Griffith Park Yarnscape 1: How to Crochet Leafy Daisies

crochet daisy made of purple yarn with a bright yellow center

Have you had enough passive screen-time and want to make something with your hands, maybe learning a new skill in the process? Join us in contributing to a gallery display of Griffith Park in crochet, with the help of these how-to videos.

The Autry’s exhibition Investigating Griffith Park is a multi-year community-guided initiative that explores the past, present and future of the nation’s largest urban park and much of the gallery consists of content contributed by visitors to represent their own personal stories. One of these sections is made up of a multitude of crocheted blocks brought together to spell Griffith Park in a style inspired by the iconic Hollywood sign.

The individual blocks were made by local crochet groups, from students to senior-center residents, and we’re now asking for your participation. While sheltering in place, many people have re-discovered traditional crafts to occupy their time so we’re developing a series of how-to videos for crocheting various elements representing the park, from flowers and wildlife to kites and other activities. We hope that our own Autry community will make some of these pieces and mail them into the Autry (or drop them off in person once the museum re-opens, if you prefer). We will then add your crochet art to the gallery, around the Griffith Park sign, to capture the essence of the park and create a post-pandemic community display.

You don’t need experience with crochet, as instructor Julie Kadoi walks you through the basic stitches, and for those more comfortable with working from written instructions we have included the pattern below. So, pick up those hooks and yarn, make a leafy daisy as the first project, and look for future videos in the coming weeks.

How to Crochet Leafy Daisies

Griffith Park Yarnscapes 1: How to Crochet Leafy Daisies

Download Directions as a PDF

Pattern

Materials:

DK-weight (#3) acrylic yarn, including:
One or two shades of yellow yarn (A/B)
lavender yarn (C)
3.5 mm (E) crochet hook
tapestry needle
scissors

Glossary of terms & abbreviations:

chain (ch): draw yarn through the active loop on the hook
fasten off: cut the yarn 3 to 4 inches from the last stitch and draw the end through the active loop. Pull tightly to secure
single crochet (sc): insert your hook into the indicated stitch, draw up a loop, yarn over and draw through both loops
slip knot: cross the tail end over the yarn to make a loop, draw up yarn from the yarn ball side through the loop and tighten, making sure the cut end is not pulled through
slip stitch (sl st): insert your hook into the indicated stitch, draw up a loop, draw the top loop on the hook through the bottom loop
stitch (st): a generic stitch, usually designates the location in the previous round in which a particular stitch, such as a single crochet, will be made
skip (sk): helps to identify where the next stitch goes by accounting for any stitches in the round below that are not worked in
tail: the unworked cut end of the yarn
weave in the ends: using a tapestry needle, draw the yarn end through several stitches on the back side of work, skip one strand of yarn and pull the end through the opposite way, skip another strand and pull the end the opposite way again to lock in place

Pattern notes:

This pattern is worked in a spiral.
Gauge is not indicated.

Pattern

FLOWER CENTER

Center ring: Using A and B held together, make a center ring using a loose slip knot (do not tighten). Secure the center ring with a chain stitch (ch).
Round 1: 5 single crochet (sc) in center ring. Tug on the tail to shrink center ring—5 sc.
Round 2: 2 sc in each stitch (st) around—10 sc
Round 3: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next st] 5 times, slip stitch (sl st) in next st. Fasten off—15 sc.
Flip the flower center, so that you are working on the back.

PETALS

1st petal: Using C, make a slip knot (tighten this time) and draw the loop through any stitch in last round. Chain (ch) 7, turn, skip (sk) 1 ch, sl st in next ch, sc in next 4 ch, sl st in last ch, sl st in the st in the yellow center where you started this petal.
2nd petal: sl st in the next st to the left, ch 7, sk the last ch you made and sl st in 2nd ch from the hook, sc in the next 4 st, sl st in the last ch, sl st in the base of the petal in the yellow center.
Repeat the instructions for the 2nd petal 13 more times until there are 15 petals all together.

FINISHING

After the final petal, sl st in next st to the left (in which you started the first petal). Fasten off. Weave in the ends

Please mail your Leafy Daisy submissions to:

YARNSCAPE AT THE AUTRY
Autry Museum of the American West
4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles, CA 90027

If you prefer, you may drop them off when the Autry reopens to the public.