The Petra Bookmark
Inspired by Greek/Roman architecture and the sweeping arches of Al-Khazneh, the Petra bookmark is my first attempt at creating and penning a crochet pattern, after a fair amount of research (e.g. here, here, and here). I’ve also drawn up a stitch diagram below the instructions.
Materials used:
Aunt Lydia’s Classic Crochet Thread Size 10, in colour “Natural”; 2 strands were held together to create a more rigid, woven effect (completely optional! 1 strand would work fine)
Crochet hook size 3.5mm / E-4; if only using 1 strand, I would suggest sizing down to a 2.75mm / C-2 hook
Gauge is not important for this pattern — any thickness of yarn can work, depending on the weight of the book and paper. Lace, sock/fingering, and sport weight / category 3 yarns would all make thin, durable bookmarks.
Scissors
Sewing needle for weaving in ends
Abbreviations: (in US crochet terminology)
Photo tutorials for all stitches are available here by Spruce Crafts
ch: chain
sc: single crochet
dc: double crochet
sl st: slip stitch
Full Pattern:
Row 1: Ch 7. Sc into the second chain from the hook and across. Ch 1 and turn.
Stitch count = 6 stitches per row throughout the entire pattern!
Row 2: The previous Ch 1 is only for turning, so sc into the same stitch and across to the end. Ch 1 and turn.
Row 3: Sc across all 6 stitches. Ch 1 and turn.
Row 4: Sc across all 6 stitches. Ch 3 and turn.
—❗Beginning of pattern repeat rows❗—
Row 5: With the Ch 3 counting as a dc, dc into the next stitch, Ch 2, skip 2 stitches, and dc into the last 2 stitches. Ch 1 and turn.
This creates a 2 ch space for the first “large arch”
Row 6: Sc the first 2 stitches. 2 sc into the Ch 2 space from the previous round (i.e. do not insert your hook into the loops), then sc into the last 2 stitches. Ch 4 (counts as 1 dc + ch 1) and turn.
By sc-ing into the spaces as opposed to the chains,
we create smooth tops for our rounded arches while
also making a straight base for the next row of dc “pillars”
Row 7: Skipping the first two stitches, dc into the third and fourth stitches. Ch 1, and dc into the 3rd chain of the Ch 4 from the previous row. Ch 1 and turn.
The Ch 1 spaces are for the two smaller "mini arches”
Row 8: Sc across the row, placing 1 sc in the Ch 1 spaces. Ch 3 and turn.
—❗End pattern repeat rows❗—
Repeat rows 5-8 until you reach your desired length. In the sample provided, I did 3.5 repeats in total, as I wanted to begin and end on the same arch type. So if you’re hoping to recreate the sample exactly, follow below!
Row 9-18: Repeat rows 5 to 8, ending on Row 6.
Row 19-21: Sc across all 6 stitches. Ch 1 and turn.
Row 22: Sl st through 3 stitches. Ch 10, and sl st into the fourth sc to form the curved hoop/chain at the top of the bookmark. Sl to end. Fasten off and weave in your ends to secure your completed piece.
Tassel/fringe:
Measure out ~20cm strands of thread. The sample has 12 strands, but you can make your fringe bushier/more dense by increasing the number of strands, or decrease the length of the strands to make it shorter.
Holding the strands in a bundle, fold them in half. Draw the middle fold through the space between the third and fourth chain of the first row with a crochet hook. Don’t pull the threads through entirely! Instead, pull the ends through the loop tightly to secure the tassel in place.
