African flower, crocheted according to the pattern, is one of the bright motifs in knitting. It got its name due to the combination of opposite colors of yarn. Most often, knitters use 4 colors, which highlight the center of the flower and petals. There are five-, six-, seven-, and octagonal variants of the motif. They can be used in various interior items and toys.
The pattern for knitting an African motif for all types is based on the same principle.
Necessary materials and tools
Knitting yarn can be artificial, synthetic and natural. When choosing yarn, you should take into account the intended purpose of the product. For example, cotton threads should not be used to crochet a warm blanket using the African flower pattern, since they are quite thin.
Acrylic threads are often used when working on the African flower.
Its advantages are:
- Allows things to retain their shape.
- The threads do not stretch or roll.
- The fabric made from it, for example a blanket, is soft and pleasant to the touch.
- Acrylic yarn is brightly colored, so it is from it that you can knit bright and spectacular motifs with an African flower.
- Since this motif is most often used to knit toys for children, it is very important that the yarn does not cause allergic reactions. Acrylic yarn is considered hypoallergenic.
Cotton yarn is the most popular type of thread among clothing makers. It is often used to create tops, vests, and slippers. The advantage of this type of fiber is that it is wear-resistant, hygienic, and does not cause allergic reactions. The most valuable is a mixture of cotton and some other material. Mixing cotton with other materials gives the product more elasticity.
A skein may contain 100% cotton, 30% or 70%. Depending on the percentage of cotton, the properties of the yarn change. Yarn made of cotton and wool, viscose or flax can be found.
Mercerized cotton, which is part of the yarn, makes it brighter and better quality. A thread that has undergone the mercerization process can better absorb the dye and retain it. For example, Kamtex mercerized cotton yarn can be used to knit bright toys with African motifs. Adding acrylic to cotton yarn can give it new properties. Thus, synthetic fibers improve the qualities of cotton yarn.
The most popular ratio of cotton and acrylic: 55% cotton and 45% acrylic. Many knitters use it for work. African crochet flower, the scheme of which is developed in a single key for all types of motifs, can be knitted from yarn produced in Russia at the Pekhorsky Textile factory. The yarn of this manufacturer contains 50% acrylic and cotton.
Yarn from the Turkish company Alize is also considered to be a quality yarn containing acrylic and cotton at the same time. The ratio of different fibers in a skein varies depending on the type. When buying a hook, you should initially study how the tool looks. The needlewoman needs to decide what material the hook will be more convenient for her. The table shows the advantages and disadvantages of all knitting tools.
By thickness, hooks can be divided into very thin (up to 1 mm), thin (up to 2 mm), medium thickness (up to 5 mm), thick (up to 2 cm). The diameter of the hook corresponds to the thickness of the knitting thread. This means that the hook and thread should be the same thickness. Yarn manufacturers usually indicate the thickness of the yarn on the tag on the skein.
The packaging indicates the material of which the yarn consists, for example, 100% acrylic, the size of the skein, for example, 100g / 400m, the hook number, the density of the loops and conditional icons for caring for products made from the stated fibers. The combination of hook and yarn occurs in accordance with the following principle: the more yarn is contained in a skein weighing 100 g, the smaller the diameter of the hook will be.
You can also find the right combination by eyeballing it, laying out different hooks and threads. When selecting, you need to compare the thickness of the yarn and the hook shaft. If they are equal, then the yarn and hook are compatible. If the yarn does not fall out of the groove in the knitting tool, it is correctly matched to the hook.
African Flower Diagram
Although there are several variations of the African flower (4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 corners), the patterns for them are practically the same.
The only difference between them is knitting the 1st row. The remaining rows are knitted the same way. Below are the patterns for the African flower of 5, 6, 7 and 8 corners.
When knitting, the needlewoman must remember that during knitting, the yarn is often changed. Therefore, the needlewoman must learn to hide the ends of the threads so that it looks even and beautiful.
When adding threads of a different color, you should make a connecting post at the end of the previous row.
The ends of the threads must be laid out along the row, knit the required number of lifting loops and tie the ends of the threads with columns.
How to crochet an African flower
The African crochet flower, the pattern of which is very popular, is knitted using several abbreviations: ch - air loop; dc - double crochet; sc - single crochet; ss - connecting column.
Pentagonal
- In the initial row, 5 ch are knitted and closed into a ring.
- In the 1st row, knit 3 ch to move to the next row, dc, ch, repeat 3 times 2 dc with one top, ch. The row ends with ss.
- In the 2nd row, sl st to go to the arch, 3 ch to go to the next row, dc, ch, 2 dc with one top, ch 3 times into the arch in the previous row, 2 dc with one top into the same arch. The row should also be finished with sl st.
- Row 3 begins with a sl st to transition to the arch, 3 ch to transition to the next row, 6 dc in the space between the 2 dc parts with a common top. 3 times knit 7 dc in the space between the 2 dc parts with one top. As before, finish the row with sl st.
- Row 4 should be started with a ch that goes to a new row, 6 sc in 6 dc of the previous row, dc in ch 2 rows, 3 times knit 7 sc in 7 dc of the previous row, dc in ch 2 rows. Finish the row by knitting ss.
- In the 5th row, knit a ch to use it to move to a new row, sc in each loop of the previous row. Also finish the row by knitting ss.
- In the 6th row, knit 3 ch to move to a new row, 3 dc, ch, 5 dc, knit 4 dc 3 times, ch, 5 dc.
African crochet flower, the scheme of which is developed for several colors, can be knitted from yarn without changing colors. The change of yarn occurs at the discretion of the craftswoman, the creator of the product. Also in this matter you can focus on the text description of the item.
Hexagonal
The 6-angle motif should be knitted in the same way as the pentagonal motif, but with one difference: in the 1st row, instead of 5 pairs of dc with one vertex, 6 pairs of dc with one vertex are knitted.
Heptagonal
The heptagonal motif is knitted using a principle very similar to the pentagonal motif. The difference is that in row 1, 7 pairs of dc are knitted with the same top.
Octagonal
The octagonal African flower pattern should be knitted in the same way as the pentagonal motif.
The difference in knitting is that in the initial row you should knit 8 pairs of dc with the same top.
What can be knitted from an African motif?
African crochet flower, the pattern of which can be used to create various items, is very popular among needlewomen. It can be used to create blankets, pillows, toys and even clothes. Children love toys with such bright motifs, so the most popular product is soft toys assembled from motifs with a bright flower.
Knitted from thick acrylic yarn, such toys can hold their shape well and serve for a long time. You can sew completely different toys using only one motif, changing only the number of corners.
For example, beginners can start knitting mice with African motifs. To assemble the product, you need several motifs consisting of 3 corners, 4 corners and 5 corners. The mouse is assembled sequentially: the motifs for the head are connected, then the body is assembled. The tail is added last. Black beads can be used for the eyes.
Items knitted from motifs can be used in everyday life, for example, chair covers can be knitted from yarn scraps. A baby blanket can also be knitted using motifs with a different number of corners. It should be noted that yarn scraps can be used for a blanket. This will help use up all the yarn without leaving anything behind.
Thus, using the African flower, you can create many things: clothing items, children's toys, a blanket or slippers. By changing the number of corners in the product, you can create different products. Crochet patterns for the African flower are almost the same: only by slightly changing the row, you can knit motifs with a different number of corners.
Video on how to crochet an African flower
Crochet pattern - African flower: