Lilac Lantern Links Window Curtain Crochet Pattern

This curtain is made of eight hanging strands of linked, pointed oval rings. Each oval has an open center and a thick, ridged frame, and short chain stems connect the ovals at their tips. Every strand ends in a full, wrapped tassel.

The strands alternate lavender and cream, so the curtain shades the window and still lets plenty of light through. A narrow pale lilac band runs through the brass curtain rings just under the rod and keeps the strands evenly spaced. The look is soft and airy, somewhere between boho and cottage.

All instructions use US crochet terms. Each strand measures 36″ (91.4 cm) from the top of its hanging loop to the bottom oval tip, plus a 6″ (15.2 cm) tassel, for 42″ (106.7 cm) total drop. The finished band measures 24.5″ × 1.5″ (62.2 × 3.8 cm).

Here’s the construction. Each oval is worked in the round over a chain ring and joined to the oval above it as you go, so you never sew strands together. You add the tassels last, crochet the band flat, and then thread the band and the strands onto the curtain rings.

Finished Size and Construction

• Strand drop: 42″ (106.7 cm) including tassel
• Curtain width: 23.25″ (59.1 cm) strand span; band 24.5″ (62.2 cm)
• Skill level: Easy–Intermediate
• Terminology: US
• Yarn weight: Worsted (#4)
• Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
• Number of pieces: 56 oval motifs joined into 8 strands, 8 tassels, 1 band
• Layout: 8 strands × 7 ovals, colors alternating, 3″ (7.6 cm) apart center to center
• Motif size: 4″ × 2.25″ (10.2 × 5.7 cm)
• Motif size before edging round: 3.5″ × 1.75″ (8.9 × 4.4 cm)
• Band edging depth: 0.25″ (0.6 cm) on each side

Materials

Use a smooth, firm worsted yarn, either cotton or a cotton blend. Cotton holds the pointed shape well and won’t stretch much while hanging. Quantities assume about 200 m per 100 g.

• Lavender: 150 g / 300 m (4 strands + 4 tassels)
• Cream: 150 g / 300 m (4 strands + 4 tassels)
• Pale lilac: 50 g / 100 m (band)

Each strand uses roughly 44 m for the crochet and 14 m for the tassel. These quantities include a margin of about 25% for gauge swatches and tassel trimming.

Tools:
– 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Stiff card 6.5″ (16.5 cm) tall for tassels
– Stitch markers
– Tape measure, blocking mat, and rust-proof pins
– Spray bottle
– Curtain rod with 8 closed curtain rings, about 1.5″ (3.8 cm) in diameter

Abbreviations (US Terms)

• ch – chain
• sl st – slip stitch
• sc – single crochet
• hdc – half double crochet
• dc – double crochet
• st(s) – stitch(es)
• rnd – round

Special technique – working over the ring: Insert the hook into the center opening of the chain ring, not into the chains themselves, so each stitch wraps around the whole chain. This lets you slide stitches together, which gives the frame its thick, ridged look.

Gauge and Checkpoints

Gauge: 16 sc × 20 rows = 4″ (10.2 cm) square in pale lilac. This is also the band gauge.

Make one complete motif before you start the strands, and measure it at each stage:

• Chain ring (26 ch), laid flat as a loop: about 6.5″ (16.5 cm) around
• After Rnd 1: 3.5″ × 1.75″ (8.9 × 4.4 cm)
• After Rnd 2: 4″ × 2.25″ (10.2 × 5.7 cm)
• Stem (ch 4): 1″ (2.5 cm)

If your motif comes out bigger than 4″ (10.2 cm) long, switch to a 4.5 mm hook. If it’s smaller than 3.75″ (9.5 cm), switch to a 5.5 mm hook. Any error multiplies by 7 along a strand, so a 0.25″ (0.6 cm) error per motif changes the strand length by 1.75″ (4.4 cm).

Oval Motif

Each motif has a top tip and a bottom tip. Rnd 1 places a single sc at each tip, with taller stitches along the sides. That height difference is what makes the oval pointed.

Rnd 0: Ch 26 and sl st into the first ch to form a ring. Don’t twist the chain.

