This delicate lace leaf is made from thread and finished with a pearl and two gold beads. It looks lovely on a winter tree, a snowy branch, a gift package, or in a window. The design has a strong corded midrib, seven slim veins on each side, open lace windows between them, and a scalloped edge.
The sample is worked in one color: a soft dusty denim blue. That shade looks frosty next to white pearls and gold accents. A white or silver-gray version would look like a snow leaf, and a pale gold version would give it an autumn feel.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished leaf measures 5.5 in (14.0 cm) long by 2.75 in (7.0 cm) wide, not counting the hanger. With the beads and loop, the full ornament hangs about 7.25 in (18.4 cm) long.
The leaf is worked in the round as one piece, starting from a center chain. Round 1 builds the midrib. Round 2 adds the chain-and-single-crochet veins. Round 3 connects the vein tips with chain arches. Round 4 fills the arches to make a solid outline, and Round 5 adds the shell scallops. Finally, you add a beaded hanger at the stem.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 5.5 in (14.0 cm) long x 2.75 in (7.0 cm) wide
- Full hanging length: about 7.25 in (18.4 cm) including beads and loop
- Skill level: Intermediate (thread work, chain counting, blocking)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Size 10 crochet cotton thread (lace weight)
- Hook: 1.5 mm steel hook (US 7)
- Number of pieces: 1
- Layout: Single leaf, stem at the top, tip at the bottom
- Piece size: 5.5 in x 2.75 in (14.0 cm x 7.0 cm)
- Size before border (after Round 4): 5 in x 2.25 in (12.7 cm x 5.7 cm)
- Border depth: 0.25 in (0.6 cm) on every side
Materials
Thread: Use a mercerized size 10 cotton crochet thread. Mercerized cotton has a smooth sheen, holds starch well, and keeps the veins crisp. Avoid soft, splitty, or fuzzy threads, because the lace windows will lose their definition.
- Dusty blue: 8 g, about 70 m (77 yd)
This quantity includes a margin of roughly 25% for your gauge swatch, tails, and frogging. One leaf actually uses about 6 g.
Tools and notions:
- 1.5 mm (US 7) steel crochet hook
- 2 gold metal beads, 4 mm, with holes at least 1 mm wide
- 1 white glass or acrylic pearl, 8 mm, with a hole at least 1 mm wide
- Beading needle, or a fine big-eye needle, for stringing the beads
- Tapestry needle with a small eye
- Stitch marker
- Blocking board or foam mat, plus rustproof pins
- Fabric stiffener or starch (spray or liquid)
- Small scissors
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sk – skip
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- [ ] – repeat the instructions inside the brackets as directed
Special stitches:
- Vein (ch N): Ch N. Sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, then sc in each remaining ch back toward the midrib. Each vein has N – 1 stitches (1 sl st + N – 2 sc). The sl st at the outer end is the vein tip.
- Shell: 5 dc in the same stitch.
- Bead chain: Slide one pre-strung bead up against the hook, then ch 1 so the chain locks the bead in place.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 9 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm) in thread worked into a foundation chain.
To check gauge, chain 19, then sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across (18 sc). The strip should measure 2 in (5.1 cm). Thread gauge is quick to check, and it decides whether the veins and arches line up properly.
The best test is the leaf itself, so treat your first leaf as the swatch. Check it at each of these points:
- After Round 1: The midrib measures 5 in (12.7 cm) long and about 0.2 in (0.5 cm) wide.
- After Round 2: The longest veins (veins 3 and 4) are each about 1.2 in (3.0 cm) long.
- After Round 3, pinned flat: The leaf measures about 5 in x 2 in (12.7 cm x 5.1 cm).
- After Round 4: The leaf measures 5 in x 2.25 in (12.7 cm x 5.7 cm).
- After Round 5 and blocking: The leaf measures 5.5 in x 2.75 in (14.0 cm x 7.0 cm).
If your piece is too big: Change to a 1.25 mm (US 9) hook and work the chain arches snugly.
If your piece is too small: Change to a 1.75 mm (US 6) hook.
Small differences, up to 0.25 in (0.6 cm), can be corrected during blocking.
