Difficulty Level: Advanced ✦✦✦✦✦
One more addition to my tropical flowers series. This yellow Phaleonopsis orchid makes me smile. It is inspired by a native orchid of Hawaii.
The flowers are about 4 inches x 3 inches with a 1 inch "tongue" when made with cotton 4-ply yarn and a 2mm hook.
This Orchid pattern consists of several parts: the Foundation, the Rear Petals, and the Front Side Petals, and the Front Bottom Petals.
The three back rear petals are pulled back slightly with a chain behind the white center foundation. The front side petals are made individually and curve slightly forward. The three front bottom petals have their own foundation row in light pink whose ends are pulled to the back of the flower to make the "tongue" take shape.
Special Terms: Picot = ch 3, slip stitch in the first chain.
Foundation: In white.
Row 1: Sc 6 in magic ring, sl st in the first dc.
Row 2: Ch, [(sc, ch 5, sl st in the first chain, sc) in the first stitch, 2 sc in the next st] repeat 3 times, sl st in the first sc.
Row 3: [(Sc, hdc, 3 dc in the next st, hdc, sc) in the ch-5 space, skip the next sc, sc, ch 5, sc, skip the next sc] repeat 3 times, sl st with the first st.
Row 4: [(Sl st in the first sc and hdc, ch, 2 hdc in the next st, 5 dc in the next st, 2 hdc in the next st, ch, sl st 2) *end of Front Petal*, (sc, hdc, 2 dc in the next st, tc, 2 dc in the next st, hdc, sc) in the ch-5 space *end of Back Petal*] repeat 2 times, sl st 2, 2 sc in the next st, 2 hdc in the next st, 2 sc in the next st, sl st 2, repeat Back Petal.
Tie off and weave ends in.
Left: end of row 2. Middle: end of row 3. Right: end of Row 4.
You now have 6 loops that will become the petals.
Rear Petals: In yellow:
Row 1: Sl st into the last sc of a Back Petal. [Ch 3, sc in the first stitch of the next Back Petal, sc, hdc, ch, hdc, (2 dc, ch, 2 dc) in the next st, hdc, ch, hdc, sc 2] repeat 3 times.
Row 2: [Ch, sl stitch in the ch-3 space (pull tight!), ch *becomes the ch-3 space* (see below), sl st in the first 2 sts of the next Back Petal, sc, (sc, hdc) in the ch-space, 2 hdc in the next st, 2 dc in the next st, (dc, ch, tc, ch, dc) in the ch-space, 2 dc in the next st, 2 hdc in the next st, (sc, hdc) in the ch-space, sc, sl st in the next 2 sts] repeat 3 times.
Row 3: [Ch, sc over the ch-3 space (pull tight!), ch *becomes the ch-3 space*, skip the first sl st of the next Back Petal, sl st 3, sc, 2 sc in the next st, hdc, 2 hdc in the next st, dc, 2 dc in the next st, tc 2 in the ch-space, tc, 2 tc in the next st, 2 dc in the next st, dc, 2 hdc in the next st, hdc, 2 sc in the next st, sc, sl st 3] repeat 3 times.
'Rear Petals' complete.
Tie off. Weave ends in.
Left: in row 2, slip stitch around the ch-3 support at the back of the petals. Right: Rear Petals complete. One of the front petal foundations is flipped up to show the ch-3 support behind.
Front Side Petals: In yellow:
Row 1: Sl st into the first hdc of a petal, (sc, ch, dc) in the next st, 3 tc in the next st, 2 tc in each of the next 3 sts, 3 tc in the next st, (sc, ch, dc) in the next st, sl st into the last hdc of the petal.
Row 2: Ch, sl st in the first sc, (sc, hdc, dc, tc) in the ch-space, ch, 3 dc in the next st, dc, 2 dc in each of the next 10 sts, dc, 3 dc in the next st, ch, (tc, dc, hdc, sc) in the ch-sp, sl st in the last sc.
Row 3: Ch, sl st in the first sc, sc, 2 sc in the next st, 3 sc in the next st, 2 hdc in the ch-space, 2 hdc in the next st, hdc 26, 2 hdc in the next st and the ch-space, 3 sc in the next st, 2 sc in the next st, sc, sl st 2.
First Front Side Petal complete.
Tie off. Weave ends in.
Repeat pattern for second Front Side Petal.
Front Bottom Petals: In light pink:
Leave a 2-3 in long tail for sewing before casting on.
Row 1: Stitching in the Front Loops Only: join with sc in the first sc, (sc, sl st) in the next stitch, ch, stitch 2 hdc2tog over the next three sts (the middle stitch is used by both hdc2tog), ch, sl st 3, sc 2.
Tie off. Leave a 2-3 in long tail for sewing after tying off.
First row of the Front Bottom Petals, setting up the foundation for 3 petals.
Small Side Petal: In bright pink:
Row 2: Cast on with a sc in the first stitch, hdc in the same st, ch, (hdc, sc) in the next st. Turn.
Row 3: Ch, (sc, hdc) in the first sc, 2 hdc in the next st, 3 hdc in the ch-space, 2 hdc in the next st, (hdc, sc) in the next st, sl st in the side of the last sc from Row 2. Turn.
Row 4: Ch, 2 sc in the first sc, sc 8, 2 sc in the next st, 2 sl st along the side of the first Side Petal, sl st into the ch-space from Row 1.
Small Center Petal:
Row 5: Ch, 3 sc in each of the next 2 sts, turn.
Row 6: Ch, 2 sc in the first st, sc 4, 2 sc in the next st, turn.
Row 7: Ch, sc 8, turn.
Row 8: Ch, sc3tog, sc 2, sc3tog, turn.
Row 9: Ch 2, picot, hdc2tog twice, ch, picot, ch, sl st in the side of the same st as the last hdc2tog, and sl st 3 down the side of the Center Petal, sl st in the next ch-space of Row 1, ch.
Continue with Rows 2-4 to make the second Small Side Petal.
Weave bright pink ends in.
Use a needle to pull the light pink tails through the stitch below the white ch-5 loop of the two bottom Rear Petals to the back of the flower.
Tie the two ends together, weave carefully into the back of the Foundation, and shape the pink petals in front.
Left: Detail showing where to pass ends to the back of the orchid to shape small petals.
Right: Finished mature orchid flower.
Here are the patterns for the orchid leaf and the young orchid flowers and bud.
