Project introduction
This post is a pattern overview, not a full tutorial. It walks you through what the Hibiscus Bookmark by Simply Melanie Jane involves so you can decide whether it fits your skill level, your yarn stash, and the reader on your gift list. For the complete row-by-row instructions, visit the Original designer’s pattern and instructions.
The design starts with a cheerful hibiscus flower, flows into a long textured middle band, and finishes with a small leaf at the far end. Worked in cotton, it stays slim enough to rest comfortably between pages. The middle band is fully adjustable, so you can size the bookmark for paperbacks, hardcovers, or anything in between.
Inspiration for this crochet bookmark
The designer created this bookmark for an event she was participating in, and as an avid flower lover, she knew the design had to include a bloom. Every summer a hibiscus plant sits in a pot on her porch, opening big, beautiful, five-petaled flowers. She aimed to bring as much of that charm as she could into the finished piece, hoping it would give readers a little joy in the colder months while they look forward to flowers blooming again.
Yarn Used
The designer worked the sample in cotton, naming Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton as her go-to. She appreciates its gentle sheen, generous color range, and durability, and she especially likes that the plies do not split as she works, which she calls one of her biggest yarn pet peeves. Because the project needs only a small amount of yarn, it is a lovely way to put leftover skeins to good use. You will need three colors in total: two for the flower and one for the leaf.
Other Materials needed for this free crochet bookmark
Gather these supplies before you begin. Everything comes straight from the pattern materials list.
- Cotton yarn in three colors (two flower shades and one leaf shade); a small amount of each is enough
- US F (3.75 mm) crochet hook, or the size needed to obtain gauge
- Tapestry needle for weaving in ends
Gauge
Gauge is listed as 20 herringbone half double crochet stitches to 4 inches. The finished flower measures 3 inches across. Checking your gauge helps the bookmark come out at the intended width and lets you plan the middle band length with confidence.
Skill Level
The pattern is rated Advanced Beginner plus. It assumes you are comfortable with standard stitches and ready to try a couple of special ones, so it suits a confident beginner looking to stretch a little.
Abbreviation Used: {US Terms}
All abbreviations use US crochet terms. Keep this key nearby while you work.
| MR | magic ring |
| Rnd | round |
| ch | chain |
| dc | double crochet |
| sl st | slip stitch |
| ch 2-sp | chain 2 space |
| tr | treble crochet |
| hdc | half double crochet |
| ch 1-sp | chain 1 space |
| rep | repeat |
| sc | single crochet |
| st(s) | stitch(es) |
| HBhdc | herringbone half double crochet |
Special Stitches used in this free crochet bookmark
Two special stitches appear in this design. Their working definitions follow the pattern stitch key so you can execute them exactly as intended.
HBhdc (herringbone half double crochet): yarn over, insert hook in stitch, yarn over, pull through stitch and first loop on hook, yarn over, pull through remaining 2 loops.
Puff Stitch: yarn over, insert hook in stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop 4 times, yarn over and pull through all loops on hook, chain 1.
Notes
Two pattern notes are worth knowing before you pick up your hook. A starting chain 3 counts as a stitch, and the middle band can be lengthened or shortened to suit the books you read most, which the designer calls one of the pattern best features. Work it shorter for paperbacks and longer for hardcovers. The design was also shared through the Stuff The Stocking Blog Hop hosted by MadameStitch, a December event featuring gift-friendly patterns.
Access note: the full pattern is free to read on the designer website, while the premium ad-free PDF on Ravelry is a paid download. A free web version does not make the PDF free, and a paid PDF does not make web access paid, so choose the option that suits you.
Flower
Construction begins with the flower, worked in the round from a magic ring in the first color. The first round is completed in that shade, then the work changes to the second color for the following rounds. The second round introduces puff stitches for texture, and the final round shapes the petals with a mix of treble, double, half double, and single crochet stitches. The flower is left attached to the working yarn so the middle band can begin immediately.
The middle band is worked in rows of herringbone half double crochet, starting from a foundation chain made to your preferred length plus one extra chain. The first and final rows are joined to the flower with slip stitches, anchoring the band neatly in place. Plan the length using the gauge of 20 herringbone half double crochet stitches to 4 inches. For reference, hardcover books generally run 9 to 11 inches long and paperbacks 8.5 to 9 inches. When the band is done, fasten off and weave in the ends.
Leaf
The leaf is made in the leaf color, starting from a short chain and working stitches down one side and back up the other so the piece forms evenly. It is finished with a small chain loop at the tip, then fastened off. Once complete, the leaf is sewn to the bottom end of the bookmark.
A note on use: all patterns and images are copyright protected and remain the sole property of Simply Melanie Jane, so please do not redistribute, transfer, or sell the pattern itself or alter it to claim as your own. You are welcome to sell finished bookmarks made from it; the designer asks that you credit her by linking your online listings back to the original.
