Gold Marigold Key Fob Sleeve Free Crochet Pattern

Introduction

Welcome to the Gold Marigold Key Fob Sleeve — a tiny, elegant project that looks far more complicated than it really is. This slim little tube of gold wool slips over a standard split key ring and hangs like a chic little charm from your car keys, finished with a tiny burgundy marigold flower at the base. It is perfect for a complete beginner who wants to try Tunisian crochet for the very first time, because it is small, quick (about 20 yards of yarn!), and you will see beautiful knit-like columns appear after just a few rows. The finished sleeve is about 4 inches long and 1 inch wide, soft and woolly in the hand, with a warm metallic gold sheen and a pop of deep burgundy that whispers "Parisian chic meets Halloween." In one cozy evening you will have a handmade accessory you will actually use every single day.

Materials Needed

• Yarn (main sleeve): Bulky (weight 5) wool, gold — approximately 20 yd / 18 m.
• Yarn (flower petals): Bulky (weight 5) wool, burgundy — approximately 4 yd / 3.5 m.
• Yarn (flower center): A small amount of bulky (weight 5) dark gold or bronze wool (about 1 yd / 1 m).
• Tunisian crochet hook: 6.0 mm (US size J-10) Tunisian hook with a cable, or a 6.0 mm hook with a 12 in / 30 cm flexible cord.
• Standard crochet hook: 4.5 mm (US size 7) for the flower.
• Split key ring: 1 in / 25 mm, silver or gold tone.
• Tapestry needle: a blunt needle with a large eye for seaming and weaving in ends.
• Stitch marker (optional but helpful for beginners).
• Scissors.
• Finished size: Sleeve 4 in / 10 cm long x 1 in / 2.5 cm wide, folded flat. Flower about 1 in / 2.5 cm across. Fits a standard 1 in / 25 mm split key ring.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

• ch — chain: yarn over the hook and pull it through the loop on your hook to make one chain.
• st(s) — stitch(es): one completed unit of crochet work.
• Tss — Tunisian simple stitch: insert the hook under the next vertical bar, yarn over, pull up a loop. (We mention it for reference; this pattern uses Tks.)
• Tks — Tunisian knit stitch: the stitch that makes the fabric look knitted. Forward pass: skip the first vertical bar, insert the hook front to back under the front vertical bar of the next stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop; repeat across. Return pass: yarn over, pull through 1 loop, then yarn over and pull through 2 loops over and over until 1 loop remains.
• yo — yarn over: wrap the yarn over your hook from front to back.
• sl st — slip stitch: insert the hook, yarn over, and pull the yarn through both the stitch and the loop on your hook at once. Makes an invisible join.
• sc — single crochet: insert the hook into the stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through both loops.
• hdc — half double crochet: yarn over, insert the hook, yarn over, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through all 3 loops.
• dc — double crochet: yarn over, insert the hook, yarn over, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through 2 loops, yarn over, pull through the last 2 loops.
• tr — treble crochet: yarn over twice, insert the hook, yarn over, pull up a loop (4 loops on hook), then yarn over and pull through 2 loops three times.
• MR — magic ring: an adjustable loop of yarn you crochet into, then pull closed so there is no hole in the middle.
• ch-2 sp — chain-2 space: the little gap made by two chains, which you can work into later.
• bind off — finishing the Tunisian fabric so the loops become secure stitches that will not unravel.
• fasten off — cut the yarn, pull the tail all the way through the last loop, and tighten.

Gauge

Gauge: 12 sts and 11 rows = 4 in / 10 cm in Tunisian knit stitch, worked flat and measured relaxed.

