The Starlit Lattice Diamond is a lacy thread ornament for the tree. It is a tall, narrow diamond with a solid eight-petal star at its center. Open chain windows surround the star. A fine rail outlines the whole shape, converging spokes and a small fan fill each point, a slim loop hangs from the top, and a three-loop trefoil finishes the bottom tip.
The sample is worked in a single cream thread, the color of old lace. It looks vintage and quiet, and it shows up well against dark green branches and warm lights. A set of several looks good on one tree, but each ornament is one separate, self-contained piece.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. After blocking, the diamond body measures about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide and 4.75 in (12.1 cm) tall. With the hanging loop and trefoil it is about 6.5 in (16.5 cm) long overall.
Construction is center-out. You make the star in three rounds, then add a window round and a rail round that turns it into a small octagon with two side corners. One long chain round makes the diamond outline, and then you add spokes and fans to the top and bottom points. One sc border round finishes the outline, and starch blocking sets the shape.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 2.5 in (6.4 cm) wide x 4.75 in (12.1 cm) tall, body only; about 6.5 in (16.5 cm) including loop and trefoil
- Skill level: Intermediate (thread work, chain counting, joining spokes)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Size 10 crochet thread (Lace, weight 0)
- Hook: 1.75 mm steel hook
- Number of pieces: 1 (single piece, no joining)
- Layout: One diamond, points at top and bottom, corners at left and right
- Piece size: Star 1.5 in (3.8 cm) tip to tip; octagon after Rnd 5 about 2.25 in (5.7 cm) across
- Size before border: About 2.3 in (5.8 cm) x 4.5 in (11.4 cm)
- Border depth: 1 round of sc, about 0.1 in (0.3 cm)
Materials
Use mercerized cotton crochet thread in size 10. Its smooth, crisp finish gives clean stitch definition and holds starch well. Avoid fuzzy or very soft thread, because the chain spokes need to block into straight lines.
- Cream / ecru (Color A): 4 g, about 20 m of size 10 cotton thread
This quantity includes a margin of roughly 30% for swatching, tails, and the occasional ripped-back round.
Tools:
- 1.75 mm steel crochet hook
- Fine tapestry needle or small-eye beading needle
- Small sharp scissors
- 2 locking stitch markers, plus 6 removable markers or scrap thread
- Blocking board or foam mat
- Rustproof pins
- Spray starch or diluted fabric stiffener
- Paper template drawn as a 2.5 in (6.4 cm) x 4.75 in (12.1 cm) diamond
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sp(s) – space(s)
- rnd – round
- RS – right side
Special stitches:
- Petal: In the same ch-4 sp, work (sc, hdc, dc, tr, ch 2, tr, dc, hdc, sc). This makes 8 sts and a ch-2 tip. The two tr on either side of the ch-2 form the center vein of the petal.
- Point ring: Ch 5, sl st in 5th ch from hook. This forms a small ring at the top or bottom point of the diamond.
- Trefoil: (Ch 6, sl st in point ring) 3 times, making 3 small loops.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 12 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm), worked into a chain, unblocked.
Thread gauge varies a lot from person to person, so make the star first as your test piece. Rnds 1–3 should measure 1.5 in (3.8 cm) from one petal tip to the opposite tip, lightly flattened.
Checkpoints:
- After Rnd 3: 1.5 in (3.8 cm) tip to tip
- After Rnd 4: about 1.75 in (4.4 cm) across, measured at the tips
- After Rnd 5: about 2.25 in (5.7 cm) across from side corner to side corner
- After Rnd 6: each 31-ch leg about 2.6 in (6.6 cm) long, unstretched
- Before border: about 2.3 in (5.8 cm) x 4.5 in (11.4 cm), pinned flat
- After border and blocking: 2.5 in (6.4 cm) x 4.75 in (12.1 cm)
If your star is too big, try a 1.5 mm hook, or tighten the chains in Rnd 2. If it is too small, try a 2 mm hook. Do not change any chain counts, because they are sized to the star.
Center Star
Rnd 1: Make a magic ring. Ch 1, work 8 sc in ring, sl st in first sc to join. Pull the ring closed tightly. (8 sc)
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in same st, ch 4, sc in next sc, ch 4; rep from * 6 more times, sl st in first sc to join. (8 sc, 8 ch-4 sps)*
Rnd 3 (petals): Sl st in first ch-4 sp. Work 1 Petal in each ch-4 sp around, 8 petals total. Sl st in first sc to join. (64 sts and 8 ch-2 tips; 8 sts per petal)
Each petal begins and ends with sc, so neighboring petals meet sc to sc and the petals sit closely together. Check: the star measures 1.5 in (3.8 cm) tip to tip.
Window Round and Rail
Rnd 4 (windows): Sl st in the next 3 sts (hdc, dc, tr) and into the ch-2 tip. Ch 1, sc in same tip. Ch 7, sc in next ch-2 tip; rep from * 6 more times, ch 7, sl st in first sc to join. (8 sc, 8 ch-7 sps)*
The chain arcs open small triangular windows between the petals. Label the tips as you go around from your starting tip: Top (T), Top-Left (TL), Left (L), Bottom-Left (BL), Bottom (B), Bottom-Right (BR), Right (R), Top-Right (TR). Mark the L and R sc.
Rnd 5 (rail): Ch 1, sc in same sc (T). [9 sc in next ch-7 sp, sc in TL sc], [9 sc in next sp, (sc, ch 3, sc) in L sc], [9 sc in next sp, sc in BL sc], [9 sc in next sp, sc in B sc], [9 sc in next sp, sc in BR sc], [9 sc in next sp, (sc, ch 3, sc) in R sc], [9 sc in next sp, sc in TR sc], 9 sc in last sp, sl st in first sc to join. Fasten off. (82 sc and 2 ch-3 corner sps)
Count check: 8 spaces x 9 sc = 72. Six single tips add 6 more, and two corner tips add 2 each, for 4. 72 + 6 + 4 = 82.
Numbering: Treat the rail as two halves of 41 sc each, with the corner ch-3 sps between them.
- Top half: St 1 is the 2nd sc of the R corner. St 11 is TR, st 21 is T, st 31 is TL, and st 41 is the 1st sc of the L corner.
- Bottom half: St 1 is the 2nd sc of the L corner. St 11 is BL, st 21 is B, st 31 is BR, and st 41 is the 1st sc of the R corner.
Place markers in sts 16, 21, and 26 of each half, 6 markers total.
Check: the octagon measures about 2.25 in (5.7 cm) between corners.
Diamond Outline
Rnd 6: With RS facing, join thread with sc in the R corner ch-3 sp. Ch 31, work a Point ring (top point). Ch 31, sc in the L corner ch-3 sp. Ch 31, work a Point ring (bottom point). Ch 31, sl st in first sc to join. Do not fasten off. Put the live loop on a locking marker and set it aside. (2 sc, 4 ch-31 legs, 2 point rings)
Check that each leg is about 2.6 in (6.6 cm) unstretched and that there are no twists at the corners. Pinned flat, the piece is now about 2.3 in (5.8 cm) x 4.5 in (11.4 cm).
Top Spokes, Fan, and Hanging Loop
Work with a separate length of thread, about 1.5 m.
Spokes: With RS facing, join with sc in marked st 16 of the top half. Ch 15, sl st in top point ring. Ch 15, sc in marked st 26. Sl st in sts 25, 24, 23, 22, and 21, working back toward the center and ending in st 21. Ch 15, sl st in top point ring. (3 spokes of 15 ch each meeting at the ring)
The spokes from sts 16 and 26 form a V, and the center spoke runs straight up from T. Each spoke spans about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) once blocked.
Fan: Ch 3 (counts as dc), then work 10 dc into the point ring across its lower half, between the spokes, so the fan spreads downward from the point. Sl st in top of beginning ch-3. (11 dc)
Hanging loop: Sl st into the ring at its top edge, ch 36, sl st in the ring at the same spot. Fasten off. Folded, the loop is about 1.5 in (3.8 cm).
