This curtain is made from lacy fern leaves that hang in staggered columns, so light shows through every frond. Each leaf has a soft mint spine with a column of small eyelets, and the dark teal fronds come off both sides with picot-toothed edges that curve downward like real fern leaves.
The finished set is two panels. Each panel is 12 in (30.5 cm) wide and about 66 in (167.6 cm) long, not counting the hanging loops. Each panel holds 12 leaves in two columns. The right column hangs 5 in (12.7 cm) lower than the left, so the leaves alternate down the panel. A single leaf blocks to 5.5 in × 9 in (14.0 × 22.9 cm).
The pattern uses US crochet terms throughout. It’s a relaxed, botanical design that suits a bedroom window, a doorway or a reading nook.
Here’s the construction. You crochet each leaf’s spine in short rows from the stem up, then work the fronds directly off its side edges in teal. Next you link the leaves into columns with chain connectors and add a header band with four hanging loops. Long chain swags tie the two columns together. Nothing needs to be sewn.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished panel size: 12 in × 66 in (30.5 × 167.6 cm), excluding loops
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 4.5 mm (US 7)
- Number of pieces: 24 leaves (12 per panel), plus 2 headers
- Layout per panel: 2 columns × 6 leaves, with the right column offset half a leaf
- Piece size: 5.5 in × 9 in (14.0 × 22.9 cm) per leaf
- Size before border (header): 12 in × 65 in (30.5 × 165.1 cm) per panel
- Border (header) depth: 1 in (2.5 cm), plus loops rising about 2 in (5.1 cm)
Materials
Pick a smooth, mercerized or matte cotton. Cotton holds the frond curves after blocking and doesn’t stretch much under the weight of the leaves. Avoid fuzzy yarns, because they hide the picots and eyelets.
- Color A (light mint): 150 g / 255 m (spines)
- Color B (dark teal): 600 g / 1,020 m (fronds, connectors, swags, headers)
These amounts assume yarn of about 85 m per 50 g and include a margin of roughly 15%.
Tools:
– 4.5 mm (US 7) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Stitch markers
– Scissors
– Tape measure
– Blocking mats and rust-proof pins
– Spray bottle
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sk – skip
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sc3tog – single crochet 3 together
- RS – right side
Special stitch – picot: ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 16 sc × 18 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) in sc. For hanging chains, 5 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm) when they hang lightly weighted.
Make one complete leaf before anything else, and check it at each stage:
- After Row 8 (stem): about 1.75 in (4.4 cm) long and 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide.
- After Row 32: about 8 in (20.3 cm) from the stem end.
- Finished spine with spike: 9 in (22.9 cm).
- Longest frond: 2.4 in (6.1 cm) from spine to tip.
- Blocked leaf: 5.5 in × 9 in (14.0 × 22.9 cm).
If your leaf is too big, go down 0.5 mm in hook size. If it is too small, go up 0.5 mm. Fix this now, because a 0.5 in (1.3 cm) error per leaf adds up to 3 in (7.6 cm) over a column of 6.
Leaf Spine (Make 24, Color A)
The spine is worked in short rows from the stem tip upward.
Row 1: With A, ch 4. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in next 2 ch. (3 sc)
Rows 2–8: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (3 sc) This is the plain stem.
Row 9 (eyelet row): Ch 2 (does not count as a st), turn, hdc in first st, ch 1, sk next st, hdc in last st. (2 hdc + 1 ch-1 sp)
Row 10: Ch 1, turn, sc in first hdc, sc in ch-1 sp, sc in last hdc. (3 sc)
Rows 11–32: Repeat Rows 9–10 eleven more times. (12 eyelets total; 3 sc at the end of Row 32)
Row 33: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (3 sc)
Row 34: Ch 1, turn, sc3tog. (1 st)
Spike: Ch 4, sl st in 2nd ch from hook and in next 2 ch, sl st in the sc3tog. Fasten off.
The eyelet rows (9, 11, 13 … 31) are the 12 frond points on each side. Put a marker in the Row 9 row-end on both edges so you can count up from there.
Fronds (Color B)
Each frond is a chain that you work back along toward the spine:
- Ch the number given in the table below.
