yellow for disappointment or rejection, and purple for capriciousness. The designer points readers toward pink or red as safe, celebratory picks for the occasion.
The complete row by row instructions live on the designer’s page, so head to the Original designer’s pattern and instructions when you are ready to stitch. This overview only summarizes the materials, format, and construction so you can judge whether the project fits your plans before you begin.
The source describes these flowers as quick to work up, noting that a dozen can be completed in less than a day. That pace makes the carnation practical for a last minute gift, a full bouquet, or a matching set for several family members.
Pattern format and preparation
The pattern is published as a free pattern on the designer’s website. It is written in US crochet terms, and the abbreviation key defines ch (chain), st(s) (stitch or stitches), sc (single crochet), dc (double crochet), inc (increase: 2 sc in one stitch), dec (decrease: 2 sc together), popcorn (5 dc in the same stitch), sl st (slip stitch), F.o. (finish off), [..] (total stitch count), and [ ] x 6 (repeat the bracketed part the stated number of times).
Gather everything before you start so this quick project keeps its momentum. The source lists a short and inexpensive kit, and checking your stash first saves a mid project trip to the store. Here is the complete checklist:
- 4-ply cotton yarn in a main petal color (red or pink suggested) plus green for the calyx and optional leaves
- 2.0mm crochet hook
- Floral wire for the stems and leaf support
- Floral tape to wrap and finish each stem
- Yarn needle for gathering and weaving in ends
The bloom is worked in the main color, beginning with either a chain ring or a magic ring, and its rounds build outward into the ruffled petal layer. A separate calyx is crocheted in green, also starting from a chain ring, and it cups the base of the flower. The leaves are optional; they are worked in green around a piece of wire so they hold their shape, and a second leaf can be added the same way.
Assembly gives the flower its carnation shape. A 10 inch piece of the main color yarn is woven along the top of the second round with the yarn needle, then pulled to gather the bloom and tied securely. A folded length of floral wire is inserted through the flower and into the calyx, and floral tape is wrapped around the wire to form the stem.
A note on sharing the pattern. Designer Angelina of CraftsyAmore offers it free on her site for everyone to use, and finished flowers made from it may be sold as long as you link back to the original post. The pattern text and her photos may not be sold, redistributed, or used in mass production.
