Helen's flower

Once again I offer to you a square especially designed for the bamcal. I love this CAL and all those wonderful people from all over the world. I learn so much from you all and we have so much fun, that’s just amazing!!!

Like the last years, I planned to design a flower according to the release month, which should be August. But then things and circumstances changed, and so you get right now a pretty late summer flower: Botanically known as Helenium autumnale Mariachi, English Helen’s flower and also known by the name 'Sneeze weed', German Sonnenbraut (which means something like bride of the sun, a fun fact at this point is that I married last August).

For people who are interested in plant based medicine: Some people use it when you have an influenza or a cough, maybe that's the reason for the 'Sneeze weed' name. Another usage is killing intestinal worms. But please, don't use it without asking your doctor – it's also said to be quite poisonous.

Okay, enough chatter. Let’s crochet now. Have fun altogether!

Pattern uses U.S. Terms

Size: 12“ by using aran weight yarn.

Skill level: intermediate

Material:

• yarn of your choice (aran weight for 12“)

• 5 mm hook

• scissors

• yarn needle

Abbreviations (in alphabetic order):

• bpdc – back post double crochet

• bpsc – back post single crochet

• ch – chain

• dc – double crochet

• dc2tog – double crochet 2 together

• dc4tog – double crochet 4 together

• fo – fasten off

• fpdc – front post double crochet

• fpdc2tog – front post double crochet 2 together

• fphdc – front post half double crochet

• fpsc – front post single crochet

• hdc – half double crochet

• puff – puff stitch (see below)

• rd - round

• sc – single crochet

• slst – slip stitch

• sk – skip

• st – stitch

• tr – treble crochet

• V – V-stitch (see below)

• wide V – wide V- stitch (see below)

Special stitches:

puff: *Yarn over, Insert hook in given stitch/space, yarn over, pull up a long loop through that stitch/space (3 loops on hook)* . Repeat from *-* two more times. You should have 7 loops on the hook (same height for all loops). Yarn over and pull through all 7 loops on your hook, ch1 to close the puff stitch.

V: (dc, ch 1, dc) into one st

wide V: (dc, ch 2, dc) into one st

Note: the first stitch of a round is a standing stitch, unless otherwise stated. If you don't feel comfortable with standing stitches, you can slst and work ch- stitches instead of the first st (ch 1 for sc, ch 2 for hdc, ch 3 for dc, ch 4 for tc). A standing puff (rd 2) and dc4tog (rd 6) cannot be replaced, work instead ch- 2 and the special st afterwards (the ch- st does not count in the pattern then).

Colourways:

Round	Calming blue colourway	Lavendula Colourway
1	sky blue	light grey
2	light blue	purple
3	atol	mint green
4	royal blue	lavender
5	royal blue	lavender
6	royal blue	lavender
7	atol	red purple
8	light blue	light grey
9	navy	dark grey
10	sky blue	rosewood
11	navy	mint green
12	light blue	purple
13	sky blue	light grey
14	atol	rosewood
15	dark blue	dark grey
16	light blue	red purple
17	sky blue	lavender
18	royal blue	red purple

Pattern:

1. ch 4, close to circle with slst. 8 sc into that circle (8 sc)

2. (puff into sc, ch 1 [this one is worked in addition to the closing ch- 1]) x8. Slst to first puff, fo (8 puff, 8 ch- 1)

3. Start in any ch- space: (2 hdc into ch- space, fphdc around puff) x8. Slst to first hdc, fo (16 hdc, 8 fphdc)

4. Start in any hdc before a fphdc: (bpsc around hdc, ch 1, sk fphdc, bpsc around hdc, ch 1, don't sk st) x8. Slst to first hdc, fo (16 bpsc, 16 ch- 1)

5. Work only in ch- spaces, sk all bpsc. Start in any ch- space: (4 hdc, ch 1) x16. Slst to first st, fo (64 hdc, 16 ch- 1)

   At this point, your work might wave a little bit. Don't worry about that. It will flatten over the next rounds.

6. Start in first hdc of any 4- hdc group: (dc4tog over the 4 hdc of one 4- hdc- group, ch 3) x16. Slst to first dc4tog, fo (16 dc4tog, 16 ch- 3)

7. Start in the very middle of a rd 6 dc4tog (2 legs on the left side, 2 legs on the right side): (sc into that space, sc into ch- 3- space, ch 3; change to rd 5: slst into ch- 1- space [between two dc4tog]; change to rd 4: fpdc around skipped bpsc; back to rd 5: slst in same ch- 1- space as before, ch 3; back to rd 6: sc into same ch- 3- space as before) x16. Slst to first sc, fo (48 sc, 32 ch- 3, 32 slst, 16 fpdc)