Rnd 1 (work over the ring): Ch 1. Work 1 sc (top tip). Work the first side: 1 sc, 2 hdc, 11 dc, 2 hdc, 1 sc (17 sts). Work 1 sc (bottom tip). Work the second side: 1 sc, 2 hdc, 11 dc, 2 hdc, 1 sc (17 sts). Sl st into the first sc to join. (36 sts)

Slide the stitches evenly around the ring so the center opening lies as a narrow almond, about 2.5″ (6.4 cm) long.

Rnd 2: Ch 1. Work 3 sc in the top tip st. Sc in the next 5 sts, 2 sc in the next st, sc in the next 5 sts, 2 sc in the next st, sc in the next 5 sts (19 sts). Work 3 sc in the bottom tip st. Repeat from * to * once (19 sts). Sl st into the first sc to join. (44 sts)

Count for Rnd 2: 36 sts worked once each, plus 8 extra (2 at each tip and 2 increases on each side), for 44 total. The center sc of each 3-sc group is the new tip st. Place a marker in the bottom tip center st.

The side increases keep the frame flat around the curve of the tall dc sides. The 3-sc groups sharpen the points.

Strands (Join As You Go)

Motif 1 (top of strand): Work Rnds 0–2. Sl st into the next st (the top tip center). Ch 16 and sl st into the same st to make the hanging loop, about 2″ (5.1 cm) long. Fasten off.

Motifs 2–7: Work Rnds 0–2. Sl st into the next st (the top tip center). Ch 4, then sl st into the marked bottom tip st of the previous motif. Fasten off. Move the marker to the new motif’s bottom tip.

Hold each new motif with the right side facing the same way as the motif above it, so the ridges line up down the strand.

Strand checkpoint: loop 2″ (5.1 cm) + 7 motifs × 4″ (10.2 cm) + 6 stems × 1″ (2.5 cm) = 36″ (91.4 cm).

Make All Pieces

• Lavender: 4 strands (28 motifs) + 4 tassels
• Cream: 4 strands (28 motifs) + 4 tassels
• Pale lilac: 1 band

Layout, left to right (L = lavender, C = cream). Each column is one strand, and each row is one motif level:

Loop:   L  C  L  C  L  C  L  C
Row 1:  L  C  L  C  L  C  L  C
Row 2:  L  C  L  C  L  C  L  C
Row 3:  L  C  L  C  L  C  L  C
Row 4:  L  C  L  C  L  C  L  C
Row 5:  L  C  L  C  L  C  L  C
Row 6:  L  C  L  C  L  C  L  C
Row 7:  L  C  L  C  L  C  L  C
Tassel: L  C  L  C  L  C  L  C

Tassels

Wrap yarn 40 times around the 6.5″ (16.5 cm) card. Slide a 12″ (30.5 cm) tie under the wraps at the top and knot it tightly. Cut through the wraps at the bottom. Wrap a second strand of yarn 6 times around the bundle, 0.75″ (1.9 cm) below the top, then knot it and bury the ends inside the tassel. Trim the tassel to 6″ (15.2 cm).

Thread the top tie ends through the bottom tip st of Motif 7, knot them twice, and hide the ends inside the tassel head.

Joining (Hanging the Strands)

The strands aren’t stitched to each other. Instead, the rings, the band, and the hanging loops lock them into position.

1. Slip one ring through the hanging loop of each strand, following the L–C order.
2. Thread the band through all 8 rings, lining each ring up with a band marker (see below). The band sits inside the rings, just below the rod.
3. Use a pale lilac yarn tail to tack each ring to the band at its marker so the spacing can’t drift.
4. Slide the rings onto the rod.

Tension advice: Hang everything and let it settle for a few hours before you judge the length. Cotton relaxes a little under its own weight.

Size checkpoint: 7 gaps × 3″ (7.6 cm) + one strand width of 2.25″ (5.7 cm) = 23.25″ (59.1 cm) total strand span. That fits inside the 24″ (61.0 cm) band body.

Border (Header Band)

The band is the only bordered piece. Its gauge is the same as the main gauge: 16 sc × 20 rows = 4″ (10.2 cm).

Foundation: With pale lilac, ch 97.

