A wide striped ribbon that twists into a soft spiral, hanging from a wooden ring, covered in little motifs and finishing in three beaded strands with charms on the ends.
There are four versions here and they are all the same ribbon. A bee and daisy one in yellow, black and cream. A butterfly and flower one in pinks, lilac and blue. A toadstool woodland one in red, cream and green. And a fox and owl one in browns, cream and sage.
The twist is not wire and it is not blocking. It comes from making one long edge of the band longer than the other, so the fabric has nowhere to go but round. Once you understand that, the rest of the piece is decoration.
What you’ll need
DK cotton. The amounts are small since the ribbon is the only large piece.
For the bee version, yellow, black and cream, plus white, green and a little orange. For the butterfly version, pale pink, lilac, sky blue and cream, plus green and yellow. For the toadstool version, deep red, cream and sage green, plus brown and a little orange. For the woodland version, dark brown, caramel, cream and sage, plus orange, rust and mustard.
A 2.5 mm hook.
You’ll also want a wooden ring around 5 cm, polyester fibrefill, wooden and coloured beads in mixed sizes, jute or cotton cord, and a tapestry needle.
Finished length is about 65 cm including the beaded strands, and the ribbon is around 9 cm wide.
Abbreviations are US terms. ch is chain, sl st is slip stitch, sc is single crochet, hdc is half double crochet, dc is double crochet, inc is two stitches in one, dec is an invisible decrease, MR is magic ring.
Part 1. The striped ribbon
Worked flat in rows along the length, so the stripes run the long way.
Ch 121 in your first colour. Row 1, sc in the second ch from the hook and in each ch across (120).
Now work rows of sc, changing colour to make the stripes. For all four versions, work two rows of each colour, rotating through your three main colours until the band is about 9 cm wide, which is roughly fourteen rows.
Keep the stripe order the same all the way across. On a piece this size a random stripe sequence reads as a mistake rather than as a design.
Weave in each colour change as you go. There are a dozen of them and leaving them to the end is miserable.
Part 2. Making it twist
This is the whole technique, and it takes one row.
Choose one long edge to be the outer edge of the spiral. Working along that edge only, work sc all the way across, adding an extra sc into every fourth stitch.
That row is now longer than the fabric it is attached to. It cannot lie flat, so the whole band lifts and turns, and a gentle helix appears in your hands as you finish the row.
If you want a tighter twist, add an extra stitch into every third instead. If you want it barely twisted, every sixth. Work a short sample if you are unsure, because this is not something you can adjust afterwards without unpicking the whole edge.
Finish the other long edge with a plain row of sc, no increases, in a contrasting colour. That firm inner edge is what stops the twist from wandering.
Part 3. The top cuff
The ribbon gathers into a small tube at the top, which is what hangs from the ring.
Fold the top end of the band into soft pleats until it is about 3 cm across, and stitch through the pleats to hold them.
In your darkest colour, ch 16 and join into a ring. Work sc round and round for about 4 cm to make a short tube. Slide it over the gathered top of the band and stitch it in place, top and bottom.
Sew the top of the cuff to the wooden ring, passing the needle through several times. This one join carries everything.
Part 4. The motif library
Make whichever of these your version needs. All of them are small and quick.
Bee. In yellow, 5 sc in MR (5), inc five times (10), sc around (10). Change to black for two rounds, back to yellow for two, black for one. Dec five times, stuff and close. Wings, two per bee, in white: ch 6, then sl st, sc, hdc, 3 dc in the last chain, and back along the other side with hdc, sc, sl st. Add two short black chain antennae and two black French knot eyes.
Daisy. In white, 8 sc in MR (8), then into each stitch work sl st, ch 3, 2 dc in the same stitch, ch 3, sl st in the same stitch, for eight petals. Add a cluster of yellow French knots in the centre.
Small flower. In your chosen colour, 5 sc in MR (5), then into each stitch work sl st, ch 2, 2 dc, ch 2, sl st, for five petals. Add a contrasting bead or French knot centre.
Butterfly. Worked as one flat piece. Ch 4 and join into a ring. Into the ring work 3 dc, ch 2, 3 tr, ch 2, 3 dc, ch 2, then repeat that sequence once more and join. That gives four wing lobes, two larger and two smaller. Pinch the centre and wrap it three times with a contrasting colour to make the body, then add two short chain antennae.
