Aqua Flutter Dragonfly Lace Curtain Crochet Pattern

This curtain is a grid of thread-lace dragonflies hanging in an airy turquoise chain mesh. Each dragonfly has a turquoise body with open oval segments and knotted antennae. Its four herringbone-veined wings are outlined in pink with small picots. Light comes through every opening, so the panel throws soft dragonfly shadows into the room.

The palette uses two colors. Turquoise is for the bodies, wing veins, mesh and first border round. Pink is for the wing outlines and the picot border. The pattern uses US crochet terms throughout.

One panel measures 36 in wide × 61 in long (91.4 × 154.9 cm), not counting the hanging loops. For a pair, make two identical panels.

Construction is modular. You crochet each dragonfly in one piece (body first, then four wings worked straight off the thorax). Then you work a turquoise frame round that tethers the dragonfly inside a 7 × 6 in (17.8 × 15.2 cm) rectangle and joins it to its neighbors as you go. A two-round border and six hanging loops finish the panel.

Finished Size and Construction

• Finished size: 36 × 61 in (91.4 × 154.9 cm)
• Skill level: Intermediate
• Terminology: US
• Yarn weight: Size 3 crochet thread (super fine, #1)
• Hook: 2.25 mm (US B-1)
• Number of pieces: 50 dragonfly blocks per panel
• Layout: 5 blocks wide × 10 blocks tall
• Block size: 7 × 6 in (17.8 × 15.2 cm)
• Size before border: 35 × 60 in (88.9 × 152.4 cm)
• Border depth: 0.5 in (1.3 cm) per side

Materials

Use a mercerized cotton thread of about 137 m per 50 g. Mercerized cotton holds crisp picots, blocks well and hangs straight without stretching over time.

• Turquoise: 300 g (822 m) for the bodies, veins, frames, border Round 1 and hanging loops
• Pink: 175 g (480 m) for the wing outlines and border Round 2

These amounts are for one panel and include a margin of about 15%. Double them for a pair.

Tools: 2.25 mm hook, tapestry needle, scissors, rustproof pins, a blocking board or foam mats, spray bottle, measuring tape.

Abbreviations (US Terms)

• ch – chain
• sc – single crochet
• dc – double crochet
• sl st – slip stitch
• st(s) – stitch(es)
• sp – space
• sk – skip
• MR – magic ring
• Rnd – round
• JAYG – join as you go

Special stitches

• Picot: Ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook.
• Bobble: 3 dc in the same ch, leaving the last loop of each on the hook, yarn over, pull through all 4 loops.
• Node: A picot that sits on the inside of the frame. It is not worked into later.
• Tether to X: Ch the stated number, sl st in X, then sl st back in each ch to the frame.

Gauge and Checkpoints

Relaxed chain gauge is 7 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm). Border gauge is 7 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm) when worked over the frame chains.

Make one full test block and block it before you start the panel. Checkpoints after blocking:

• Head after Rnd 2: 0.5 in (1.3 cm) across
• Thorax after Rnd B: 0.75 in (1.9 cm) across
• Body, antenna tip to tail tip: 4.5 in (11.4 cm)
• Upper wing, thorax to tip: 2.4 in (6.1 cm). Lower wing: 2 in (5.1 cm)
• Wingspan: 5.5 in (14.0 cm)
• Framed block: 7 × 6 in (17.8 × 15.2 cm)

If your block is too big, go down to a 2.0 mm hook. If it is too small, go up to a 2.5 mm hook. Change the hook, not the stitch counts, because the border math depends on those counts.

Dragonfly Body (Turquoise)

Head

Rnd 1: MR, 8 sc in ring, sl st in first sc. (8 sc)

Rnd 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in each st around, sl st in first sc. (16 sc) Count the join st as st 1. It is the top of the head.

Antennae: Ch 9, bobble in 4th ch from hook, sl st in each of the remaining 5 ch, sl st in st 1. Sl st in sts 2 and 3. Ch 9, bobble in 4th ch from hook, sl st in each of the remaining 5 ch, sl st in st 3. This gives two antennae in a V, each 6 ch long with a knot at the tip.

Sl st in sts 4–10. St 10 is now the base of the head.

Thorax

Neck: Ch 2. Ch 6, sl st in 6th ch from hook to form a ring.

Rnd A: Ch 1, 12 sc in ring, sl st in first sc. (12 sc)

Rnd B: Ch 1, (sc in next st, 2 sc in next st) 6 times, sl st in first sc. (18 sc)

St 1 sits next to the neck. St 10 is the bottom center. Sts 2–9 are the right side and sts 11–18 the left side. Fasten off.

Abdomen (open ovals)

Join turquoise with a sl st in thorax st 10.

Down pass: Each ring is made of a stem ch, then a ring of chains closed with a sl st. Its left half is then covered with sc.

• Rings 1–2: Ch 1 (stem), ch 7, sl st in first of these 7 ch, 5 sc in ring.
• Rings 3–4: Ch 1, ch 6, sl st in first of these 6 ch, 4 sc in ring.
• Rings 5–6: Ch 1, ch 5, sl st in first of these 5 ch, 3 sc in ring.
• Tip: Picot.

Up pass: 3 sc in ring 6, sl st in stem ch. 3 sc in ring 5, sl st in stem. 4 sc in ring 4, sl st in stem. 4 sc in ring 3, sl st in stem. 5 sc in ring 2, sl st in stem. 5 sc in ring 1, sl st in stem, sl st in thorax st 10. Fasten off.

Ring totals: rings 1–2 have 10 sc each, rings 3–4 have 8 sc and rings 5–6 have 6 sc. The tapering rings give the segmented, pointed tail.

Wings

Each wing is worked straight onto a thorax Rnd B st. The pattern gives the right side; for the left side, mirror it.

• Upper wings: right wing in st 4, left wing in st 16
• Lower wings: right wing in st 7, left wing in st 13

Upper Wing

Join turquoise with a sl st in the base st and ch 16.

Rnd 1 (veins):

1. Sc in 2nd ch from hook (tip).
2. Side A: ch 4, sk 2 ch, sc in next ch 5 times, then sl st in the same thorax st.
3. Side B, working in the free loops of the same chain: ch 4, sk 2 ch, sc in next ch 5 times, ending in the tip ch.
4. Ch 4, sl st in first sc.

Count: 11 ch-4 loops (5 on side A, 5 on side B, 1 at the tip). The center chain becomes the main vein and the loops become the diagonal veins.

Rnd 2 (net):

1. Sl st in tip loop, ch 1, (sc, ch 5, sc) in tip loop.
2. Ch 5, sc in next loop 5 times (side A).
3. Sl st in the next free thorax st.
4. Sc in first side B loop, then ch 5, sc in next loop 4 times.
5. Ch 5, sl st in first sc.

Count: 11 ch-5 loops (1 + 5 + 4 + 1). Fasten off.

Rnd 3 (pink outline): Join pink with a sl st in the thorax beside the wing base. Work (3 sc, picot, 3 sc) in each ch-5 loop around, then sl st in the thorax on the other side of the base. (66 sc, 11 picots) Fasten off.

Lower Wing

Work it the same way with these changes:

• Ch 13 and work 4 repeats on each side in Rnd 1. (9 ch-4 loops)
• In Rnd 2, work 4 repeats on side A and 3 on side B. (9 ch-5 loops)
• Rnd 3: 54 sc, 9 picots.

Weave in all ends along the body chains.

Frame Round (Turquoise)

The frame is worked counterclockwise, starting at the top-right corner. Corners are picots, and the picot loop is the corner ch-3 sp. Edge chains are ch-9 sps on the top and bottom and ch-7 sps on the sides.

1. Top-right corner: Make a slip knot, picot.
2. Top edge (right to left): [Ch 9, node], [ch 9, tether to right antenna bobble with ch 6], [ch 9, tether to left antenna bobble with ch 6], [ch 9, node], ch 9, picot (top-left corner).
3. Left side (top to bottom): [Ch 7, node], [ch 7, tether to upper left wing tip picot with ch 5], [ch 7, node], [ch 7, tether to lower left wing tip picot with ch 5], [ch 7, node], ch 7, picot (bottom-left corner).
4. Bottom edge (left to right): [Ch 9, node], [ch 9, tether to tail tip picot with ch 6], [ch 9, tether to tail tip picot with ch 6], [ch 9, node], ch 9, picot (bottom-right corner).
5. Right side (bottom to top): [Ch 7, node], [ch 7, tether to lower right wing tip with ch 5], [ch 7, node], [ch 7, tether to upper right wing tip with ch 5], [ch 7, node], ch 7, sl st in base of first corner picot. Fasten off.

Frame counts:

• Top and bottom: 5 ch-9 sps each
• Sides: 6 ch-7 sps each
• 4 corner ch-3 sps, 10 nodes, 8 tethers

The two tail tethers form a V, like the mesh in the photo.

Make All Pieces

Make 50 blocks. Each block uses turquoise for the body, Rnds 1–2 of the wings and the frame, and pink for Rnd 3 of each wing.

Layout: 5 wide × 10 tall. Every block is the same and they all face up.

Row 1:  D  D  D  D  D
Row 2:  D  D  D  D  D
Row 3:  D  D  D  D  D
 ...    (rows 4-9 the same)
Row 10: D  D  D  D  D

Joining (Join As You Go)

Make every dragonfly first. Then work the frames in order: left to right across each row, then row by row from the top.

