Computer card games can be really addictive. I have managed to go almost two weeks without playing, with the result that I am crocheting a lot more - washcloths, sweaters, shawls, and even some fiddly stuff, like this carnation and leaf. The card games are still on my desktop, and I can see them, but now I have to make a conscious choice about what I want to spend my time doing. As almost anyone knows, this is not as simple as it looks. The flower and leaf, on the other hand, are remarkably easy to make, look clever, and take not very much yarn at all. Whatever yarn you use, it is good to use a hook that will make a fairly firm stitch, and not too loose. The crisp definition of the leaf, especially, wants a firm gauge. A loose gauge makes a more frilly flower, where the loopiness of the stitch competes with the loopiness of the gauge.
About the flower: This is made from a hank of embroidery floss, using a 3.5mm hook. Ch3, slip stitch in the last ch to form a ring. (ch3, sc in the ring) at least 6 times, or as many times as you can squeeze in. I did 11 in this case and had enough in the one hank of embroidery floss. The fatter the yarn, the fewer chain loops you will have. Continuing in a coil, *ch3, sc in next ch space, (ch3, sc in same space) 5 times. Repeat from * around one time. Ch3, slip stitch in the starting ring on the underside to position your yarn to use in sewing the flower in place. Finish off. A friend of mine made these instead of pompoms on hats for her granddaughters.
Now to go with that flower, you might want a leaf, especially if you happen to have some non-flower color, like green or black (as in this case), and not enough to make a flower. The easiest way, for me, is to use foundation stitches. That way, I can make the leaf as long as I want without having to plan ahead. One version: Ch2, fsc, fhdc, fdc, ftr, fdc, fhdc, fsc. Ch1 (optional: sl st in same base ch, ch1) and rotate piece to work back along the bottom of the stitches just made. Sc in base of last fsc made. Hdc, dc, tr, dc, hdc, sc all along the row, ending up where you started. Sl st in starting chain to finish off. Leave a tail of a few inches to sew leaf in place. For a short, stubby leaf, skip the dc, tr parts.
If you really don't like foundation stitches, ch6. Sc in the 2nd chain from the hook. Working along the chain row, hdc1, dc1, hdc1, sc1. That should get you to the end of the row. Ch1, sl st in the same st, ch1, and rotate the piece to continue along the remaining loops back to the beginning: sc1, hdc1, dc1, hdc1, and sc1 in the last st. Slip st into the chain at the end to have a little closure to finish off. Leave a tail of a few inches to sew the leaf in place. For a longer leaf, ch8, and work up to a treble before going back down to a single. Of course, there are lots of variations, but it can be satisfying to find something simple that does the trick just fine.
When I run across a little more of a flower color that looks good with this bright red, I will add one or two more flowers to fill out the pin - that way the pin backing won't show. It is just so easy to do.
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