Leaf. In green, ch 8, then along the chain sl st, sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc, then 3 sc into the last chain, and back along the other side in reverse.
Oak leaf. In sage or mustard, ch 10. Along the chain work sl st, sc, hdc, then ch 2 and sl st into the second ch from the hook for a lobe, dc, ch 2 and sl st into the second ch from the hook, hdc, sc, then 3 sc into the last chain and back along the other side the same way. Those little chain lobes are what make it read as oak rather than as a generic leaf.
Toadstool. Stem in cream, 5 sc in MR (5), sc for four rounds (5). Cap in deep red, 6 sc in MR (6), inc six times (12), sc and inc repeated six times (18), then sc around (18). Stuff lightly, sew the cap to the stem, and add five or six white French knots to the cap.
Acorn. Nut in cream, 6 sc in MR (6), inc six times (12), sc for three rounds (12), dec six times, stuff and close. Cap in brown, 6 sc in MR, inc six times (12), sc around, then sew over the top. Add a short brown chain stalk.
Owl. In caramel, 6 sc in MR (6), inc six times (12), sc and inc repeated six times (18), sc for four rounds (18), sc and dec repeated six times (12), stuff, dec six times and close. Add two cream circles for the eye patches with black French knot centres, a small orange triangle beak, and two little ear tufts made from ch 3 worked into the top.
Fox. In orange, 6 sc in MR (6), inc six times (12), sc and inc repeated six times (18), sc for three rounds (18), then sc and dec repeated six times (12), stuff, dec six times and close. Sew a white muzzle patch across the lower face, add a small black nose, two black French knot eyes, and two triangular ears in orange with white inner patches.
Tiny door. In sage, ch 6, sc across (5), work five rows of sc, then shape the top by decreasing at both ends of the last two rows to make an arch. Add a brown French knot handle and two straight stitch cross bars.
Part 5. Which motifs for which version
Bee version. About five bees, four daisies, three small yellow flowers, four leaves and two butterflies.
Butterfly version. About eight butterflies in mixed colours, ten small flowers in pink, lilac and blue, and four leaves.
Toadstool version. About eight toadstools in mixed sizes, six leaves, three small flowers, two butterflies and one tiny door.
Woodland version. Two owls, two foxes, six oak leaves, four acorns and three small flowers.
Part 6. Attaching the motifs
Lay the twisted ribbon flat and pin everything before you sew anything. Pinned motifs take seconds to move.
Work in clusters rather than spreading things evenly. Three toadstools together with a leaf tucked behind them looks like a scene. Eight toadstools spaced at equal intervals looks like a chart.
Put the largest motifs, the owls, foxes and biggest toadstools, on the widest visible faces of the twist, where the ribbon turns towards you. Small flat things like leaves and small flowers go on the narrower parts and around the edges.
Sew each motif down at three or four points rather than all the way round, so it sits slightly proud of the ribbon instead of flattened against it.
Part 7. The beaded strands
Make three per hanging, each a different length.
Cut cord about 25 cm long. Thread on a mix of wooden and coloured beads, knotting between them so they cannot slide, and finish each strand with one of your motifs.
For the bee version, finish with a bee, a daisy and a small flower. For the butterfly version, a butterfly and two flowers. For the toadstool version, three toadstools in different sizes. For the woodland version, an owl, a fox and an acorn.
Sew all three to the bottom end of the ribbon, spaced across its width, and let them hang at three different lengths.
Notes and variations
A Christmas version in red, green and cream with holly, baubles and stars works from the same ribbon.
A seaside version in blues and sand with shells, starfish and small fish is a good summer make.
Make all four and hang them as a set on a branch, which is how they look best.
For a nursery, embroider every face rather than using beads, and skip the loose beaded strands entirely.
Questions I get asked
Why is my ribbon not twisting? Your increase row is too sparse, or you worked increases on both edges, which cancels out. One edge only, and every fourth stitch as a starting point.
Why is the twist uneven? Your increases are not evenly spaced. Count rather than eyeballing, especially in the first twenty stitches, since that is where a drift starts.
Can I add wire instead? You can, but the increase method gives a much softer, more natural twist and the piece still moves in a draught, which wire kills.
Which version is easiest? The butterfly one, since butterflies and flat flowers are the quickest motifs. The woodland one is the longest because of the owls and foxes.
How long does it take? About six hours for the butterfly version and closer to nine for the woodland one.