Kaleidoscope Cover, a Crochet Book Cover Pattern
A free crochet book cover pattern
Introducing the Kaleidoscope Cover! The instructions for this crochet book cover pattern will allow you to make a book cover just right for a favorite book of yours! This was inspired by my own love of reading and that of my girls. I am an avid journal-keeper also, and I LOVE real books! E-readers are very convenient, but for me, books are multi-sensory, and an e-reader just doesn’t compare. You can make this cover for a journal, special book of scripture, or a favorite storybook, even a textbook.
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Table of Contents
This pattern walks you through the math involved to determine how many stitches and rows you need to make a cover that is the right size for the book you want to cover. The motif is about 6 in./15 cm in diameter, so if you want the motif to fit, you’ll need your book cover to be at least 6 in./15 cm square.
What yarn should I use?
The yarn I used is Valley Yarns Longmeadow, a cotton/microfiber blend. It is a sport weight/light yarn. This yarn has been discontinued. I suggest you use Valley Yarns Granville in it’s place, or another sport weight yarn that is mostly cotton.
The motif made me think of a kaleidoscope, which is what inspired the name of this crochet book cover pattern. This is an easy project. The cover is made all in single crochet with some slip stitching along the top and bottom edges to seam a flap that fits over the edge of the book. The motif is appliqued to the cover.
Simple is often best!
I fiddled with the idea of stitching the rest of the book cover around the motif, but it pulled the motif out of shape and it didn’t look as nice. It also made the instructions a lot more complicated, so I opted for applique instead.
The free pattern is below! Just keep scrolling. If you would prefer, you can also purchase the individual pattern as an ad-free PDF, or you can purchase an entire ebook of seven patterns for girls!
Get the individual pattern or the ebook on Ravelry!
Get the individual pattern or the ebook on Etsy!
If you want to share this pattern with others, please direct them to my blog instead of sharing digital or paper copies. Thank you!
Kaleidoscope Cover, Free Crochet Book Cover Pattern
By April Garwood of Banana Moon Studio
Finished Measurements
Cover: custom size to fit your book
Motif: approximately 6 in. [15 cm] diameter
Yarn
Valley Yarns Longmeadow (60% Cotton, 40% Microfiber; 117 yd [107 m]/1.76 oz [50 g]; Weight Category 3/light)
#15 Dark Blue (A), 1 skein
#5 Fuchsia (B), 1 skein
#10 Lettuce (C), 1 skein
Hook
H/8 [5 mm], or size needed to obtain gauge.
Notions
2 Locking stitch markers
Yarn needle
Gauge
17 sts x 19 rows = 4 ¼ in. [11 cm] in sc.
Notes
Motif is worked with RS always facing, do not turn between rounds.
Cover is made separately, and motif is appliqued to cover.
It is important that when making the cover you use measurements from your closed book. The book cover has to be long enough from front to back to fit around a closed book.
Instructions are given to determine the right size cover for any book. The diameter of finished motif is about 6 in. [15 cm], so your book will need to be at least that large in order to fit motif.
Color changes for cover can be done as you desire. I divided the number of rows as follows: 1/2 of the rows in A, 1/3 of the rows in B, and 1/6 of the rows in C.
Stitch Guide
Adjustable Ring: Wrap yarn around fingers one time, insert hook under overlap, yo, pull up a loop. Click here to see a video tutorial for this!
Picot: Ch 3, place hook under front loop and top-left vertical bar of last dc, yo, pull through all loops on hook.
2-dc cluster: (Yo, insert hook in designated st, yo, pull up a loop)2 times, yo, pull through all 3 loops on hook.
3-dc cluster: (Yo, insert hook in designated st, yo, pull up a loop)3 times, yo, pull through all 4 loops on hook.
How to make a gauge swatch
Ch 18
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch across — 17 sts.
Rows 2-19: Ch 1, sc in each st across.
Swatch should measure approximately 4 ¼ [11 cm] square.
Motif
With color A, make an adjustable ring (click here to see a video tutorial for this!),
Rnd 1(RS): Ch 2(does not count as a st), (dc, picot [see Stitch Guide])12 times in ring, join to first st with sl st — 12 dc, 12 picot. Fasten off color A.
Rnd 2: Join color B with sl st in first picot, ch 2, 5 dc in first picot, *skip next picot, 5 dc in next picot, to last picot, join to first st with sl st — 6 5-dc shells. Fasten off color B.
