This fun wall hanging evokes the colors and textures of the Southwest desert that’s perfect for adorning your living room wall. Bands of single, half-double, double, and treble crochet create the waves of sand, while the rising sun is worked intarsia style in clusters against a sky-blue background. Post-stitch cacti are worked separately and appliqued to the finished piece — feel free to have fun with your placement here! Finally, add some fringe to the design’s bottom edge to make this piece complete.
Time: Day Project
Skill Level: Intermediate
Size: 14.25” wide x 18” long (excluding fringe)
Gauge: 12 sts = 4” [10 cm], rows 1-5 = 3.5” [8.9 cm] in pattern
Materials
Yarn: Bernat Super Value (100% acrylic; 440 yards [402 meters]/197 grams): 7469 Honey (MC), 3022 Dark Heather (CC1), 0615 Carrot (CC2), 8879 Sky (CC3), 7445 Yellow (CC4), 3222 Fern (CC5): 1 skein each
Hook: US size I/9 (5.5 mm)
Notions: Tapestry needle, one 16”-long dowel or branch
Special Stitches
Cluster (cl): Dc3tog in indicated st or sp.
Back post double crochet 2 together (BPdc2tog): [Yo, insert hook from back to front around post of next st, yo, draw lp through, yo, draw through 2 lps on hook] twice, yo, draw through all 3 lps on hook.
Front post double crochet 3 together (FPdc3tog): [Yo, insert hook from front to back around post of next st, yo, draw lp through, yo, draw through 2 lps on hook] 3 times, yo, draw through all 4 lps on hook.
Back post half-double crochet (BPhdc): Yo, insert hook from back to front around post of next st, yo and draw through, yo and draw through all 3 lps on hook.
Front post half-double crochet (FPhdc): Yo, insert hook from front to back around post of next st, yo and draw through, yo and draw through all 3 lps on hook.
Back post half-double crochet 2 together (BPhdc2tog): [Yo, insert hook from back to front around post of next st, yo, draw lp through] twice, yo, draw through all 5 lps on hook.
Pattern Notes
This wall hanging is worked in rows from the bottom up.
Cacti are made separately and sewn to panel as appliques.
When changing color, work to last loop of stitch with current color, yo and draw through with new color, cut previous color.
Use one ball of yellow and two separate balls of sky blue to work Rows 17-21 of panel; do not carry unused yarn color behind cluster stitches.
Pattern
Land Section
With MC, ch 45.
Row 1 (WS): Dc in back bar of 4th ch from hook (skipped 3 ch count as first dc) and in each rem ch across, turn. (43 dc)
Row 2 (RS): Ch 3 (counts as first tr throughout), working in BLs, tr in next 2 sts, *dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, sc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, dc in next 3 sts*, tr in next 7 sts, rep from * to *, tr in next 2 sts, tr in top of beg ch-3, change to CC1, turn.
Row 3: Ch 1 (does not count as st throughout), sc in first st, working in FLs, sc in next 2 sts, *hdc in next 3 sts, dc in next 3 sts, tr in next 3 sts, dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 3 sts*, sc in next 7 sts, rep from * to *, sc in next 2 sts, sc in top of tch, turn.
Row 4: Ch 1, sc in first st, working in BLs, sc in next 2 sts, *hdc in next 3 sts, dc in next 3 sts, tr in next 3 sts, dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 3 sts*, sc in next 7 sts, rep from * to *, sc in next 2 sts, sc in both lps of last st, change to CC2, turn.
Row 5: Ch 3, working in FLs, tr in next 2 sts, *dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, sc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, dc in next 3 sts*, tr in next 7 sts, rep from * to *, tr in next 2 sts, tr in both lps of last st, turn.
Row 6: Ch 3, working in BLs, tr in next 2 sts, *dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, sc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, dc in next 3 sts*, tr in next 7 sts, rep from * to *, tr in next 2 sts, tr in top of tch, change to MC, turn.
Rows 7-15: Work Rows 3-6 twice, then work Row 3 once more using following color sequence: Rows 7, 8, 13 and 14: MC; Rows 9, 10 and 15: CC1; Rows 11 and 12: CC2.
Row 16: Ch 2 (counts as first dc throughout), dc in BL of each st across, dc in both lps of last st, change to CC3, turn.
Sky Section
Row 17 (WS): Ch 1, sc in first st, working in FLs, sc in next 2 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, dc in next 4 sts, change to CC4, cl in both lps of next st, [ch 1, sk next st, cl in both lps of next st] 11 times, change to 2nd source of CC3, working in FLs, dc in next 4 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, sc in next 2 sts, sc in top of tch, turn.
Row 18: Ch 1, sc in first st, working in BLs, sc in next 2 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, dc in next 4 sts, dc in next cl, change to CC4, cl in next ch-1 sp, [ch 1, cl in next ch-1 sp] 10 times, change to CC3, dc in next cl, working in BLs, dc in next 4 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, sc in next 2 sts, sc in both lps of last st, turn.
