Popcorn Flower Square

Hi, I've had a couple of people ask about a granny square I made for a cushion a while back, quite a while back in this post. I had made up the square myself and never really bothered to write up a pattern for it, but finally, it seems, I have re-investigated just how I made it and written up a little guide to making your own! I would like to apologise for the lack of light - this is what the British summertime is - grey skies and rain!

and a close-up of the square...

I used Stylecraft Special DK yarn in a veriety of colours, with a 4mm hook. Pattern written in US terms. Final square measures about 11cm (4.5in) across.

TREBLE CROCHET STITCH (UK DOUBLE TREBLE)
Yarn over twice and insert hook into stitch. Pull up a loop (4 loops on hook). Pull through 2 loops (3 times)

POPCORN CLUSTER
Make 6 treble crochet (double treble in UK terms) in the same stitch. Take hook out of loop and insert from front to back in top of first treble stitch. Pull loose loop through this stitch. You should see the stitch 'pop'. chain 3


Flower centre - Start off with a magic loop, or if you don't have this in your repertoire ch4 and slip stitch in first chain to form a ring. Chain 3, work 15 double crochet into the loop and pull to close. slip stitch in top of chain 3 and fasten off. (16dc)

Petals - with new colour, join in any stitch and chain 4 (which counts as one treble crochet) Work 5 more treble crochet in the same stitch. Take hook out of loop and insert from front to back through the 4th chain at the beginning. Pull loose loop through this stitch and chain 3. This is the first popcorn stitch.

Skip 1 stitch and make a popcorn cluster of 6 treble crochets in the next stitch (see notes above) and chain 3. Do this around the flower until you have 8 petals. After chaining you last 3 stitches, slip stitch into top of beginning chain and faster off.

You could keep the flower like this or go on to turn it into a square as follows...

Square Round 1

With a new colour, cream in my case, join yarn in any chain 3 space. I like to join with a standing double crochet stitch, but joining and then chaining 3 is fine.

Chain 2 (an extra 2 if you started with a chain, so you have a chain of 5) and then work 3dc in same space and chain 1. Work 3sc in next chain 3 space. Chain 1. (Work 3dc, ch2, 3dc, ch1 in next space, followed by 3sc, ch1 in next) repeat this 3 times until you are back at the space you started in. Make 2 double crochet and then slip stitch to top of first standing stitch (or 3rd chain if you used this method) to join.

Round 2

slip stitch into chain 2 space just ahead of the stitch you are in and chain 5 (counts as 1dc + 2 chains). Work 3dc in same space and chain 1.
It is then a case of working in the normal manner of a granny square, making double crochet clusters in each space. To do this work 3dc, ch1 in each of the side spaces, and 3dc, ch2, 3dc, ch1 in each of the 4 corners.
(So in the next 2 spaces work 3dc, ch1. In the following corner work 3dc, ch2, 3dc, ch1). Repeat this around until you reach the space you started in where you will make 2dc and slip stitch into the third chain of your starting chain.

You can either do your own thing and carry on in this fashion to make another row or fasten off when it is the size square you want. In the pictures above I made a round of contrasting colour.

Contrasting Round 3

To do this, have the yarn from the first round (center of the flower) and finish off the slip stitch from previous round with the new colour. With 2 loops of cream on your hook, pull new colour through both loops and chain 1. You can leave the cream yarn attached and carry it up the back of the work to save ends. Secure the end of the contrasting yarn behind the square.

Work 1sc in each stitch and chain from the previous round. When slip stitching into first stitch, complete stitch with cream yarn (as shown below)

Round 4

Chain 5 (counts as 1dc + 2 chains) Work 3dc, chain 1 in next stitch. Skip 3 stitches and work 3dc, ch1 in next stitch (it is the stitch above the space in previous round). Repeat 2 times more until you get the next corner. There are 2 stitches in each corner (one for each chain from previous round) and you will work in both. In first stitch, work 3dc, ch2. Then work the next 3dc in the next corner stitch and chain 1.

Continue along the sides and other corners in the same manner, until you reach your starting space, where you will work 2dc and slip stitch into 3rd chain of beginning chain. Fasten off and weave in all ends.

And there you have it, one popcorn flower square. I joined mine using the 'join-as-you-go' method to make my cushion cover - I just crocheted them together on the last round. 

Thanks for taking a look, and I hope you enjoy making these fun little squares. I am very happy for you to make and sell these little babies, but please do credit the pattern to A Bunch of Buttons :)