Rnd 3: Join color C with sl st in first st, *sc blo in next 5 dc, dc in next unworked picot from Rnd 1, repeat from * around, placing last dc in last unworked picot of Rnd 1, join to first st with sl st — 36 sts. Fasten off color C.
Rnd 4: Join color A with sl st in first st, (ch 1, sc)in same st, hdc in next st, (dc, tr, ch 1, tr, dc) in next st, hdc in next st, sc in next st, ch 1, skip next dc, *sc in next st, hdc in next st, (dc, tr, ch 1, tr, dc) in next st, hdc in next st, sc in next st, ch 1, skip next dc, repeat from * around, join to first st with sl st — 48 sts. Fasten off color A.
Rnd 5: Working over first ch-1 sp into dc from Rnd 3, join color B with sl st, (ch 2, 2-dc cluster [see Stitch Guide], ch 3, 3-dc cluster [see Stitch Guide], ch 3, 3-dc cluster) in same dc of Rnd 3, skip 3 sts of Rnd 4, sc in next st, 3 sc in next ch sp, sc in next st, skip next 4 sts of Rnd 3, *(3-dc cluster, ch 3, 3-dc cluster, ch 3, 3-dc cluster)in next dc of Rnd 3, skip 3 sts of Rnd 4, sc in next st, 3 sc in next ch sp, sc in next st, skip next 4 sts of Rnd 3 repeat from * around, sl st in first 2-dc cluster to join — 18 dc clusters. Fasten off color B.
Rnd 6: Join color C with (sl st, ch 1, 2 sc, hdc, 2 sc)in first ch-3 sp, skip cluster st, (2 sc, hdc, 2 sc)in next ch-3 sp, skip cluster st, sc in next sc, (ch 2, skip next st, sc in next st)2 times, *skip cluster st, [2 sc, hdc, 2 sc]in next ch-3 sp, skip cluster st, [2 sc, hdc, 2 sc]in next ch-3 sp, skip cluster st, sc in next sc, (ch 2, skip next st, sc in next st)2 times repeat from * around, join to first sc with sl st — 78 sts. Fasten off.
Cover
With book closed, measure from front edge, around spine, to back edge for length of book. Enter this number in the first blank below and work equation to find number of sts needed for cover.
A.
US
________ / 4.25 in. = _______ x 17 sts = ________ + 21 = ________ foundation ch needed for book cover.
Metric
________ / 11 cm = _______ x 17 sts = ________ + 21 = ________ foundation ch needed for book cover.
Measure height of book from bottom edge to top edge, enter measurement in the first blank below and work equation to find number of rows needed for cover.
B.
US
________ / 4.25 in. = _______ x 19 rows = _______ rows needed for book cover
Metric
________ / 11 cm = _______ x 19 rows = _______ rows needed for book cover
With color A, ch number for foundation ch as figured in equation A
Row 1(RS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch across, turn — 1 fewer sc than number of chs in foundation ch.
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in each sc across, turn.
Repeat Row 2 for number of rows as figured in equation B, changing colors at the end of WS rows where desired, as follows:
Finish row before color change up to last sc. For last sc, insert hook into last st, yo, pull up a loop, leave a 6 in. tail and cut yarn, yo with new color, pull through both loops on hook, turn, begin next row as usual, by chaining 1.
When appropriate number of rows (figured in equation B) has been worked, fasten off.
Finishing
Fold over a flap 10 sts wide toward the WS on each side and secure fold on bottom edge with st markers. Using same color as for Row 1, with RS facing, and working in chs across bottom edge, join yarn with sl st through both thicknesses of next 10 stitches, sl st across foundation ch to other flap, sl st through both thicknesses next 10 stitches. Fasten off.
Secure fold on top edge with st markers. Using same color as for last row, with RS facing, and working across last row, join yarn with sl st through both thicknesses of first 10 sts, , sl st across last row to other flap, sl st through both thicknesses of last 10 sets of sts. Fasten off.
Using color C and yarn needle, applique motif in desired position to RS of cover, making sure not to st through flaps.
Weave in all ends. Block to measurements of book. Insert edges of book cover into flaps of crocheted cover. Done!
Get the individual pattern or the ebook on Ravelry!
Purchase the individual pattern or the ebook on Etsy!
If you want to share this pattern with others, please direct them to my blog instead of sharing digital or paper copies. Thank you!
What do you think of my crochet book cover pattern? What colors would you make it in? Is there a special book for which you would make this? Any guesses as to what book I covered with it?
Happy crocheting!
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