мир is Ukrainian for peace. Let’s yarn graffiti the world with sunflowers and rainbows for peace.

Terminology

The pattern uses US terminology.

Abbrev.	US	UK/Aus
BLO	back loop
ch	chain
ch sp	chain space
dc	double crochet	treble crochet
hdc	half double crochet	half treble crochet
picot	picot: 3 ch, sl st into 1st ch and previous st together
r	row
rnd	round
sc	single crochet	double crochet
sl st	slip stitch
st	stitch
tr	treble crochet	double treble crochet
dtr	double treble crochet	triple treble crochet

Materials

In the pictures, I have used Stylecraft Special DK. For yarn graffiti, acrylic is cheap, long lasting and colourful – but any yarn fibres and weights can be used. It’s a good way to use up left overs.

Part	Stylecraft Special DK
Centre	Mocha (1064)
Petals	Bright petals: Sunshine (1114) Pale petals: Spice (1711), Saffron (1081)
Leaves	Greengage (1124)
Rainbow	Emperor (1425), Royal (1117), Turquoise (1068), Meadow (1065), Saffron (1081), Spice (1711), Lipstick (1246)
Letters	White (1001)

Sunflower

The sunflower has two rounds of 16 petals. The second round attaches behind the first round, and is optional. 

Pattern advice

Replace the first stitch of each round with the corresponding number of chain stitches. Close each round with a slip stitch.

Centre

using brown yarn:

make a ring: 6 ch, close ring w. sl st

rnd 1: 8 sc into ring, close w. sl st rnd 2: (dc, ch) x 8, close w. sl st (16)

rnd 3: into chain spaces: (2 dc, ch) x 8, close w. sl st (24)  

rnd 4: work dc’s alternatingly into chain space and 2nd dc: (dc, ch, dc, ch) x 8, close w. sl st (32)

Small Petals

using yellow yarn:

rnd 5: (into dc: sc, into ch sp: 3 sc, ) x 16, close w. sl st (64)

rnd 6: 32 sc, close w. sl st (64)

rnd 7: (sc, 4 ch, skip 2, sc) x 16, close w. sl st 

rnd 8: (sc, into ch sp: sc, 2 hdc, dc, 2 trc, 3 ch, 2 trc, dc, 2 hdc, sc, into next sc: sc) x 16, close w. sl st

rnd 9: (7 sc, into ch sp: sc, picot, sc, into sts: 7 sc) x 16, close w. sl st.

For a sunflower with a single round of petals, break the yarn and sew in the ends. 

Large Petals

For the double sunflower, a ring of larger petals is attached behind the smaller petals. The petals are offset so they show better behind the smaller ones.

Just like the smaller petals, this round is also attached to rnd 6, but to the back loop of sts, so that the attachments don’t show so much.  

To start rnd 10, sl st down to the back loop of the 3rd st in rnd 6. It’s visible in the gap in the centre of the first small petal.

rnd 10: into rnd 6: (sc in BLO, 6 ch, skip 4) x 16, close w. sl st

rnd 11: (sc, into ch sp: sc, 2 hdc, 2 dc, 2 trc, dtrc, 3 ch dtrc, 2 trc, 2 dc, 2 hdc, sc) x 16, close w. sl st

rnd 12: (9 sc, into ch sp: sc, picot, sc, into sts: 8 sc) x 16, cose w. sl st

Break the yarn and sew in the ends.

Leaves

Sunflower leaves are essentially pointy, heart-shaped circles, worked in the round. 

The leaf tip is marked in bold. Close each rnd with a slip stitch.

make a ring: 6 ch, close w. sl st

rnd 1: into ring: ch 2, (tr, ch) x 2, (dc, ch) x 2, tr,
(ch, dc) x 2, (ch, tr) x 2, ch 2, sl st 

rnd 2: in ch sp: (sl st, sc, hdc, ch), in ch sp: (hdc, ch) x 2, in following 2 ch spaces: (hdc, ch), in ch sp: (dc, ch), in tr: (dc, ch, dc), in ch sp: (ch, dc), in next 2 ch spaces: (ch, hdc), in ch sp: (ch, hdc) x 2, in last ch sp: (ch, hdc, sc, sl st)

rnd 3: skip sl st, in sc: sl st, in hdc: sc, in next 2 ch spaces: 3 sc, in ch sp: (sc, hdc), in ch sp: 2 hdc, in ch sp: (hdc, dc), in ch sp: (tr, ch, tr), in ch sp: (dc, hdc), in ch sp: 2 hdc, in ch sp: (hdc, sc), in next 2 ch spaces: 3 sc, in hdc: sc, in sc: sl st

rnd 4: sl st, sc, in next hdc: (2 sc), in next hdc: (3 hdc), in next 3 sts: (2 hdc), 7 hdc, dc, (2 tr, ch, 2 tr), dc, 7 hdc, in next 3 sts: (2 hdc),  in next hdc: (3 hdc), in next hdc: (2 sc), sc, sl st

Break the yarn and sew in the ends.

