[Free Pattern] Summer Wagashi: Crochet Shara Blossom・夏の和菓子: かぎ針編み沙羅の花練り切り

I know I already featured a crochet wagashi for this month (i.e. the crochet ayugashi), but I really wanted to make this one as well....

In late June every year, the elegant white shara沙羅 blossoms are the centre of attention at Torin'in東林院, a sub-temple of Myoshinji in Kyoto. During this time, Torin'in opens to the general public for a special viewing of the blossoming of its shara tree, an event called Shara no Hana wo Mederukai沙羅 の 花 を 愛でる会, literally the shara blossom appreciation party. This year's viewing period was June 12th to 27th. Also during this time, a special wagashi named Shara no Tsuyu沙羅の露 is served only at Torin'in, a lovely nerikiri練り切り made by Kogetsu鼓月, a wagashi-ya in Kyoto. This wagashi and the shara blossoms are what inspired today's crochet wagashi. Honestly, this crochet shara wagashi pattern is still on the drawing board, and I intend to try making another design. But I really didn't want to let June pass by without it.

Crochet shara blossom wagashi for June, inspired by Kogetsu's shara no tsuyu nerikiri served at Torin'in, and in honour of the white elegant flowers that only blossom for a day (IG)

The shara blossoms are not particularly well known outside Japan but they are symbolically significant in Japanese culture, in particular Japanese Buddhism, as seen in the famous opening lines of the Japanese classic, The Tale of Heike:

祇園精舎の鐘の聲、諸行無常の響き有り。沙羅雙樹の花の色、盛者必衰の理を顯す。驕れる者も久しからず、唯春の夜の夢の如し。猛き者も遂には滅びぬ、偏に風の前の塵に同じ。(『平家物語』巻第一)

The sound of the Gion Shōja bells echoes the impermanence of all things; the color of the sāla flowers reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline. The proud do not endure, they are like a dream on a spring night; the mighty fall at last, they are as dust before the wind. (The Tale of Heike Book 1, trans. Helen Craig McCullough)

I only remembered the shara blossom because I re-read parts of the Heike after watching Yamada Naoko's anime adaptation Heike Monogatari平家 物語. Since we're talking about flowers, I find the shara blossom very interesting. The sakura blossom is famous worldwide for its beauty and as a symbol of ephemerality. But so is the shara blossom, which is closely associated with the concept of impermanence, as highlighted in the opening lines of the Heike.

Scene from the Yamada Naoko anime adaptation Heike Monogatari, episode 1 at 00:03:40, produced by Science SARU, et al.

The name derives from the Sanskrit śāla, in reference to the sacred sal tree, a symbolically significant plant in Buddhism. In Japan, the shara is also known as the natsu-tsubaki夏椿, literally the summer camellia, because it resembles the camellia in appearance and blooms in the summer months of June and July. But the shara is totally unrelated to the sal tree and the camellia. I have no idea how or when the shara flower became symbolic of the concept of impermanence and the passing of glory. But I can understand why. The shara flower only blooms for a day, and the whole flower falls off the branch not long after it has fully bloomed. The characteristics certainly express the concept of impermanence and the passing of glory.

SHARA BLOSSOM NERIKIRI CROCHET PATTERN

Materials & Tools:
• Yarn - white, yellow and lace weight green yarn
• 2mm and 2.5mm crochet hooks
• Stuffing
• Stitch markers
• Scissors
• Yarn needle
• Clear glass beads (optional)

For this amigurumi, I used Scheepjes Catona No.105 Bridal White, No.522 Primrose, and DMC 25 stranded cotton No.906 Mistletoe.

Abbreviations (US terms):
R : round / row (as the case may be)
MR : magic ring
ch : chain
st(s) : stitch(es)
sl st : slip stitch
sc : single crochet

hdc : half double crochet

dc : double crochet

tr : treble crochet
inc : increase (2 sc in same st)

dec : decrease / invisible decrease

BLO : back loops only
(...) : a set of pattern instructions

[...] : total number of sts in the round/row

Finished Size:

Approx. 4.2cm × 4.2cm × 3.2cm

(Note: finished sizes will vary depending on yarn weight, hook size and tension.)

YELLOW CENTRE

Make 1.
Using yellow yarn, work in rounds,
R1. 6 sc in MR. [6]
R2. 6 inc. [12]
R3. (sc, inc) 6 times. [18]
R4. BLO (2 sc, inc) 6 times. [24]
R5-8 (4 rounds). BLO 24 sc. [24]

R9. BLO (2 sc, dec) 6 times. [18]

Start stuffing,

R10. BLO (sc, dec) 6 times. [12]

If using safety eyes, insert at the desired position before continuing.

Start stuffing.

R11. BLO 6 dec. [6]

Fasten off. Weave the end through the front loops of the last 6 sts and pull to close the work. Hide the end inside the work.

NERIKIRI DOUGH

Using a 2mm crochet hook and white yarn,

Rejoin the white yarn to the front loop of the first st of R4 of the Yellow Centre, and work into the unworked front loops:^{[Note 1]}
R4. (Ch 6, sl st to a loop on R6 diagonally from the ch, ch 6, skip 1 loop on R4 and sl st to the next loop on R4) repeat to the end. The chs should zigzag between R4 and R6.

R5. As R4 above but sl st the ch to R7; the chs should zigzag between R5 and R7.

R6. As R4 above but sl st the ch to R8; the chs should zigzag between R6 and R8.
R7. As R4 above but sl st the ch to R9; the chs should zigzag between R7 and R9.
R8. As R4 above but sl st the ch to R10; the chs should zigzag between R8 and R10.
R9. As R4 above but sl st the ch to R11; the chs should zigzag between R9 and R11.
R11. Ch 6 and sl st to a loop or spot on the centre to cover the centre.
Fasten off and hide all ends inside the work.

[Note 1] The chains are not intended to be neatly aligned. To give it a random appearance, occasionally substitute ch 6 with ch 7 or ch 8 instead, sl st into a random skipped loop on another round, leave an occasional random loop unworked, and so on.

This is optional but if desired, sew some clear glass beads randomly on the Nerikiri Dough to represent dewdrops. Around 5 to 8 beads will suffice.

LEAF

This part is optional.

Make 1.
Using a 2mm crochet hook and lace weight green yarn,
R1. Ch 9, starting in 2nd ch from the hook, 1 sc, 2 dc, 1 tr, 2 dc, 1 hdc, (2 sc, picot, 2 sc in the last ch), rotate and work along the other side of the work 1 hdc, 2 dc, 1 tr, 2 dc, 1 sc, sl st into the last ch (the turning ch).
Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.

Attach the Leaf to the side of the work, on the Nerikiri Dough using small hidden stitches with the yarn tail.

If desired, sew clear glass seed beads randomly around the upper half of the work to resemble dew drops.

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Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have fun making this crochet wagashi. As with all my other patterns, I would love to see how your finished items turned out, so please tag me with my Instagram handle @yotsuba_blythes.

While I'm happy to share my pattern without charge and would be delighted to see it being used, please note that my pattern is for personal use only. Please respect my legal and moral rights as the author with respect to this pattern and all the images therein. This pattern and images are not for commercial use, sale or distribution. The sale of this pattern or any of the images is not permitted without my prior written consent. If you wish to share this pattern, please link to this post and my Instagram profile @yotsuba_blythes. You are welcome to sell limited quantities of the finished items you have made from this pattern. Thank you.