- Sl st in 2nd ch from hook. This is the tip.
- Sc in next ch, then hdc in next ch.
- Dc in next ch, picot. Repeat until 1 ch remains, then dc in the last ch (nearest the spine). There is no picot after this last dc.
- Sl st in the same spine row-end.
A frond started with N chains has 1 sl st, 1 sc, 1 hdc, (N − 4) dc and (N − 5) picots. That’s N − 1 stitches worked into the chain.
Frond chart (bottom to top):
| Spine row | Ch (N) | Dc | Picots |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| 11 | 9 | 5 | 4 |
| 13 | 10 | 6 | 5 |
| 15 | 11 | 7 | 6 |
| 17 | 12 | 8 | 7 |
| 19 | 12 | 8 | 7 |
| 21 | 11 | 7 | 6 |
| 23 | 10 | 6 | 5 |
| 25 | 9 | 5 | 4 |
| 27 | 8 | 4 | 3 |
| 29 | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| 31 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
Totals per side: 112 ch, 64 dc and 52 picots. The stitches worked into the chains (36 sl st/sc/hdc + 64 dc) add up to 100, which equals 112 − 12 ✓.
Side 1 (right edge, worked upward): With RS facing and the stem pointing down, join B with a sl st in the right-edge row-end of Row 9. Make the Row 9 frond. Sl st in the Row 10 row-end, sl st in the next eyelet-row end, and make that row’s frond. Repeat through Row 31, then sl st in the Row 32 row-end and fasten off.
Side 2 (left edge, worked downward): Join B with a sl st in the left-edge row-end of Row 32. Sl st in the Row 31 row-end and make that frond, then sl st in the next row-end below. Repeat down to the Row 9 frond, then sl st in the Row 8 row-end and fasten off.
Because the dc tops are all on one edge, each frond curls slightly by itself. Blocking sets the downward curve.
Checkpoint: 12 fronds per side, 24 per leaf. The widest pair is at Rows 17–19, just below the middle of the leaf.
Make All Pieces
- Leaves: 24 total, 12 per panel
- Color A: 24 spines (about 6 m each)
- Color B: 48 frond sides (about 34 m per leaf), 2 headers, plus all connectors and swags
Weave in the ends on every leaf before joining, so the backs of the hanging leaves stay neat.
Layout per panel (L = left column, R = right column; each step down is about 5 in / 12.7 cm):
[========== HEADER 48 sts, 4 loops ==========]
L1
R1
L2
R2
L3
R3
L4
R4
L5
R5
L6
R6
Joining
The leaves hang from chains that run stitch-to-stitch, from the stem end of one leaf to the spike tip of the next.
Column connectors (5 per column, 20 total): Join B with a sl st in the center ch of Row 1 on the upper leaf’s stem. Ch 5, then sl st in the tip ch of the spike on the leaf below. Fasten off. Each connector adds 1 in (2.5 cm), so the pitch from one leaf to the next is 9 + 1 = 10 in (25.4 cm).
Swags (6 per panel): Lay the two columns side by side with the inner frond tips 1 in (2.5 cm) apart and the right column 5 in (12.7 cm) lower. Join B at the tip of the Row 17 frond on the inner side of leaf L1. Ch 30, then sl st in the tip of the Row 17 frond on the inner side of R1. Fasten off.
Repeat for each pair from L2/R2 down to L6/R6. A ch-30 swag is 6 in (15.2 cm) long and the straight-line distance it spans is about 5.1 in (13.0 cm), so each swag sags in a soft U shape.
Tension: Chain loosely and evenly, at the same tension as your gauge chain. Tight chains pull the leaves into a zigzag. Loose ones let the leaves twist.
Checkpoint: Measured lying flat, the left column is 60 in (152.4 cm) long (6 × 9 in + 5 × 1 in). The right column measures the same. Once the 6 in (15.2 cm) drop is added in the next section, the panel is 12 in × 65 in (30.5 × 165.1 cm) before the header.
Border (Header Band)
Border gauge: 16 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm). The header is 12 in (30.5 cm) wide, so it needs 48 sts. These break down as 22 sts over the left column (5.5 in), 4 sts over the gap (1 in) and 22 sts over the right column (5.5 in): 22 + 4 + 22 = 48 ✓.
