Mushroom Keychain Crochet

I have a soft spot for red mushrooms that look as though they've wandered out of a storybook. Pip is a mini crochet mushroom keychain, about 2 in (5 cm) tall, with a plump cream stem and four little cream spots on his red cap. He's small enough to sit in the middle of your palm.

I like smooth cotton here: the stitches stay crisp, and the tiny spots look like little crumbs of cream. The stem widens straight into the underside of the cap. A short seam closes the brim, and a reinforced loop at the crown keeps Pip hanging upright on a key ring.

At a glance
Finished size	about 2 in (5 cm) tall, 1⅝ in (4.1 cm) across the cap; loop and ring excluded
Yarn	DK #3 cotton in red and cream; about 9 yd of each
Hook	2.5 mm throughout
Pieces	2
Time	about 1–1½ hours
Skill	easy: magic ring, sc, inc, dec and simple embroidery

Red and cream cotton for a tiny mushroom

• Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK, 100% cotton, 137 yd (125 m) per 50 g, in red and cream. Allow about 9 yd of red and 9 yd of cream, including the spots, sewing and hanging loop. Small leftovers are lovely for this.
• Hook: 2.5 mm for both pieces.
• Hardware: a silver split key ring about 1 in (2.5 cm) across and an open jump ring about ¼ in (6 mm) across; two pairs of flat pliers.
• Small things: a little fiberfill, a tapestry needle, scissors, a stitch marker, contrasting scrap yarn and sewing pins.

Tension. Use 6 sc per inch (2.5 cm), with about 6 rounds per inch, tight enough that the stuffing doesn't show. At that tension, allow about 2 in (5 cm) in height and 1⅝ in (4.1 cm) across the cap. Cotton and stuffing change the shape a little, so measure Pip after sewing.

Stitches, in US terms: magic ring (MR), single crochet (sc), slip stitch (sl st), increase (inc, 2 sc in the same stitch), decrease (dec, sc 2 together), stitch (st) and round (R). For each decrease, I use the front loops of the next 2 stitches together.

Work in a continuous spiral, without joining the rounds. Put the marker in the first stitch of each round and move it up as you go. Run a contrasting scrap strand up beside that first stitch, flipping it between the inside and outside at each round. This marks the back. Count every placement from the first stitch of its own round; that stitch is number 1. The number in parentheses is the stitch count.

Part 1 — Making the red mushroom cap

Cap — red, 2.5 mm hook. Make 1. The magic ring becomes the crown; the last round is the open brim.

• R1: MR, 6 sc in the ring. (6)
• R2: inc × 6. (12)
• R3: (sc, inc) × 6. (18)
• R4: (sc 2, inc) × 6. (24)
• R5: (sc 3, inc) × 6. (30)
• R6–R7: sc around. (30) 2 rounds.

Pull the magic ring snug. Sl st in the next st and fasten off, leaving a 24 in (60 cm) tail at the brim for sewing. Leave the brim open, with the scrap strand still marking the back.

Four little cream spots

Embroider the spots now, while you can reach inside the cap. Cut 24 in (60 cm) of cream and thread the needle. With the crown up and the marked back away from you, pin these four spots:

• One high on the left: R2, stitch 5.
• One across the middle left: R4, stitch 10.
• One higher on the right: R3, stitch 13.
• One near the lower right edge: R5, stitch 23.

At each pin, make 3 short straight stitches side by side, each spanning the height of that single crochet. Keep each spot about ⅛–3⁄16 in (3–5 mm) across. Carry the cream loosely inside between spots, then knot it inside and weave each end through 4 stitch backs.

Tip. Let the cream sit softly on the red. Pulling it tight makes a little dent where the spot should be.

Reinforcing Pip's hanging loop

Keep the crown pointing up. Cut 36 in (90 cm) of red and leave a 6 in (15 cm) starting tail inside the cap. On the inside, take 12 small backstitches through the backs of the crochet stitches across R2–R4, then knot the working strand to the starting tail.