Row 19: Ch 3, working in FLs, tr in next 2 sts, dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, sc in next 2 sts, sc in next cl, hdc in next ch-1 sp, hdc in next cl, change to CC4, cl in next ch-1 sp, [ch 1, cl in next ch-1 sp] 7 times, change to CC3, hdc in next cl, hdc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next cl, working in FLs, sc in next 2 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, dc in next 3 sts, tr in next 2 sts, tr in both lps of last st, turn.
Row 20: Ch 3, working in BLs, tr in next 2 sts, dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, sc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, hdc in next cl, change to CC4, cl in next ch-1 sp, [ch 1, cl in next ch-1 sp] 6 times, change to CC3, hdc in next cl, working in BLs, hdc in next 2 sts, sc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, dc in next 3 sts, tr in next 2 sts, tr in top of tch, turn.
Row 21: Ch 1, sc in first st, working in FLs, sc in next 2 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, dc in in next 3 sts, tr in next 3 sts, dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next cl, hdc in next ch-1 sp, hdc in next cl, change to CC4, cl in next ch-1 sp, [ch 1, cl in next ch-1 sp] 3 times, change to CC3, cut CC4, hdc in next cl, hdc in next ch-1 sp, hdc in next cl, working in FLs, dc in next 3 sts, tr in next 3 sts, dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, sc in next 2 sts, sc in top of tch, turn.
Rows 22: Ch 1, sc in first st, working in BLs, sc in next 2 sts, *hdc in next 3 sts, dc in next 3 sts, tr in next 3 sts, dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 3 sts*, sc in next cl, [sc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next cl] 3 times, rep from * to *, sc in next 2 sts, sc in both lps of last st, turn.
Rows 23-24: Rep Rows 5-6.
Rows 25-27: Rep Rows 3-5.
Row 28: Ch 1, sc in first st, sc in BL of each st across, sc in top of tch, change to CC2, turn.
Mesh Band
Row 29 (WS): Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn.
Row 30: Ch 3, tr in next st, [ch 1, sk next st, tr in next st] across, tr in last st, turn.
Row 31: Ch 1, sc in first st and in each st and ch-1 sp across, sc in top of tch, turn.
Row 32: Sl st in each st across. Fasten off.
Large Cactus
Trunk
With CC5, ch 9.
Row 1 (WS): Dc in 4th ch from hook (skipped 3 ch count as first dc) and each ch across, turn. (7 dc)
Row 2 (RS): Ch 2, FPdc around posts of next 5 sts, hdc in top of beg ch-3, turn.
Row 3: Ch 2, BPdc around posts of next 5 sts, hdc in top of beg ch, turn.
Rows 4-14: Rep Rows 2-3 five times, then work Row 2 once more, turn.
Row 15: Ch 2, BPdc2tog, BPdc, BPdc2tog, hdc in top of tch, turn. (5 sts)
Row 16: Ch 2, FPdc3tog, hdc in next st. (3 sts)
Fasten off.
Right Branch
With CC5, ch 7.
Row 1 (WS): Dc in 4th ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (5 dc)
Row 2 (RS): Ch 2, FPdc around posts of next 3 sts, hdc in last st, turn.
Row 3: Ch 1, sc in first st, BPhdc around post of next st, BPdc around post of next 2 sts, dc in top of tch, turn.
Row 4: Ch 2, FPdc around next 2 sts, FPhdc around post of next st, sc in last st, turn.
Rows 5-6: Rep Rows 3-4.
Row 7: Ch 1, sc in first st, BPhdc2tog, BPhdc around post of next st, hdc in last st, turn.
Row 8: Ch 1, sc4tog. (1 st)
Fasten off.
Left Branch
With CC5, ch 7.
Row 1 (RS): Dc in 4th ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (5 dc)
Row 2 (WS): Ch 2, BPdc around posts of next 3 sts, hdc in tch, turn.
Row 3: Ch 1, sc in first st, FPhdc around post of next st, FPdc around next 2 sts, dc in top of tch, turn.
Row 4: Ch 2, BPdc around post of next 2 sts, BPhdc around post of next st, sc in last st, turn.
Row 5: Ch 1, sc in first st, FPhdc2tog, FPhdc around post of next st, hdc in top of tch, turn. (4 sts)
Row 6: Ch 1, sc4tog. (1 st)
Fasten off.
Small Cactus
With CC5, ch 9.
Rows 1-4: Work Rows 1-4 of Large Cactus Trunk. (7 sts)
Row 5: Work Row 15 of Large Cactus Trunk. (5 sts)
Row 6: Ch 1, sc5tog. (1 st)
Fasten off.
Cactus Flower
With CC2, ch 4, 3 dc in 4th ch from hook, ch 3, sl st in same st. Fasten off.
Finishing
Weave in ends. Steam-block panel to straighten edges and square corners. Using matching yarn and tapestry needle, sew trunk and branches of large cactus to background as shown in photo, tucking branch edges behind trunk.
Sew small cactus in place. Sew flower at top of cactus.
For fringe, cut 63 13″-long strands of CC1 yarn. Fold a group of 3 strands in half and attach in the second stitch from bottom right edge. Attach remaining fringe groups in every other stitch across bottom edge of wall hanging.
Thread dowel or branch through Row 30 of mesh band at top for hanging.
I loved it. Beautiful