Folhas de Crochê

Autumn Leaves Motifs

Three intermediate crochet leaves in worsted weight — a classic veined leaf, a five-point maple, and a lobed oak. Use them as appliqués, table scatter, wreath decorations, gift toppers, or string them into a garland. Each leaf is worked as a single motif and blocked to shape.

Skill level: Intermediate
Techniques: Magic ring, working both sides of a foundation chain, picots, shells, stitch heights from sc through dtr.

Materials

Yarn: Worsted weight (CYC 4), wool, acrylic, or cotton.
Cotton holds points more crisply; wool/acrylic drape more softly.

Yardage (approximate):

• Simple veined leaf: 12 yd (11 m)
• Maple leaf: 18 yd (16.5 m)
• Oak leaf: 16 yd (14.5 m)
• Mixed garland of 9 leaves + chain: about 160 yd (146 m)

One 3.5 oz / 200 yd (100 g / 183 m) skein makes 10–15 mixed leaves. Scrap-friendly.

Suggested colors: rust, gold, olive, burgundy, warm brown (stems), or a single autumnal color.

Hook: US G-6 / 4 mm (firm, well-defined points).
Optional: US H-8 / 5 mm for larger, softer leaves.

Notions:

• Tapestry needle
• Scissors
• Blocking pins and mat
• Optional: fabric stiffener or white glue diluted 1:1 with water
• Optional: 20-gauge floral wire for poseable stems
• Optional: ½" (1.3 cm) ribbon or extra yarn for a garland

Gauge

16 sc × 18 rows = 4" × 4" (10 × 10 cm) in single crochet, blocked, with US G-6 / 4 mm.

Gauge is not critical for fit. If your swatch is larger, leaves will be slightly bigger; if smaller, slightly smaller. For appliqué on garments, match the fabric’s hand by going down a hook size.

Finished Measurements

Blocked, with US G-6 / 4 mm and worsted. Stem adds about 1½" (4 cm) to length.

Abbreviations (US)

Special stitches

Magic ring: Wrap yarn around index finger to form a loop, insert hook, yo, pull up a loop, ch 1 to secure. Work sts into the ring, then pull the tail to close.
Alternative: Ch 2, work all sts into the 2nd ch from hook.

Picot tip: (sc, ch 2, sc) in the indicated chain.

5-dc shell: 5 dc in the same stitch.

7-dc shell: 7 dc in the same stitch.

Pattern Notes

• US crochet terms throughout. Do not substitute UK names.
• Leaves are worked RS facing unless a turn is stated (none of these motifs require turning rows).
• Keep foundation chains and point-chains firm — loose chains make floppy tips.
• When working into the unused loops of a foundation chain, rotate the piece so those loops face you and work under the remaining strand of each chain.
• Stitch counts are given at the end of each section. Confirm before fastening off.
• Leave a 6–8" (15–20 cm) tail if you plan to sew the leaf on as an appliqué; weave in if the leaf is a standalone motif.
• Color changes: work the stem in brown and the body in a leaf color by fastening off after the stem (maple) or by joining a new color at the first sc (simple and oak). Not required.

Pattern

Simple Veined Leaf

Worked around both sides of a foundation chain, with a picot tip and a slip-stitch stem.

Foundation: Ch 12.

First side: Sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in next 2 ch, tr in next 3 ch, dc in next 2 ch, hdc in next ch, (sc, ch 3, sc) in last ch.
(10 body sts + tip in last ch; 11 working chains from ch-2 through ch-12 ✓)

Second side: Rotate to work into the unused loops of the foundation, starting in the next unused loop (the other side of the 2nd-to-last chain):
hdc in next, dc in next 2, tr in next 3, dc in next 2, hdc in next, sc in last unused loop.
(10 sts on the return ✓)

Join with sl st to first sc.

Stem: Ch 8, sl st in 2nd ch from hook and in each remaining ch (7 sl sts ✓). Sl st to the base of the leaf (the join).

Fasten off.

Optional center vein: With RS facing and a tapestry needle (or surface sl st), work a line of stitches along the ridge of the foundation chain from base to just below the picot tip. Fasten off on the WS.

Maple Leaf

Worked from a closed center. The stem is attached in the join (it does not use a sc). Five graded points then use all 10 sc — 2 sc per point.

Rnd 1: Make a magic ring. Ch 1, 10 sc in ring, join with sl st to first sc. Pull ring closed. (10 sc ✓)

Stem: Ch 8, sl st in 2nd ch from hook and in each remaining ch (7 sl sts ✓). Sl st into the join (the sl st that closed Rnd 1), not into a sc.

Points: Work in order around the ring. Each point starts in the next unused sc and ends in the following sc.

