Lilac Tulip Pocket Hug Free Knit Pattern
Introduction
This little Lilac Tulip Pocket Hug is a soft, squishy comfort toy that fits right in the palm of your hand. It is perfect for absolute beginners, because the whole bud is just one flat linen-stitch rectangle folded and seamed into a gentle cup shape. Worked in a dreamy pastel lilac velvet yarn, it has a dense, slightly textured surface that feels like a tiny plush flower. Tuck the little pale lilac leaf into the opening and you have a sweet autumn keepsake to give, keep, or slip into a pocket for a quiet moment of comfort.
Materials Needed
- Yarn A (bud and edging): Worsted (CYC 4) velvet/velour yarn, 100% polyester, lilac — approx 30 yd / 27 m.
- Yarn B (leaf): Worsted (CYC 4) velvet/velour yarn, 100% polyester, pale lilac — approx 8 yd / 7 m.
- Needles: 4.0 mm (US 6) single-point needles.
- Hook: 4.0 mm (US 6) crochet hook (for the edging only).
- Notions: tapestry needle, scissors, a few pins, and a stitch marker if you like to mark the right side.
- Finished size: Bud approx 3 in / 7.5 cm tall and 2.5 in / 6 cm wide at the opening; leaf approx 2.5 in / 6.5 cm long.
Abbreviations
- CO — cast on: make the starting stitches on your needle.
- BO — bind off: finish the stitches so they don't unravel.
- k — knit stitch.
- p — purl stitch.
- sl1 — slip one stitch from the left needle to the right needle without working it.
- wyif — with yarn in front (hold the working yarn toward you before slipping).
- wyib — with yarn in back (hold the working yarn away from you before slipping).
- k2tog — knit two stitches together (one decrease).
- RS / WS — right side / wrong side (the outside / inside of the fabric).
- rep — repeat.
- sc — single crochet.
- sl st — slip stitch (crochet).
- sts — stitches.
Gauge
18 sts and 30 rows = 4 in / 10 cm in linen stitch, flat and unblocked. Knit a small swatch and measure a 4 in / 10 cm section in the middle; gauge is not critical for this toy, but it does affect the finished size.
Tips Before You Start
- Always slip purlwise. Slip every stitch as if to purl, whether the yarn is in front or in back — this keeps the linen stitch texture even.
- Count only knitted stitches. In linen stitch every other stitch is a slipped stitch, so when you count live stitches for shaping, count only the knitted ones.
- Keep the slips loose. Velvet yarn can grip, so give each slipped stitch a little slack to avoid a tight, puckered fabric.
- Don't press the velvet. Velour flattens easily; shape the bud with your fingers instead of ironing it.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Bud Panel (Yarn A)
Linen stitch flat: odd (RS) rows are k1, *sl1 wyif, k1; rep from * to end. Even (WS) rows are p1, *sl1 wyib, p1; rep from * to end.
Row 1 (CO): Cast on 25 sts (25 sts).
Row 1 (RS): k1, *sl1 wyif, k1; rep from * to end (25 sts).
Row 2 (WS): p1, *sl1 wyib, p1; rep from * to end (25 sts).
Rows 3–44: Repeat Rows 1–2 until the piece measures 3 in / 7.5 cm, ending on a WS row (25 sts).
Final row: BO all sts knitwise. Weave in ends.
Leaf (Yarn B)
Row 1 (CO): Cast on 9 sts (9 sts).
Row 1 (RS): k1, *sl1 wyif, k1; rep from * to end (9 sts).
Row 2 (WS): p1, *sl1 wyib, p1; rep from * to end (9 sts).
Rows 3–28: Repeat Rows 1–2 until the leaf measures 2 in / 5 cm, ending on a WS row (9 sts).
Shape tip, Row 1 (RS): k1, sl1 wyif, k1, sl1 wyif, k1, sl1 wyif, k2tog, k1 (8 sts).
Row 2 (WS): p1, *sl1 wyib, p1; rep from * to end (8 sts).
Row 3 (RS): k1, sl1 wyif, k1, sl1 wyif, k2tog, k1 (7 sts).
Row 4 (WS): p1, *sl1 wyib, p1; rep from * to end (7 sts).
Row 5 (RS): k1, sl1 wyif, k1, k2tog, k1 (6 sts).
Final row: BO all sts knitwise. Weave in ends.
Assembly of the Bud
Fold the bud panel in half widthwise with RS together, matching the cast-on and bound-off edges. Whip stitch the two short side edges closed with Yarn A, leaving the top opening unseamed. Turn the bud right side out. Pinch the bottom corners inward and tack them with 2–3 small stitches to round the base.
Inserting the Leaf
Insert the leaf into the top opening so about 1 in / 2.5 cm sits inside the bud. Tack the leaf base to the inner front of the bud with 2 stitches using Yarn B, so the leaf emerges from the opening and leans against the front.
Edging
With RS facing and the 4.0 mm crochet hook, join Yarn A at the top opening.
Rnd 1: sc evenly around the top opening (approx 20 sc). Sl st to the first sc. Fasten off.
Weave in all ends. Gently shape the bud open with your fingers; do not press the velvet.
Assembly and Finishing
Check that the side seam is neat and the base is rounded, then weave in every remaining end on the wrong side of the bud and leaf. Because velvet should not be pressed, simply shape the bud and leaf with your fingers and let them dry flat if they feel damp. No blocking is needed — the linen stitch holds its texture on its own.
Pro Tips and Variations
- Color play: Work the bud in soft cream or blush and the leaf in sage green for a different seasonal look.
- Add a hanging loop: Before seaming, chain 8 with the crochet hook and attach it to the top corner so the hug can hang from a bag or hook.
- Make a bouquet: Knit three or four buds in different pastel shades and tie them together with a ribbon for a tiny autumn posy.