Pattern
The leaf is worked in the round. “Side A” runs from the stem down to the tip, and “Side B” runs from the tip back up to the stem. Do not turn unless the pattern tells you to.
Round 1 – Midrib
Ch 46.
Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across (45 sc). You are now at the tip end.
Ch 3 for the tip space. Rotate the piece, then sc in the free loop of each foundation ch back to the stem (45 sc).
Ch 3 for the stem space. Sl st to the first sc.
Round 1 total: 90 sc and 2 ch-3 sps (45 sc per side).
Checkpoint: the midrib measures 5 in (12.7 cm).
Round 2 – Veins
The seven veins on each side get longer toward the middle of the leaf and shorter toward each end. From stem to tip, the vein chains are ch 7, ch 10, ch 12, ch 12, ch 10, ch 8, and ch 5. That makes veins of 6, 9, 11, 11, 9, 7, and 4 sts.
Ch 1. Then work Side A:
- Sc in the first 3 sc.
- Vein (ch 7), sc in the next 6 sc.
- Vein (ch 10), sc in the next 6 sc.
- Vein (ch 12), sc in the next 6 sc.
- Vein (ch 12), sc in the next 6 sc.
- Vein (ch 10), sc in the next 6 sc.
- Vein (ch 8), sc in the next 6 sc.
- Vein (ch 5), sc in the next 6 sc.
That uses all 45 sc on Side A (3 + 7 x 6 = 45).
Work (sc, ch 3, sc) in the tip ch-3 sp.
Then work Side B as a mirror image of Side A:
- Sc in the next 6 sc, vein (ch 5).
- Sc in the next 6 sc, vein (ch 8).
- Sc in the next 6 sc, vein (ch 10).
- Sc in the next 6 sc, vein (ch 12).
- Sc in the next 6 sc, vein (ch 12).
- Sc in the next 6 sc, vein (ch 10).
- Sc in the next 6 sc, vein (ch 7).
- Sc in the last 3 sc.
That uses all 45 sc on Side B.
Work (sc, ch 3, sc) in the stem ch-3 sp. Sl st to the first sc and fasten off.
Round 2 total: 94 sc along the midrib (45 per side + 2 at each end), 14 veins with 114 vein sts (57 per side), and 2 ch-3 sps. That is 208 sts.
As you work, finger-press each vein so it angles up toward the stem.
Round 3 – Frame Arches
Join the thread with a sl st in the stem ch-3 sp. Ch 1, then work (sc, ch 3, sc) in the same sp.
Side A:
- Ch 8, sc in the tip of vein 1.
- [Ch 6, sc in the tip of the next vein] 6 times.
- Ch 8.
Work (sc, ch 3, sc) in the tip ch-3 sp.
Side B:
- Ch 8, sc in the tip of the next vein.
- [Ch 6, sc in the tip of the next vein] 6 times.
- Ch 8.
Sl st to the first sc.
Round 3 total: 18 sc (14 at vein tips + 4 at the corners), 4 ch-8 arches, 12 ch-6 arches, and 2 ch-3 sps. Each side has 52 ch (2 x 8 + 6 x 6).
Round 4 – Solid Outline (Conversion Round)
Sl st in the next ch-3 sp. Ch 1, then work (sc, ch 3, sc) in the same sp.
Side A:
- Sc in the next sc.
- 8 sc in the ch-8 arch.
- Sc in the next sc (vein tip).
- [7 sc in the ch-6 arch, sc in the next sc] 6 times.
- 8 sc in the ch-8 arch.
- Sc in the next sc.
Work (sc, ch 3, sc) in the tip ch-3 sp.
Side B: Repeat the Side A instructions. Sl st to the first sc.
Per-side count: The arches give 52 sc worked one per chain, plus 6 extra (1 extra in each ch-6 arch), for 58 sc. Add the 9 existing sc worked one per stitch (7 vein tips + 2 corner sc from Round 3) to get 67. Then add 2 corner sc from this round (1 from each corner group). That gives 69 sc per side.
Round 4 total: 138 sc and 2 ch-3 sps.
Checkpoint: the leaf measures 5 in x 2.25 in (12.7 cm x 5.7 cm).