Rainbow

The rainbow is worked back and forth, starting with the inner arc.

with violet:

r 1: ch 58, sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc across (56)

r 2: ch, 4 sc, (2 sc in next st, 7 sc) x 6, 2 sc in next st, 3 sc (63)

r 3: ch, sc across (63)

with dark blue:

r 4: 2 ch, dc, (2 dc in next st, 8 dc) x 6, 2 dc in next st, 8 dc (70)

r 5: 2 ch, dc across (70)

with turquoise / light blue:

r 6: 2 ch, 6 dc, (2 dc in next st, 9 dc) x 6, 2 dc in next st, 3 dc (77)

r 7: like r 5

with green:

r 8: 2 ch, 3 dc, (2 dc in next st, 10 dc) x 6, 2 dc in next st, 7 dc (84)

r 9: like r 5

with yellow:

r 10: 2 ch, 6 dc, (2 dc in next st, 11 dc) x 6, 2 dc in next st, 5 dc (91)

r 11: like r 5

with orange:

r 12: 2 ch, dc, (2 dc in next st, 12 dc) x 6, 2 dc in next st, 12 dc (91)

r 13: like r 5

with red:

r 14: 2 ch, 10 dc, (2 dc in next st, 13 dc) x 6, 2 dc in next st, 2 dc (91)

r 15: like r 5

r 16: ch, sc across

Break the yarn and sew in the ends.

мир – peace

мир [myr] is Ukrainian for Peace.

м

r 1: ch 16, sc ch in 2nd ch from hook, ch across (15 sts)

r 2 – 4: ch, sc across

r 5: ch, skip 1 st, 2 sc, 2 sc in next st (4)

r 6: ch, 2 sc in next st, 2 sc, sl st in last st (4)

r 7: ch, skip sl st, skip 1 st, 2 sc, 2 sc in last st (4)

r 8 – 15: rep r 6 & r 7

r 16: rep r 6

r 17: ch, skip sl st, 2 sc in next st, 2 sc, sl st in last st (4)

r 18 – 25: rep r 7 & r 8

r 26: rep r 7

r 27: ch, sl st loosely across 4 sts, ch 12 (16)

r 28: sc into 2nd ch from hook, sc across (15)

r 29 – 31: ch, sc across (15)

и

r 1: ch 16, sc ch in 2nd ch from hook, ch across (15 sts)

r 2 – 4: ch, sc across

r 5: ch, skip 1 st, 2 sc, 2 sc in next st (4)

r 6: ch, 2 sc in next st, 2 sc, sl st in last st (4)

r 7: ch, skip sl st, skip 1 st, 2 sc, 2 sc in last st (4)

r 8 – 15: rep r 6 & r 7

r 16: ch, sl st loosely across 4 sts, ch 12 (16)

r 17: sc into 2nd ch from hook, sc across (15)

r 18 – 20: ch, sc across (15)

р

r 1: ch 16, sc ch in 2nd ch from hook, ch across (15 sts)

r 2 – 4: ch, sc across

r 5: ch, sc in 4 sts (4)

r 6 – 7: rep r 2

r 8: ch, sc, 2 hdc, dc (4)

r 9: 2 ch, dc, 2 hdc, sc (4)

r 10 – 15: repeat r 7 & r 8

r 16 – 18: rep r 2 

Sew r 18 to the middle of r 4.

Sew in ends, and attach the letters to the centre of the rainbow. Make sure to stretch the letters slightly so that they don’t pucker the rainbow.

Donations

If you like the pattern and use it, please consider a donation for humanitarian aid for the peoples of Ukraine, Belarus and their neighbouring countries who have come together to stand with Ukraine and help refugees.

Here are some organisations that need support:

The Belarus Free Theatre opposes the dictatorial regimes in Belarus and Russia. The actors have been forced into exile for speaking out against the regime.

The Red Cross is present in Ukraine and can administer humanitarian aid on the ground.

Unicef works to provide aid to families and children in Ukraine.

Русский военный корабль, иди нахуй