Row 1: With B, ch 49. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (48 sc)
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (48 sc)
Row 3 (loops): Ch 1, turn. Sc in next 4 sts, ch 20, sk 4 sts, sc in next 4 sts. Repeat 4 times. (32 sc + 4 ch-20 loops)
Each repeat uses 12 sts, and 4 × 12 = 48 ✓. The loops sit over sts 5–8, 17–20, 29–32 and 41–44, which places them symmetrically.
Row 4: Ch 1, turn. Sc in next 4 sc, 24 sc in ch-20 loop, sc in next 4 sc. Repeat 4 times. (32 sts per repeat; 128 sts total) Fasten off.
The 24 sc pack firmly over the 20-ch loop, so each loop arches into a sturdy tab about 2 in (5.1 cm) high. That fits a rod up to 1.25 in (3.2 cm) across.
Drops: Count 12 sts in from the left end of the header, along the free loops of the foundation chain. Join B there, ch 5, sl st in the spike tip of L1 and fasten off. This drop is 1 in (2.5 cm).
Count 12 sts in from the right end, join B, ch 30, sl st in the spike tip of R1 and fasten off. This drop is 6 in (15.2 cm).
The difference between the drops is 25 ch, or 5 in (12.7 cm). That’s exactly half the 10 in (25.4 cm) leaf pitch, which is what creates the staggered layout.
Checkpoint: Each panel is 12 in × 66 in (30.5 × 167.6 cm): the 1 in header plus 65 in to the bottom of R6.
Final Blocking
- Wet each panel thoroughly in cool water and press out the excess in a towel. Don’t wring it.
- Lay the panel flat on mats. Pin the header straight and 12 in (30.5 cm) wide.
- Pin each spine straight and 9 in (22.9 cm) long, with the eyelets open.
- Pin each frond tip so it curves downward, with the longest fronds reaching 2.4 in (6.1 cm) from the spine.
- Arrange each swag into an even U shape.
- Spray the loops lightly so they hold their arch.
- Let the panel dry completely, usually 24–48 hours.
- Hang it and check that the leaves fall straight. Re-mist and reshape any frond that has flattened.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Every leaf has 12 fronds per side, sized according to the chart.
- All 12 eyelets on each spine are open and centered.
- Spikes are pointed and the stems are 1.75 in (4.4 cm) long.
- The 20 column connectors are 5 ch each, and the 6 swags are 30 ch each.
- Each header has 48 sts across Rows 1–2, 128 sts in Row 4, and 4 loops.
- The right column hangs 5 in (12.7 cm) below the left.
- Both panels measure 12 in × 66 in (30.5 × 167.6 cm).
- All ends are woven in securely.
Troubleshooting
- Fronds point upward: Re-block them with the tips pinned downward, and check that you’re working the dc on the same side of the chain each time.
- Spine twists: Remember the turning ch-2 on the eyelet rows and don’t count it as a stitch.
- The leaf is lopsided: Count the frond chains again. A missing chain on one side shows clearly.
- Picots disappear: Pull each picot sl st snug, and use a smooth, non-fuzzy cotton.
- Columns hang unevenly: Redo any connector that isn’t exactly 5 ch.
- Swags pull the leaves sideways: Lengthen the swag by 2–4 ch.
- Header ripples: You probably added stitches. Recount to 48.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with a mild detergent, then dry flat and re-block the frond curves. Keep the panels out of strong direct sun for long periods so the teal doesn’t fade.
Final Notes
The measurements build on each other. Your 16-stitch gauge gives a 0.75 in (1.9 cm) spine and fronds up to 2.4 in (6.1 cm) long. Together those make a 5.5 in × 9 in (14.0 × 22.9 cm) leaf. Six leaves and five 1 in connectors make a 60 in (152.4 cm) column. Two columns with a 1 in gap fit the 48-stitch, 12 in (30.5 cm) header, and the 5 in offset gives you the alternating fern layout. If you check each stage as you go, both panels finish at the size they should.
Happy crocheting!