The top edge and left side are worked first in each frame, so those are the two sides that join to finished neighbors.

• Joining a ch-9 sp: Replace ch 9 with ch 4, sl st in the matching ch-9 sp of the neighbor, ch 4.
• Joining a ch-7 sp: Replace ch 7 with ch 3, sl st in the matching ch-7 sp, ch 3.
• Joining a corner: Replace the picot with ch 1, sl st in the neighbor’s corner ch-3 sp, ch 1, sl st in the base ch. Where four blocks meet, join to the corner where the first join was made.

Each joined sp still counts as one sp, and nodes and tethers are worked as usual. Keep the joining sl sts relaxed so the panel doesn’t pucker.

Checkpoints: Row 1 measures 35 in (88.9 cm). The full panel measures 35 × 60 in (88.9 × 152.4 cm).

Border

Border gauge: 7 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm).

Corner sps belong to the top and bottom edges. Each block’s top or bottom edge gives 5 × 9 sc + 2 corner sps × 2 sc = 49 sc. Each block’s side gives 6 × 7 sc = 42 sc.

Rnd 1 (turquoise, RS): Join in the top-right panel corner sp.

• Top and bottom edges: Work 9 sc in each ch-9 sp and 2 sc in each corner sp, including both corner sps at every seam. Do not work into the nodes.
• Sides: 7 sc in each ch-7 sp.
• Panel corners: Ch 2 at each of the 4 corners, between the top or bottom edge and the side.

Join with a sl st.

Counts:

• Top and bottom: 5 × 49 = 245 sc each
• Sides: 10 × 42 = 420 sc each
• Total: 1,330 sc plus 4 ch-2 corners

Fasten off.

Rnd 2 (pink): Join in any corner ch-2 sp. Work (sc, picot, sc) in each corner ch-2 sp. Along each edge, sc in each of next 7 sc, picot across.

Counts:

• Top and bottom: 245 sc, 35 picots each
• Sides: 420 sc, 60 picots each
• Corners: 2 sc and 1 picot each
• Total: 1,338 sc, 194 picots

Join and fasten off.

Why the math works: 49 sc over 7 in and 42 sc over 6 in both equal exactly 7 sc per inch. Since 49 and 42 are both multiples of 7, the picots repeat evenly, and a picot falls exactly on each top-edge seam (after sc 49, 98, 147 and 196).

Hanging loops (turquoise): Join in the top-right corner picot, ch 20, sl st in the same picot, then fasten off. Repeat at the 4 seam picots and the top-left corner picot, for 6 loops. Each loop hangs about 1.5 in (3.8 cm).

Final Blocking

1. Soak the panel in cool water and press the water out in a towel. Don’t wring it.
2. Lay it flat and pin the four corners to 36 × 61 in (91.4 × 154.9 cm).
3. Pin every seam point along the edges at 7 in (17.8 cm) intervals across and 6 in (15.2 cm) intervals down.
4. Pin each frame node straight so the chains run taut.
5. Open each wing to its teardrop shape. Angle the upper wings slightly up and the lower wings slightly down.
6. Pin out the picots, mist lightly, and let the panel dry completely.

Final Quality-Control Checklist

• 50 blocks, each 7 × 6 in (17.8 × 15.2 cm)
• Each upper wing has 11 picots and each lower wing has 9
• Every block has 8 tethers and 4 corners
• Border Rnd 1 counts are 245 and 420 sc per edge
• 35 top picots, with one at every seam
• 6 secure hanging loops
• All ends woven in along chains

Troubleshooting

• Wings cup: Rnd 3 is too tight. Go up 0.25 mm in hook size for the pink round only.
• Frame sags: Tethers are too long. Work them 1 ch shorter.
• Panel puckers at seams: The joining sl sts are too tight. Loosen them.
• Border ripples: Check the counts. Don’t add stitches over the nodes.
• Abdomen twists: Keep every ring’s down-pass sc on the same side.

Care

Hand wash cool and lay flat to dry, re-pinning the corners. Hang it out of harsh, constant sun so the colors last longer.

Final Notes

The measurement chain runs like this:

• 7 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm)
• Dragonfly wingspan: 5.5 in (14.0 cm)
• Framed block: 7 × 6 in (17.8 × 15.2 cm)
• Joined panel: 35 × 60 in (88.9 × 152.4 cm)
• Border: 0.5 in (1.3 cm) per side, at 7 sc per inch
• Finished panel: 36 × 61 in (91.4 × 154.9 cm)

Check each link before moving on, and the panel will hang straight.

Happy crocheting!