Point A — small (right of stem): Sl st in next sc, ch 4, picot tip in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in last ch, sl st in next sc.
(ch 4 uses 3 chain positions: picot, hdc, dc ✓; 2 ring sc used ✓)

Point B — medium: Sl st in next sc, ch 5, picot tip in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in next ch, tr in last ch, sl st in next sc.
(ch 5 uses 4 chain positions ✓; 2 ring sc used ✓)

Point C — large (center top): Sl st in next sc, ch 7, picot tip in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in next ch, tr in next ch, dtr in next ch, tr in last ch, sl st in next sc.
(ch 7 uses 6 chain positions: picot, hdc, dc, tr, dtr, tr ✓; 2 ring sc used ✓)

Point D — medium: Repeat Point B. (2 ring sc used ✓)

Point E — small (left of stem): Repeat Point A. (2 ring sc used ✓)

(5 points × 2 sc = 10 sc; all Rnd-1 stitches used ✓)

Sl st to the base of the stem. Fasten off.

Optional veins: With matching or slightly darker yarn and a tapestry needle, work one straight stitch from the center into each point, catching the WS so stitches do not show as bulk on the RS.

Oak Leaf

Worked around both sides of a foundation chain. Three lobes per side: two 5-dc shells and one larger 7-dc center shell.

Foundation: Ch 14.

First side: Sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, 5-dc shell in next ch, hdc in next ch, sc in next ch, 7-dc shell in next ch, sc in next ch, hdc in next ch, 5-dc shell in next ch, hdc in next ch, sc in next ch, hdc in next ch, (sc, ch 3, sc) in last ch.
(13 working chains from ch-2 through ch-14 ✓; shells in the 3rd, 6th, and 9th working stitches ✓)

Second side: Rotate to work into the unused loops, starting in the next unused loop (other side of the 2nd-to-last chain):
hdc in next, sc in next, hdc in next, 5-dc shell in next, hdc in next, sc in next, 7-dc shell in next, sc in next, hdc in next, 5-dc shell in next, hdc in next, sc in last unused loop.
(12 return sts ✓)

Join with sl st to first sc.

Stem: Ch 8, sl st in 2nd ch from hook and in each remaining ch (7 sl sts ✓). Sl st to the base of the leaf.

Fasten off.

Optional center vein: Surface sl st or embroider along the foundation ridge from stem to tip, as for the simple leaf.

Optional Wired Stem (any leaf)

Cut a 4" (10 cm) length of 20-gauge floral wire. Fold in half. As you work the stem’s 7 sl sts, crochet over both wire tails so they are enclosed. Trim excess wire flush with the leaf base. Bend the stem after blocking.

Autumn Garland (optional)

Joining chain: With brown or gold, ch 20, sl st through the stem tip of the first leaf, *ch 12, sl st through the stem tip of the next leaf; repeat from * until all leaves are hung, ch 20. Fasten off.

Nine mixed leaves (3 of each) on ch-12 spacers make a garland about 54" (137 cm) plus 20-ch end tails, before blocking the chain.

Alternate colors and leaf types as you join so maple points and oak lobes are not all clustered.

Finishing

1. Weave in all ends on the WS. For appliqué leaves, leave the starting tail long enough to sew with.
2. Block. Pin each leaf RS up to the finished measurements, stretching points and lobes until they lie flat and look botanical. Picot tips should be sharp, not rounded. Wet-block wool; spray-block or steam acrylic (hover the iron — do not crush the stitches). Cotton can be wet-blocked firmly.
3. Optional stiffener. For scatter leaves or wreath motifs that must stand away from a surface, paint the WS with fabric stiffener or diluted white glue, pin to shape, and dry completely.
4. Appliqué. Sew with whipstitch or invisible stitches around the edge, or tack only at the stem and a few inner points so the lobes stay slightly dimensional.
5. Care. Hand wash cool, lay flat. If stiffened, spot-clean only.

Designer Tips

• If a maple point twists, the chain was too loose — redo that point with a firmer chain.
• If oak lobes cup, the shells need blocking; 7 dc in one stitch will cup until pinned.
• For a darker autumn edge, work the final sl st join and stem in brown on every leaf.
• Mix hook G-6 and H-8 in the same garland for a more natural size range.

Pattern math summary (for the maker’s stitch markers)

• Simple: ch 12 → 11 first-side positions (10 body + tip) → 10 second-side sts → stem 7 sl sts.
• Maple: 10 sc in ring → stem in the join → 5 points × 2 sc = 10.
• Oak: ch 14 → 13 first-side positions → 12 second-side sts → stem 7 sl sts.