I reworked this pattern from a (now antique) crocheted leaf that was created by an early 1900s designer named Anna Valeire. I had to study the pattern photo in the antique book, to figure out what was intended on some of the rounds because the directions were sparse, as was common in crochet patterns in the 1920s and earlier years.The crocheter was often expected to “just know” what to do where the directions skipped over parts, where today we try to spell out every part of every row or round in modern patterns.
An interesting fact about the antique pattern book is that the purchase price of the book (the price printed on the cover) was 10 cents (or 12 cents, to get it by mail, to include 2 cents for the postage cost)! The cover and all the pages, including all photos, in the book are in grayscale, black and white; no color used in the book at all. There is one photo of the finished item for each pattern and the pattern directions are sparse but, as you can tell just from this one leaf pattern, the crochet designs are interesting.
The photo above shows a sample that I crocheted with worsted weight yarn. It could also be made with crochet thread, to be used as a small applique or as a scrapbooking accent.
The photo on the right shows the picture from the antique pattern book.
To make it easier for others to make this antique circle center leaf, I’ve rewritten the antique directions, to be in modern crochet terms and to have complete directions for all parts.
Sandi’s Rewritten Directions for the Antique Pattern:
Note: Where the pattern says to make stitches in a chain space, the stitches are made around the chain length. For example, where the directions say to “make 5 sc in the next chain space”, you will actually make the 5 single crochet around the chain-5 length of the chain space, by inserting the hook below the chain-5, through the chain space, to pull a loop through to begin each single crochet to be made for that chain space.
Materials: If you make this with worsted weight yarn and a US size H hook, the finished size is about 8 3/4 inches wide (at widest point) x 10 inches tall.
For a small applique or scrapbooking accent, if you make it with size 10 crochet thread and a US size 7 steel hook, the finished size is about 3 1/4 inches wide (at widest point) and 3 1/2 inches tall.
It doesn’t have to be any exact finished size, so gauge is not important for this pattern. You might enjoy experimenting with different materials to result in even more variations of the finished size.
Abbreviations: ch = chain, ea = each, dc = double crochet, sc = single crochet, sl st = slip stitch, sp = space, tr = treble
My rewritten directions for this antique pattern are written in American English crochet pattern terms.
To begin: chain 8, then slip stitch in the first chain to form a ring.
Rnd 1: slip stitch in the ring (so the first part will be the same height as the other stitches in this round). Then ch 3, make 20 more dc in the ring. Next, skip over the ch 3 that started this round and slip stitch in the first dc made in the round (I ended it this way so that there would not be a gap like there often is when ending with a slip stitch in the top chain of the chain-3 that started the round). Because I added 1 extra dc in the round (as opposed to what the antique pattern had), it still comes out right for the number of stitches needed in this round.
Rnd 2: Chain 6 (counts as first dc and 3 chains), skip next dc, dc in next dc, *ch 3, skip next dc, dc in next dc **, repeat the directions between * and ** 7 more times, then ch 3, sl st in 3rd chain of the beginning chain-6.
Rnd 3: Make 5 sc in the next chain space, * ch 1, skip next dc, make 5 sc in the next chain space **, repeat the directions between * and ** 8 more times, then ch 1, sl st in the first sc of this round.
Round 4 Help Photo:
Rnd 4: * Chain 10, skip next 5 sc, sc in next chain-1 space (the chain-1 space is directly above a double crochet) **, repeat the directions between * and ** 7 more times, then ch 5, skip next 5 sc, sc in next chain-1 space, then make the stem, as follows: chain 8, sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in ea of next 3 chs, chain 4 (for next part of stem), sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in ea of next 2 chs, then sl st in stitch at the base of the part just completed, sc in ea of the last 2 chs, sl st in the ch-1 space that is at the base of the sc that was made just before beginning the chain-8 that was used to form the stem.
Round 5 Help Photo:
About the Round 5 Help Photo: This shows a close look at the series of stitches made in a chain-10 loop. This series of stitches is: 2 sc, 2 dc, 3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr, 2 dc, 2 sc (all made in one same chain-10 space).
Rnd 5: Chain 5, skip next 5 sc, * make 12 sc in next chain-10 space, then make this series of stitches all in the next chain-10 space: 2 sc, 2 dc, 3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr, 2 dc, 2 sc (all made in that chain-10 space) **, repeat the directions between * and ** one more time, then (2 sc, 2 dc, 3 tr) all in the next chain-10 space (which will fill about half of that chain-10 space). Next, you will chain 10, then look backwards on the round to find the chain-3 space on the series of stitches made in the chain-10 space before the one that you just worked into. Make a single crochet in that chain-3 space that you were just asked to find (this attaches the chain-10 you just did, to make a loop in which to do the next part that forms the extra point of the leaf; you can see this highest point in the photo of the completed leaf, to get an idea what this part looks like). To make this, you will work in the chain-10 space just made: do 2 sc, 2 dc, 3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr, 2 dc, 2 sc (all made in that chain-10 space). This brings you back near the halfway point on the chain-10 loop that you were working into before (the one that is only half filled with stitches). Slip stitch in the last treble that was made in that half-filled chain space. Now, continue working in that half-filled chain space to finish it: chain 3, make 3 tr, 2 dc, 2 sc in that chain space. Make 12 sc in next chain-10 space, then make this series of stitches in the next chain-10 space: 2 sc, 2 dc, 3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr, 2 dc, 2 sc (all made in that chain-10 space), make 12 sc in the next chain-10 space. Slip stitch in the sc that is right after the chain-10 just worked into. End off. Weave in ends.
Rewritten directions copyright 2009 by Sandi Marshall. Color photos for this pattern are copyright 2009 by Sandi Marshall. The black and white photo is from the antique crochet publication from the early 1900s (that publication is old enough to now be in the public domain, having been first published in the United States before the year 1924, which is why I can legally republish the photo from that publication and republish the antique directions). For information about copyrights, see www.copyright.gov. I crocheted from the antique directions myself to see how it was made and to think of extra directions that would be helpful to others who would like to crochet it. I added a great deal of directions to the sparse antique instructions. My rewritten directions are copyright protected and are not to be published elsewhere, in any form, without my permission. Instead, you may give the url for this pattern page to anyone who would like to have my rewritten pattern directions and see my pattern photos. Thank you! I appreciate it. By giving the link to others, you help me to be able to continue doing more with crochet patterns, creating my own originals and also, reworking antique patterns for you to enjoy making for yourself. The url for this pattern page is https://www.sandimarshall.com/leaf-circle-center/
Home Page: www.sandimarshall.com
About Sandi Marshall
Following is a scan of the complete directions for this pattern, as printed in the antique publication, if you would like to compare the antique directions to my rewritten directions. As you can see, I added a LOT of instructions that were not given in the antique book. I also changed the place where the stem is added, in that round and made the stem a little shorter. I made a few other small changes to the design, as well. As you can see in the first line, the antique book called for size 40 crochet thread (very thin thread). Another difference is that today if it’s worked in the round, we call it a Round but the antique pattern called it a Row.
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