Leaf Crochet Botany- Variations on a Basic Pattern

This is actually the beginning of a larger project that was initially inspired by attempting a crochet magnolia wreath. I was having difficulty finding a leaf pattern that resembled a real magnolia leaf and was not generic or goofy looking. I came across a basic pattern and started experimenting with modifying it. This lead to the idea of developing variations on a basic pattern that would demonstrate the major leaf bases, leaf apices (tops), and margins (edges) that could then be combined as you like to resemble any leaf. Leaf crochet botany!

Here are some of my first attempts at working off of a basic pattern. These instructions assume you already know the basics of crochet. The stitches used are

• chain (CH)
• slip stitch
• double crochet (DC)
• double crochet 3 together (DC3tog)
• front post treble stitch

If the above terms all make sense to you, then we are good to go. This is not a complete pattern, but rather some general instructions, theory and musings about how the pattern works and can be modified.

Pretty simple: Some scissors, yarn and a hook to match. I used some bamboo yarn left over from another project. A soft cotton or even a silk yarn would work well. I don't recommend an acrylic as it just won't look very natural.

1. Start with a chain that is as long as you would like the left half of your leaf to be wide. At least 6 stitches is good to start with.
2. Continue chaining for a length that will be the length of your stem. In this example I used another six stitches.
3. Slip stitch up the stem stitches.The stem is made.
4. Chain for an equal number of stitches for the right side of the leaf (6 stitches in this case).

This has created the base of the leaf and the stem. The rest of the pattern is worked back and forth all the way across the leaf.

1. Chain up three stitches. This counts as the first double crochet (DC). DC two more times in the same stitch. DC once in each chain unit you get to three chains from the stem.
2. DC3tog in the last three chains before the stem.
3. Treble crochet stitch in the top of the stem.
4. Repeat in the mirror pattern across the other side: DC3tog in first three chains.
5. DC in chains until last chain
6. 3 DC in last chain.

The DC3tog stitches are what pull the leaf sides 'up' to give it a diagonal pattern.

1. Chain up 3 (remember this counts as the first DC of the row) then DC two more times in same stitch.
2. Repeat the same pattern as above, except at the Treble crochet (at the stem) go through the front post of the stitch below. On the next round, go through the post the opposite way. This will create a center vain that will stand out from the leaf.

Repeat the pattern back and forth for as tall as you would like the base of the leaf. The general idea is that you maintain however many stitches you started with. Each row decreases by the DC3tog, so it is necessary to do a two stitch increase at the start add end of each row.

Hopefully the stitch diagram above is helpful in showing this. It is a little odd looking as though a split forms near the central vein, but this is just from the limitations of the stitch diagram program I was using, called Stitch Fiddle. It is a good program that can be very useful in its free version, but I found it a little difficult to reproduce this pattern with it. Maybe my next Instructable should research a better way to make stitch diagrams!

The apice (or top) of the leaf is created by working decreases in each row. In the basic example, I decreased by one stitch at the start and end of each row. So two DC stitches in the last chain (instead of 3), then chain up and one DC in the same stitch (instead of 2). This will gradually bring your leaf to a taper, depending on how many stitches you started with. You will come to a point where you only have enough stitches left to do a DC2tog, then on the final row stitch all of the DCs left together and finish with a slip stitch.

This is what the basic base and apice patterns above look like together. It is something like a magnolia leaf. Maybe try a picot on the top to get more of the point.

This basic leaf pattern can be modified by how many rows of the base you do, and how abruptly you do the decreases. To create the oblong leaf at the left, I repeated the base row many times (sorry I didn't count) and then worked a quick decrease by not adding any increases at the ends.

For the lanceolate(ish) leaf at right, I worked one wide base row, then began decreasing every other row. I decreased every row for the last three rows. I add the (ish) because it really should be a sharper point to be a truly lanceolate shape.

Next I experimented with adding a leaf margin. For this leaf, I simply added a little 3 chain picot (three chains and a slip stitch in the first chain) at the start and end of each row. When you chain up, the picot goes at the end of the chain before you begin with the DCs and work across. At the end of the row, picot and then do the 3 chain up.

This gives something like a dentate margin, although not quite as spikey as I would like.

Now to get a little more complex. I am not even going to attempt a stitch diagram for this one, but hopefully the notes and the photos will explain. Basically I created lobes on the base by making little leaves on each side, but without the DC3tog, before beginning the basic pattern.

1. Start with a chain as usual that is the width of the left side of the leaf, but it should be an odd number. Mark the middle chain.
2. Before making the stem, imagine this as starting the right side of the leaf. Chain up 3 (counts as first DC)
3. DC once in each chain across.
4. Chain up 3 and turn.
5. DC across to the middle chain. Treble stitch through the post (as above). DC to end.

Repeat this pattern for as many rows as you want the lobes of the leaf to be long, then work a decrease to the top. This first lobe is shown above in yellow. In the example above I did 9 chains across, three rows of DC across, then decreased by doing

1. DC, DC2tog, treble,DC2tog, DC, DC, chain 3 turn
2. DC2tog, treble, DC2tog, DC, chain 3, turn
3. DC3tog, DC, chain 3 turn
4. DC2tog

When you have finished the decreases, you will need to slip stitch down the side of the lobe to get back to the base chain (shown in purple). Then work the chains and slip stitches for the stem as usual.

Chain the same number of chains for the right side of the leaf and work as above (shown in teal). When you have finished the right lobe, slip stitch down the side to the outside of the lobe (shown in purple).

This side will actually be twisted up, opposite the direction of the left side. Just twist it down, then begin working the basic pattern across as though you are woking in the base chain of the basic leaf pattern.

For this example, I did three rows before beginning to decrease at about every other row to give the leaf a long tapering top. Do what looks right as you work, as long as it is even on both sides. Unless you are intentionally trying for an uneven shape as some leaves have.

The basic pattern seems pretty modifiable, but can I come up with all of these bases and apices? I'll let you know when I do.

Until then, play with your crochet.