Bring the needle outside through the gap between R1 and R2, just below R1 stitch 1. Bring it back inside through the opposite gap, just below R1 stitch 4, leaving a tiny arch ⅛ in (3 mm) above the crown. Follow that same path twice more, so 3 parallel strands form the loop. Keep a tapestry needle through the arch while you sew to hold its size.

Remove the spacer needle. Take another 12 small backstitches inside across R2–R4, keeping the cap relaxed. Knot the working strand securely to an inside stitch back. Weave both loose ends through 6 stitch backs each and trim. Leave the long brim tail free for the seam.

Tip. Cotton can stretch on a busy key ring. If the loop loosens, add another red strand along the same path and anchor it with 12 backstitches inside before closing the cap.

Part 2 — The rounded cream stem and cap underside

Stem and underside — cream, 2.5 mm hook. Make 1. Start at the bottom of the stem. The magic ring becomes Pip's rounded foot; the last round becomes the wide outer edge under the red brim.

• R1: MR, 6 sc in the ring. (6)
• R2: inc × 6. (12)
• R3: (sc, inc) × 6. (18)
• R4–R5: sc around. (18) 2 rounds.
• R6: (sc, dec) × 6. (12)
• R7: sc around. (12)

Pull the magic ring closed. After R7, stuff the stem firmly, pushing small pinches into the rounded foot. Leave a little room at the top for your hook. Continue with cream:

• R8: (sc, inc) × 6. (18)
• R9: (sc 2, inc) × 6. (24)
• R10: (sc 3, inc) × 6. (30)

The increases spread out above the narrow neck, like the underside of a tiny umbrella. Sl st in the next st and fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15 cm) tail at the outer edge. Weave it through 6 stitch backs on the side that will face inside the cap. Keep the back strand in place.

Joining the mushroom cap and stem

Keep the red crown at the top and the cream foot pointing down. Hold the cap above the stem, with both marked backs facing away from you. Tuck the wide cream edge under the red brim, so the rougher sides meet inside. Pin R7 of the cap to R10 of the underside, matching the marked first stitches at the back. At each finishing sl st, sew into the original sc beneath it.

1. Thread the red brim tail onto the needle. Start at the marked back and whipstitch through both loops of one red stitch and its matching cream stitch. Continue for 24 paired stitches, following the edge around the mushroom.
2. Stuff the cap now, after those 24 stitches. Push small pinches through the remaining opening until the crown feels softly rounded. Hold the cream underside nearly flat with your thumb as you fill.
3. Sew the remaining 6 paired stitches. Secure the tail with a knot tucked inside the seam, weave through 6 stitch backs and hide the end inside the cap.
4. Pull out both scrap strands. Cup the cap between your fingers and round the foot gently with your thumb.

Tip. If the cream underside balloons downward, ease out a little stuffing before the last 6 stitches. The red cap should overhang Pip's stem like a little roof.

Adding the keyring at the top of the mushroom

With one pair of pliers on each side of the jump ring's opening, twist one end toward you and the other away. Slip it through all 3 strands of the red crown loop and through the split key ring. Twist the ends back together until they meet neatly. Keep the split ring above the cap and the stem hanging below it.

Give the ring a gentle tug while holding the cap. The loop should stay snug against the crown. If it starts to lift, unpick 6 seam stitches at the back and lift out enough cap stuffing to reach inside. Reinforce the loop as above, replace the stuffing and resew those 6 pairs before adding keys.

Safety. Pip has metal keychain hardware, so he isn't a toy for children under 3. Keep this version as a bag or key accessory.

I like Pip tied to a plain kraft gift tag, with his little cream foot hanging below the edge. A scrap of red ribbon around the top of the tag is all he needs.

UK terms: US sc = UK dc; US sl st = UK ss.

Made a little Pip? Tag #wavodecrochet on Pinterest so I can see him.

Pattern by Clara Hartwell for Wavode. Questions? Email me at support@wavode.com.