Border
Border gauge: One shell repeat uses 4 stitches of Round 4. Each repeat is about 0.3 in (0.8 cm) wide and 0.25 in (0.6 cm) deep.
Round 5 – Shell Scallops
Sl st in the next ch-3 sp. Ch 1, then work (sc, ch 3, sc) in the same sp.
Side A:
- Sc in the first sc.
- [Sk 1, shell in the next sc, sk 1, sc in the next sc] 17 times.
The last sc lands in the corner sc beside the tip.
Work (sc, ch 3, sc) in the tip ch-3 sp.
Side B: Repeat the Side A instructions. Sl st to the first sc and fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail.
Per-side count: 1 + (17 x 4) = 69 sts used, which matches the 69 sc from Round 4 exactly. Each side has 17 shells (85 dc) and 18 sc, plus 2 corner sc.
Round 5 total: 34 shells (170 dc), 40 sc, and 2 ch-3 points.
Why the math works: The count of 69 is 1 more than a multiple of 4. So the scallop row starts and ends with a sc sitting in the corner stitches, and the tip and stem stay sharp and symmetrical. Shells that skip one stitch on each side lie flat, without ruffling or cupping.
Beaded Hanger
Using a beading needle, string the beads onto the thread before you join it, in this order: gold, pearl, gold.
Join the thread with a sl st in the stem ch-3 sp of Round 5. Ch 2. Make one bead chain for each bead (3 bead chains in total).
Ch 30. Sl st in the last bead chain to close the loop. Then sl st in each of the 30 ch around the loop to make a firm, corded hanger, and fasten off.
The loop measures about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) tall. The beads add about 0.6 in (1.5 cm).
Final Blocking
- Weave in all the tails along the midrib and the outline before you block, and trim them close.
- Soak the leaf in diluted fabric stiffener, or spray it heavily with starch. Gently press out the excess in a towel.
- Lay the leaf on the board. Draw or mark a 5.5 in x 2.75 in (14.0 cm x 7.0 cm) oval with a pointed tip.
- Pin the stem point and tip point first. Stretch the midrib straight to 5 in (12.7 cm).
- Angle each vein toward the stem, and pin each vein tip so the pairs mirror each other.
- Pin each shell scallop at its center so the edge forms an even curve.
- Let the leaf dry completely, for at least 12 hours. Unpin it and shape the hanger loop by hand.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- The midrib is straight and measures 5 in (12.7 cm).
- There are 7 veins on each side, mirrored in length and angle.
- Every vein tip is caught by a sc in Round 3.
- There are 69 sc per side in Round 4.
- There are 17 shells per side in Round 5, with sharp points at the tip and stem.
- The finished size is 5.5 in x 2.75 in (14.0 cm x 7.0 cm), give or take 0.25 in (0.6 cm).
- The beads sit snugly at the stem, in the order gold, pearl, gold.
- The hanger loop is firm and closed, and no tails show.
Troubleshooting
- The leaf cups or curls: The arches are too short or tight. Work Round 3 more loosely, or go up one hook size for that round only.
- The edge ruffles: Round 4 has too many stitches. Recount to make sure you have 69 per side and that each ch-6 arch holds exactly 7 sc.
- The veins are lopsided: Check the vein chain counts against the list in Round 2. Mirrored veins must have equal chain counts.
- A shell lands crooked at a corner: Your Round 4 side count is off. Fix Round 4 rather than forcing the border.
- A bead won’t fit on the thread: Use a beading needle, or choose beads with larger holes.
- The leaf goes limp over time: Re-starch it and block it again.
Care
Store the ornament flat or hanging, away from moisture and crushing. If it gets soiled, hand-wash it gently in cool water, then stiffen and re-block it to its original measurements.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is simple. The 45 sc midrib gives 5 in (12.7 cm) at gauge. Seven veins per side set the width. Round 3 arches and the 69-stitch Round 4 outline per side bring the leaf to 5 in x 2.25 in (12.7 cm x 5.7 cm). The 17-shell border adds 0.25 in (0.6 cm) all around, for a finished leaf of 5.5 in x 2.75 in (14.0 cm x 7.0 cm). Check each stage as you go and the leaf will block out crisp and symmetrical.
Happy crocheting!