Row 1: Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. Turn. (96 sts)

Rows 2–5: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (96 sts)

The band body now measures 24″ × 1″ (61.0 × 2.5 cm). Mark it into 8 sections of 12 sts, each 3″ (7.6 cm) wide. Place a marker between sts 6 and 7 of each section to show where the rings go. That puts the outer rings 1.5″ (3.8 cm) in from each end and spaces the rings 3″ (7.6 cm) apart. The math: 8 strands × 12 sts per section = 96 sts.

Edging Rnd: Ch 1. Along the top: 3 sc in the first st (corner), sc in the next 94 sts, 3 sc in the last st (corner). Down the short end: sc in the row ends of Rows 4, 3, and 2 (3 sts). Along the foundation: 3 sc in the first ch (corner), sc in the next 94 ch, 3 sc in the last ch (corner). Up the other end: sc in the row ends of Rows 2, 3, and 4 (3 sts). Sl st into the first sc to join. Fasten off.

Per-side counts, including both corner center sts:
– Long sides: 98 sts each (94 sts + 2 corner centers + 2 sts beside the corners)
– Short ends: 7 sts each (3 row-end sts + 2 corner centers + 2 sts beside the corners)

Round total: 98 + 98 + 7 + 7 = 210, minus 4 corner sts counted on two sides each = 206. Check it another way: 4 corners × 3 + 94 + 94 + 3 + 3 = 206.

Why the math works: Each long side works 1 sc into each of the 96 band sts, with only 4 extra sts at the corners. The ends work 1 sc into each of the 3 middle rows. Row 1 and Row 5 row ends are already covered by the corner groups. The edging stays flat and adds 0.25″ (0.6 cm) all around, so the finished band measures 24.5″ × 1.5″ (62.2 × 3.8 cm).

Final Blocking

1. Mist each strand until it’s damp, but not soaked.
2. Pin the strand straight on the mat with the right side up.
3. Pin each motif to 4″ × 2.25″ (10.2 × 5.7 cm), with one pin at each tip to sharpen the points.
4. Check that the stems measure 1″ (2.5 cm) and that the full strand measures 36″ (91.4 cm).
5. Pin the band to 24.5″ × 1.5″ (62.2 × 3.8 cm) and mist it.
6. Let everything dry completely.
7. Steam the tassels lightly, comb them straight, and trim them to an even 6″ (15.2 cm).

Final Quality-Control Checklist

• 56 motifs, each with 44 sts in Rnd 2
• All motifs measure 4″ × 2.25″ (10.2 × 5.7 cm)
• Points are sharp at both tips, and the center openings are even
• All 8 strands measure 36″ (91.4 cm) before the tassel
• Every stem is ch 4, and every loop is ch 16
• Tassels measure 6″ (15.2 cm) and are firmly knotted
• The band measures 24.5″ (62.2 cm), with markers 3″ (7.6 cm) apart
• The colors alternate L–C across the whole curtain
• All ends are woven in securely

Troubleshooting

• Oval looks round, not pointed: Make sure each tip has only a single sc in Rnd 1, and block with pins right at the tips.
• Frame ruffles: Your tension is too loose. Go down a hook size, or leave out the side increases in Rnd 2 (40 sts).
• Frame cups: Push the Rnd 1 stitches apart along the ring before working Rnd 2.
• Strands twist: One or more motifs were joined wrong side out. Undo that stem and rejoin.
• Strands hang at different lengths: Compare your motif sizes, and redo any motif that’s more than 0.25″ (0.6 cm) off.
• Rings slide along the band: Tack each ring more firmly at its marker.

Care

Take the curtain down and hand wash it in cool water. Lay the strands flat to dry, reblock the ovals, and comb out the tassels.

Final Notes

The measurements build on each other. With a gauge of 16 sc = 4″ (10.2 cm), each motif comes out 4″ × 2.25″ (10.2 × 5.7 cm). Seven motifs, six 1″ (2.5 cm) stems, and a 2″ (5.1 cm) loop make a 36″ (91.4 cm) strand. Add a 6″ (15.2 cm) tassel for a 42″ (106.7 cm) drop. Eight strands spaced 3″ (7.6 cm) apart span 23.25″ (59.1 cm) across a 24.5″ (62.2 cm) band. Check each link of this chain as you go, and the curtain will hang straight and even.

Happy crocheting!