Gauge matters because it is how we make sure your finished sleeve comes out the right size. If your stitches are bigger than the gauge, the sleeve will be too wide for the key ring; if they are smaller, it will be too tight. To check, work a small swatch: chain 15, work about 12 rows of Tks, bind off, and lay it flat without stretching. Count the stitches across 4 inches and the rows down 4 inches. If you have more stitches than 12, try a larger hook; if fewer, try a smaller hook. Relaxed is key — do not tug the fabric when measuring.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Keep your forward-pass loops loose and even. This is the single most important tip for this pattern. Tight loops make the tube narrow and stiff; loose, even loops keep the knit columns crisp and the sleeve a comfortable 1 inch wide.
• Do not turn your work. In Tunisian crochet you work the forward pass left to right and the return pass right to left, always growing from the same edge. Turning will twist your tube.
• Use a stitch marker to mark the first vertical bar you skip at the start of each forward pass — it stops you from accidentally adding a stitch.
• Count your loops on the hook. You should always have 12 loops at the end of every forward pass. If you have 11 or 13, you have dropped or added a stitch.
• Keep the flower small and tight. Use the smaller 4.5 mm hook for the flower so the petals stay crisp and about 1 inch across.
• Do not press the fabric when blocking. Tunisian knit stitch has beautiful texture; a heavy iron will flatten it. Steam gently only.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Part 1: The Sleeve (worked flat in Tunisian knit stitch)

Use the gold yarn and the 6.0 mm Tunisian hook.

Row 1 (forward pass): Ch 13. Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, pull up a loop in each ch across = 13 loops on the hook. Return pass: yo, pull through 1 loop, then (yo, pull through 2 loops) repeatedly until 1 loop remains. (12 sts)

Rows 2–11: Work Tks across all 12 sts (forward pass), then work the return pass. Do not turn the work. (12 sts after each row)

Bind off: Insert the hook under the next vertical bar, yo, pull through the bar and through the loop on the hook (sl st bind-off). Repeat across all 12 sts. Fasten off, leaving a 10 in / 25 cm tail. (12 bound-off sts)

Total: 11 rows worked, which at 11 rows = 4 in gauge gives a sleeve about 4 in / 10 cm long — exactly the finished measurement.

Part 2: The Burgundy Marigold Flower

Use the burgundy yarn and the 4.5 mm standard hook.

Round 1: With burgundy, make a MR. Ch 1, work 5 sc into the ring, join with sl st to the first sc. Pull the ring closed. (5 sc)

Round 2 (petals): *Ch 2, in the next sc work (dc, tr, dc), ch 2, sl st in the same sc; repeat from * 4 more times. (5 petals) Fasten off burgundy, leaving a 6 in / 15 cm tail.

Part 3: The Flower Center

Use the dark gold/bronze yarn and the 4.5 mm hook.

Center round: Make a MR, ch 1, work 6 sc into the ring, join with sl st to the first sc. Pull the ring closed. Fasten off, leaving a 4 in / 10 cm tail. (6 sc)

Assembly and Finishing

1. Seam the sleeve into a tube. Weave in the sleeve's starting tail. Thread the 10 in / 25 cm tail onto the tapestry needle and seam the two long side edges together with a flat whip stitch: bring the needle through the edge stitches of both layers in a small diagonal stitch, over and over, keeping the stitches flat and even. Do not close the ends — the tube must stay open at both ends.
2. Add the key ring. Fold the tube flat so the seam sits at one narrow edge. Slip the 1 in / 25 mm split key ring through the tube and center it at the top opening so the sleeve hangs downward from the ring.
3. Attach the flower. Pin the burgundy flower to the lower front of the sleeve, about 1/4 in / 6 mm above the bottom edge. Sew it in place with the burgundy tail, catching only the front layer of the sleeve so the back stays neat.
4. Add the center. Sew the dark gold center over the middle of the flower with its tail, using small stitches all around the edge.
5. Weave in all remaining ends on the wrong side, running the needle through a few stitches in different directions so the tails are secure and invisible.
6. Block gently. Steam-block the sleeve flat and open the petals with your fingers. Do not press the Tunisian fabric hard or it will lose its knit texture.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the colors: Swap the gold for charcoal and the burgundy for pumpkin orange for a bolder Halloween look, or use cream and dusty rose for a soft Parisian palette.
• Adjust the size: To make the sleeve longer, simply work more Tks rows (each row adds about 1/3 in / 8 mm). To make it wider, chain more at the start — but keep the loop count even so the tube folds flat neatly.
• Substitute yarn: Any bulky (weight 5) wool or wool-blend works beautifully. Avoid slippery acrylics if you can, as the flat whip-stitched seam holds better in wool.
• Make a matching set: Work the same sleeve in three colors and add a tiny flower to each — they make lovely, quick handmade gifts for friends and family.