A long botanical crochet table runner made from oversized layered flowers, dense textured leaves and small round berry-like accents, arranged in a continuous garden strip down the centre of the table.
The beauty of this runner is that it looks much more complicated than it really is. Instead of crocheting one enormous piece from end to end, the flowers and leaves are made separately and then sewn onto a simple narrow base. Once you have worked the first flower and a handful of leaves, nearly the whole runner becomes repetition.
The version shown uses seven large flowers in soft autumn and cottage-garden shades: purple, cream, dusty pink and mustard yellow, surrounded by two tones of olive green foliage. Small crocheted berries in cream, pale yellow, pink and purple fill the spaces between the leaves.
Finished size is approximately 95 to 105 cm long and 28 to 32 cm wide.
What you’ll need
DK or light worsted cotton yarn in dark olive green, medium olive green, mustard yellow, dusty rose, deep mauve or purple, warm cream, dark brown, and small amounts of pale pink, pale yellow and lilac.
A 3 mm or 3.5 mm crochet hook, tapestry needle, scissors and a small amount of polyester fibrefill for the round berry details.
The hidden base
With dark olive green, ch 121.
Row 1. Sc in second chain from hook and in every chain across. Ch 1, turn. (120)
Rows 2 to 12. Sc across. Ch 1 and turn at the end of each row.
Fasten off.
Large layered flower
Make seven.
Centre:
Round 1. 6 sc in MR. (6)
Round 2. Inc around. (12)
Round 3. Sc, inc around. (18)
Round 4. 2 sc, inc around. (24)
Inner petals:
Join petal colour. *Ch 5, starting in second chain work sc, hdc, dc, tr. Sl st into next centre stitch.* Repeat around.
Outer petals:
Turn the flower over. Work ch-5 spaces behind the first petal round. Into each ch-5 space work sc, hdc, 2 dc, 2 tr, 2 dc, hdc, sc.
Fasten off and pull each outer petal forward so it sits between the inner petals.
Bobble flower centre
Join centre colour.
Work a 5-loop bobble into each or every second centre stitch. Ch 1 after each bobble to close.
Use cream centres for purple and pink flowers, mustard centres for cream flowers, and dark brown for the sunflower-style flower.
Flower colour arrangement
Make:
1 deep purple with cream centre.
1 warm cream with mustard centre.
1 dusty pink with cream centre.
1 mustard with dark brown centre.
1 dusty pink with cream centre.
1 warm cream with mustard centre.
1 deep purple with cream centre.
Large leaves
Make 34 to 40.
Ch 12.
Starting in second chain:
sl st, sc, hdc, dc, 4 tr, dc, hdc, sc.
Work 3 sc in final chain.
Continue down opposite side:
sc, hdc, dc, 4 tr, dc, hdc, sc, sl st.
Fasten off.
Small pointed leaves
Make 28 to 34.
Ch 9.
Starting in second chain:
sl st, sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc.
Work 3 sc in final chain.
Continue on opposite side:
sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc, sl st.
Fasten off.
Berries
Make 18 to 24.
Round 1. 6 sc in MR.
Round 2. Inc around. (12)
Rounds 3 and 4. Sc around.
Round 5. Dec around. Stuff lightly and close.
Use cream, pale yellow, dusty pink and purple.
Assembly
Arrange the seven flowers down the centre of the green base, leaving only 1 to 2 cm between them.
Place four to six large leaves around each flower, pointing them in mixed directions. Fill gaps with smaller leaves.
Scatter berries irregularly. Groups of two or three look more natural than perfect spacing.
Sew leaves first, then flowers, then berries.
Blocking
Lightly dampen the finished runner and arrange it flat. Straighten the centre line but keep the outer foliage softly irregular.
Variations
For autumn use burnt orange, mustard, rust, cream and deep olive. For spring use blush pink, lavender, pale yellow, ivory and sage.
Five flowers make a short runner; seven match the photograph proportions; nine suit a long dining table.