This little letter H is a cozy holiday monogram you can clip to a bag, a set of keys, or a gift as part of the present. The letter is worked in a warm sand-beige single crochet with a column of round puff stitches running up each leg, so it looks like a soft, quilted gingerbread cookie.
A forest-green border with a twisted rope edge frames the letter. A tiny green Christmas tree with red ornaments and a cream star sits on the lower left leg. The style is classic and festive without being loud.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished keychain measures 3.75 in wide x 4.25 in tall (9.5 x 10.8 cm).
The H is worked flat in rows as one piece. You make two short lower legs, join them with a chained crossbar, and then split again for the two upper legs. A beige edging round smooths the outline, and two green rounds finish the border. The tree and star are small separate appliqués sewn on at the end.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 3.75 x 4.25 in (9.5 x 10.8 cm)
- Skill level: Easy-intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Sport weight (category 2) cotton
- Hook: 2.75 mm (US C-2)
- Number of pieces: 1 letter body, plus 2 small appliqués (tree and star)
- Layout: Single letter H; crossbar centered at mid-height
- Body size after Row 21: 3.0 x 3.5 in (7.6 x 8.9 cm)
- Size before border (after beige edging): 3.25 x 3.75 in (8.3 x 9.5 cm)
- Border depth: 1/4 in (0.6 cm) per side, in 2 green rounds
Materials
Choose a smooth mercerized cotton or cotton blend. Cotton keeps the puffs round and the edges crisp, and it holds up well to daily handling on a keyring. Avoid fuzzy yarns, because they blur the stitch definition.
- Sand/beige (main color): 8 g, about 25 m
- Forest green (border and tree): 4 g, about 12 m
- Cream (star): 1 g, about 3 m
- Red (ornaments): under 1 g, about 1 m (sport yarn or 3 strands of embroidery floss)
Tools:
– 2.75 mm (US C-2) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– 1 in (2.5 cm) split keyring with a short chain and jump ring
– Small pliers
– Rust-proof pins and a blocking board
– Scissors
All quantities include a margin for a gauge swatch and sewing tails.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sc – single crochet
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
- sc3tog – single crochet 3 together
- rev sc – reverse single crochet (crab stitch); sc worked from left to right
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- yo – yarn over
- RS / WS – right side / wrong side
Special stitch – puff: Yo, insert hook in next st, yo and pull up a loop to about 1/4 in (0.6 cm) tall. Repeat from * to * 3 more times in the same st (9 loops on hook). Yo, pull through all 9 loops, then ch 1 to close.
The closing ch 1 is not counted. The puff counts as 1 st. On the next WS row, work your sc into the top of the puff and skip the closing ch, then push the puff toward the RS.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 6 sc and 6 rows = 1 in (2.5 cm) in sc worked firmly.
Test before you commit by working the first lower leg (Rows 1–8). It works as your swatch.
Checkpoints:
1. Each lower leg after Row 8: 1.2 in wide x 1.3 in tall (3.0 x 3.3 cm).
2. After Row 13: 3.0 in (7.6 cm) wide and about 2.2 in (5.6 cm) tall. The lower gap measures about 0.7 in (1.8 cm) wide.
3. After Row 21: 3.0 x 3.5 in (7.6 x 8.9 cm). The crossbar is about 0.8 in (2.0 cm) tall.
4. After the beige edging: 3.25 x 3.75 in (8.3 x 9.5 cm).
5. After the border: 3.75 x 4.25 in (9.5 x 10.8 cm).
If your leg is too big, go down to a 2.5 mm hook. If it’s too small, go up to a 3.0 mm hook. Keep the same stitch counts either way. A loose fabric lets the puffs sink, so err on the firm side.
Lower Legs
Left Lower Leg
This leg has no puffs in Rows 3 and 7 because the tree appliqué will cover this area. A flat base lets the tree lie smoothly.
With beige, ch 8.
Row 1 (RS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (7 sts)
Rows 2–8: Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in each st across, turn. (7 sts)
Fasten off. The leg should measure 1.2 x 1.3 in (3.0 x 3.3 cm).
Right Lower Leg
With beige, ch 8.
Row 1 (RS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (7 sts)
Row 2 (WS): Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (7 sts)
Row 3 (RS): Ch 1, sc 3, puff in next st, sc 3, turn. (7 sts)
Rows 4–6: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (7 sts)
Row 7: Repeat Row 3. (7 sts)
Row 8 (WS): Ch 1, sc in each st across. (7 sts)
Do not fasten off. Your yarn now sits at the outer (right) edge of the right leg when you view it from the RS.
Crossbar
Row 9 (RS – joining row): Ch 1 and turn. Sc 7 across the right leg, then ch 4. Lay the left leg beside it with the RS facing you and the legs about 0.7 in (1.8 cm) apart. Sc in the first st of the left leg’s Row 8 (its inner edge), then sc in the next 6 sts. Turn.
Count: 7 sc + 4 ch + 7 sc = 18 sts.
Row 10 (WS): Ch 1, sc in each sc and in each ch across, turn. (18 sts)
Row 11 (RS): Ch 1, sc 3, puff, sc 3, sc 4, sc 3, puff, sc 3, turn. (18 sts)
Rows 12–13: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn. (18 sts)
Row 13 ends at the outer edge of the left leg. Checkpoint: the piece is 3.0 in (7.6 cm) wide.
Upper Legs
Left Upper Leg
Row 14 (WS): Ch 1, sc in the first 7 sts, turn. Leave the remaining 11 sts unworked. (7 sts)
Row 15 (RS): Ch 1, sc 3, puff, sc 3, turn. (7 sts)
Rows 16–18: Ch 1, sc 7, turn. (7 sts)
