Project introduction
This overview examines the Crochet Apple Keychain Pouch, a small accessory pattern originally published by Nicki’s Homemade Crafts. The design features a mini apple-shaped pouch that doubles as a keychain, presented as a quick make ideal for working through a growing pile of scrap yarn.
Project details
The pattern is offered free on the designer’s site and is crocheted using Dishie cotton yarn from WeCrochet. However, cotton is not a strict requirement; the source states that any worsted weight scraps you have on hand will work, which makes this an excellent stash buster. The finished pouch is described as multi-functional, sized to hold small loose items such as Aldi quarters, stitch markers, air pods or air tags.
The designer suggests these little apple keychains serve well as last-minute gifts or as inventory for a craft fair. If you are looking for more ways to use up leftovers, the source also points to several related scrap projects:
- Leaf Bookmark
- Small Heart Pouch
- Pumpkin Stress Ball
- Keychain Cozy
Pattern Video
The design originated from a Design CAL, a format hosted inside The Crochet Club membership. Members access these tutorials exclusively as part of the club. In this format, members have a say in how the pattern develops: it starts from an idea and is extended week by week, for up to four weeks, with one video tutorial released each week. A new Design CAL now runs every month, and sometimes more than one per month depending on how long each pattern takes to finish.
This specific apple pouch was designed in fall 2022 within The Crochet Club and was a highly requested pattern. While the video tutorials remain exclusive to the membership, the written pattern is available on the designer’s website with ads, or as an ad-free PDF through Ravelry, Etsy and LoveCrafts.
PDF Pattern for the Crochet Apple Pouch
For anyone who prefers to work offline, the pattern comes as an ad-free, printer-friendly PDF that can be purchased for a small fee. The source also mentions a Vault containing interactive check-off list style patterns plus hundreds of tutorials, all available through The Crochet Club membership.
How to Crochet the Apple Keychain Pouch
Note: Specific row-by-row instructions are omitted here to respect copyright. Please refer to the Original designer’s pattern and instructions for complete steps.
Materials
- WeCrochet Dishie Yarn, worsted weight, in Fiesta Red, Swan, Jalapeno, Coffee and Honeydew
- 4.5 mm hook (the source notes using a Furls Crochet Metal Streamline Hook)
- Scissors
- Tapestry needle
- Keychain rings
Any comfortable hook in the correct size will do, and the color list is easy to swap around based on what is already in your scrap pile.
Gauge
The stated gauge is 4 rounds by 5 stitches equaling 1 square inch. Matching that tension helps the pouch hold small items without gaping.
Stitches used (US terms)
The pattern uses standard US terminology, and the source links to a separate page for learning basic crochet stitches. The abbreviations given are:
- st/sts = stitch/stitches
- ch = chain
- sc = single crochet
- hdc = half double
- dc = double crochet
- inc = increase
Finished Measurements
The completed apple measures about 2.2 by 2 inches, small enough to hang from keys or a bag without adding bulk.
Written Construction Overview for the Crochet Apple Keychain
The pouch is built as two separate apple-shaped panels that are joined at the end. The back panel is worked in red or green, and the front panel begins in white before switching to red or light green for the final shaping. The front is then laid over the back and sewn together most of the way around, leaving an opening at the top.
The back side of the Crochet Apple
The back panel starts with a magic ring in red or green, worked with a chain 1 and 7 single crochet to close the ring at 7 stitches. The second round doubles each stitch. The third round repeats a single crochet followed by an increase until 3 stitches remain, then closes the round with a half double crochet, a double crochet and a half double crochet in the next stitch, and a slip stitch.
The fourth round shapes the edge with groupings of half double crochet, double crochet, single crochet and slip stitch, finished with an invisible join to the half double crochet from the previous round.
The front side of the Crochet Apple
The front panel follows the same opening rounds but begins in white: a magic ring with a chain 1 and 7 single crochet, closed at 7 stitches, then a round that doubles each stitch. The third round repeats a single crochet and an increase until 3 stitches remain, joins with white, and then switches to red or light green for the last 3 stitches with a half double crochet, a double crochet and a half double crochet in the next stitch, and a slip stitch. The fourth round mirrors the back panel’s shaping and ends with an invisible join.
To finish, the front is placed on top of the back and the two are sewn together 7/8 of the way around, leaving an opening at the top and keeping the yarn uncut. Brown yarn is used to sew on the seeds. The leaf is crocheted separately in dark green, starting with a chain 5 and then, from the second chain, a single crochet, a half double crochet, a double crochet and a single crochet.
The apple is then sewn on as a button at the top of the front, about halfway, which leaves a flap. The uncut yarn is used to add a loop around the leaf button, which is knotted and woven in, and a keychain ring finishes the piece.