8. Work only in rd 6 ch- spaces. Sk all other st. Start in any ch- 3- space: (3 hdc into ch- 3- space, dc2tog [first leg into same space, second leg into next space] x16. Slst to first hdc, fo (48 hdc, 16 dc2tog)

9. This is the squaring round. All st are worked into the 3^rd loop.

   Start at any dc2tog: (4 sc, 2 hdc, 2 dc, [2 tr, ch 2, 2 tr] into next st= corner made, 2 dc, 2 hdc, 3 sc) x4. Slst to first sc, fo (per side: 4 tr, 4 dc, 4 hdc, 7 sc = 19 st)

10. Start in any corner space: ([sc, ch 2, sc] into corner space= corner made, sc in each st) x4. Slst to first sc, fo (21 sc per side)

11. Start in any corner ch- 2: ([V, ch 1, V]= corner made, sk 3 st, [V, sk 2 st] x6) x4. Slst to first dc of first V, fo (8 V per Side = 24 st)

12. In this round, work only in the indicated stitches. Sk all other st. Start in any corner ch- 1 (in the middle between the two V): ([puff, ch 2, puff] into corner space= corner made, ch 1, puff around ch of first V, ch 1, puff around ch of next V, ch 2, sc between this V and the next V, ch 2, sc between next 2 V, 6 dc between next 2 V, sc between next two V, ch 2, sc between next 2 V, ch 2, puff around ch of this V, ch 1, puff around ch of next V, ch 1) x4. Slst to first puff, fo (per side: 6 puff, 4 ch- 1, 4 ch- 2, 4 sc, 6 dc)

13. In this round, work only in the indicated stitches. Sk all other st. This is the most complicated round. Take your time, read carefully and make it step by step. Start in any puff before a corner: (fpsc around puff, [dc in round 11 corner ch- space, between the puffs already there, ch 2, dc in same rd 11 corner space]= corner made, fpsc around next rd 12 puff, fpdc around rd 11 dc [first leg of the first V], fpsc around next rd 12 puff, fpdc2tog around next two rd 11 dc [second leg of the first V, first leg of the second V], fpsc around next rd 12 puff, fpdc around second leg of second rd 11 V, wide V around ch in next rd 11 V and rd 12 ch 2 together, bpsc around second dc of rd 12 6-dc-group, bpsc into next 3 dc, wide V around ch in next rd 11 V and rd 12 ch 2 together [the rd 11 V after the rd 12 sc] , fpdc around first leg of next rd 11 V, fpsc around next rd 12 puff, fpdc2tog around next two dc [second leg of first V and first leg of next V], fpsc around next rd 12 puff, fpdc around next rd 11 dc [second leg of V]) x4.Slst to first fpsc, fo (per side: 2 dc, 4 fpdc, 2 fpdc2tog, 6 fpsc, 2 wide V, 4 bpsc)

14. Be careful not to forget any stitches. Especially the ones behind the puffs are slightly hidden and easily forgotten. Start in any corner ch- 2: ([2 hdc, ch 1, 2hdc] into corner space= corner made, sk first [hidden] st, hdc in next 7 st, 2 puffs in ch- 2 of the wide V, sc in next 6 st, 2 puffs in ch-2 of the wide V, 8 hdc) x4. Slst to first hdc, fo (19 hdc, 4 puffs, 6 sc = 29 st)

15. If you find it too difficult to find the 3^rd loop, especially the first one of this round, you can work bpdc instead. But if you do so, take care of the right stitch count and work ch 1 before the puff – because you need 12 stitches before the first puff). Start in any corner space: ([2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc] into corner space= corner made, dc in 3^rd loop of next 10 st [don't miss the first slightly hidden one and the last one directly before the puff, which is actually the 3^rd loop of the puff itself], fphdc around next 2 puffs, 6 bpdc, fphdc around next 2 puffs, sk one st, dc in 3^rd loop of next 9 st) x4. Slst to first dc, fo (23 dc, 4 fphdc, 6 bpdc = 33 st)

16. Start in any corner- space: ([sc, ch 2, sc] into corner space = corner made, sc in each st) x4. Slst to first st, fo (35 sc per side)

17. Start in any corner- space: ([sc, ch 2, sc] into corner space = corner made, sc in each st) x4. Slst to first st, fo (37 sc per side)

18. Start in any corner- space: ([sc, ch 2, sc] into corner space = corner made, sc in each st) x4. Slst to first st, fo (39 st per side)

Round by round pictures:

Charts for round 7:

Charts for round 13:

Thanks for Lettice, Lynne/ hrdnglynne and Jilly/ JustJilly2 and Jacqui/ tiggerbee for testing, cheering up, giving more ideas and proof reading. Thanks for Jacqui/ tiggerbee for providing charts. With every input from you all, the pattern became even more nicely than I could imagine! 

That's it! Have fun! Copyright Dec 2022/ Jan 2023 by Loewenzahm