I immersed myself in a field full of lavender yesterday, soaking in its beauty and intoxicating scent. I couldn't help but fall in love. Inspired, I made some lavender flowers, capturing their essence even when they're out of season.
There were many types of lavender in the field. Among them, the Lavender Grosso stood out to me with its dark purple flowers and gracefully curved stems, which I planned to imitate through crochet.
I was lucky that I had some lavender yarn at home from a previous project and a 3 mm needle.
Although I watch a few tutorial videos, I prefer simple patterns, which suit me when I am in the middle of doing other things.
To create the Lavender:
First, make a chain of 60 stitches.
Then, half double crochet (hdc) all through the chain.
Chain 3, turn your work then slip stitch into the next chain space.
Repeat all through the rest of the chain spaces.
That simple! I crocheted some while cooking! :)
It looks like a lace.
I made a few.
For the stem:
I wasn’t keen on the wire stem I had, as it was flimsy, slippery for this type, and unnatural look.
So, I went to the woodland to look for something I could use and spotted nettle stems.
Some of them had beautiful curves. The old nettle stems are woody and sturdy, which is ideal.
I picked a few and, at home, poured hot water over them to neutralize their stinging effect.
I cut them into pieces and dried them at 50°C for an hour.
I liked the curvy nettle stems, and the green color retained when dried, so I didn’t need to wrap them with green yarn. They looked more natural.
The exciting part is assembling them.
I glued the tip of the crochet piece to the top of the stick.
Then, I wrapped the stick with the crochet piece by turning the stick and rolling it between my fingers to create an even distribution and tightness.
I secured the other end with super glue.
Then I thought something was missing, some green leaves.
I created a simple leaf pattern using this beautiful green yarn and 1 mm crochet hook.
12 chain.
slide stitch to the next chain and throughout the 9 chain spaces.
Chain 12, slide stitch to the next chain space, and slide stitch on the following 9 spaces.
Tie both ends to secure it and glue it on the stem.
You can create some curvature by skipping a stitch and making it look more natural, or you can add more leaves if you prefer.
I added a couple of lighter shades for some contrast.
When finished, I put it on the windowsill, where the lavender oil burner will be. From the outside, it looks like I have fresh lavender.
Nature can inspire us, and crochet is no exception. Even with my basic skills, I find it incredibly inspiring.
Have a wonderful day, everyone.
Mariah 💜😊