Bottom Spokes, Fan, and Trefoil
Spokes: Join with sc in marked st 16 of the bottom half. Ch 15, sl st in bottom point ring. Ch 15, sc in marked st 26. Sl st in sts 25, 24, 23, 22, and 21. Ch 15, sl st in bottom point ring. (3 spokes)
Fan: Ch 3 (counts as dc), work 10 dc into the upper half of the ring, between the spokes, and sl st in top of ch-3. (11 dc)
Trefoil: Sl st into the ring at its lower edge. Work the Trefoil, keeping the three ch-6 loops outside the ring and spaced evenly around its lower edge. Fasten off. The trefoil adds about 0.25 in (0.6 cm).
Border
Border gauge: 12 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm), worked 1 sc into each chain of the outline legs.
Rnd 7: Return the live loop from Rnd 6 to your hook. Ch 1, (sc, ch 2, sc) in the R corner sc. Sc in each of the 31 ch of the leg, sl st in top point ring beside the base of the hanging loop, then sc in each of the 31 ch of the next leg. (Sc, ch 2, sc) in the L corner sc. Sc in each of the 31 ch of the next leg, sl st in bottom point ring above the trefoil, then sc in each of the 31 ch of the last leg. Sl st in first sc to join. Fasten off. (128 sc, 2 ch-2 corner sps, 2 sl sts at points)
Exact counts per side: Each of the 4 sides has 32 sc. That is 31 sc worked one per chain, plus 1 corner sc at the left or right corner. At the top or bottom point, each side ends in a sl st into the point ring, which is not counted. 4 sides x 32 sc = 128 sc.
Why the math works: Each leg has 31 chains, and you work exactly 1 sc per chain, so you add no stitches along the side. Each corner (sc, ch 2, sc) gives one sc to each side, so the corner sc is counted once and only once. At 12 sc per inch, 32 sc is about 2.67 in (6.8 cm) per side. With a 2.5 in (6.4 cm) width, a side that long makes a diamond about 4.7 in (11.9 cm) tall. The sl st at each point keeps the point sharp, which brings the blocked height to 4.75 in (12.1 cm).
Final Blocking
- Weave in all tails along the rail or inside the sc border. Do not trim them yet.
- Wet the ornament in cool water and press it gently in a towel.
- Lay the paper template on the blocking board and cover it with plastic wrap.
- Pin the top and bottom points first, then the left and right corners.
- Pin the 8 petal tips outward so the star sits flat and centered.
- Pull each spoke straight and pin it at the point ring.
- Ease each border side straight between the corner pins, adding pins about every 0.5 in (1.3 cm).
- Spray with starch or dab on diluted stiffener. Let it dry completely, ideally overnight.
- Unpin, trim the tails close, and shape the hanging loop and trefoil with your fingers.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Star is 1.5 in (3.8 cm) tip to tip, with 8 even petals
- All 8 windows are open and similar in size
- Rail count was 82 sc with 2 corner sps
- Each border side has 32 sc; 128 sc total
- Body is 2.5 in (6.4 cm) x 4.75 in (12.1 cm)
- Spokes are straight and meet at the center of each fan
- Each fan has 11 dc
- Hanging loop is about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) and the trefoil has 3 even loops
- No tails visible from the front
Troubleshooting
Star cups or ruffles: Your Rnd 2 chains are too loose or too tight. Rework Rnd 2 with even chains, or change hook size.
Diamond leans to one side: The leg chains are uneven, so count all four legs again. Each must have exactly 31 ch.
Spokes sag after blocking: Use more starch and pin each spoke while damp. If they still sag, rework them with 14 ch instead of 15.
Points look rounded: Make sure the border sl st goes into the point ring, not into the last chain of the leg.
Border waves: Your sc are looser than your chains. Rework the border with a hook one size smaller.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press dry in a towel, and re-block with fresh starch. Store flat in tissue paper between seasons.
Final Notes
The star is 1.5 in (3.8 cm) across. The window round brings it to 1.75 in (4.4 cm), and the rail octagon to 2.25 in (5.7 cm) with 82 sc. Four 31-ch legs make a body of about 2.3 in (5.8 cm) x 4.5 in (11.4 cm). The border sets each side at 32 sc, about 2.67 in (6.8 cm), and blocking finishes the ornament at 2.5 in (6.4 cm) x 4.75 in (12.1 cm), or 6.5 in (16.5 cm) with loop and trefoil.
Happy crocheting!