These Golden Ginkgo strips turn a plain window into a soft, airy botanical display. Each strip has butter-yellow ginkgo fans along a twisted beige chain stem. There is one upright leaf at the top and nine pairs branching left and right below it.
The palette is just two colors. Pale butter yellow is for the fans. Light taupe (oatmeal beige) is for the rings, spokes, stem, edging and header. The look is light, lacy and a little vintage. Light passes through the open spokes and chain netting, so the strips work as curtain panels or as a wall or doorway hanging.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. Each finished strip measures about 7 in (17.8 cm) wide and 29 in (73.7 cm) long, including the hanging loops. You make two identical strips.
Construction is simple and modular. You crochet 19 small leaf motifs per strip and join them onto a beige stem as you chain it. Then you work one continuous edging round that links the leaf tips and builds the header with its hanging loops.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size (each strip): 7 in (17.8 cm) wide x 29 in (73.7 cm) long
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK (weight 3) cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 4 mm (US G-6)
- Number of pieces: 38 leaf motifs (19 per strip), joined into 2 separate strips
- Layout per strip: 1 top leaf + 9 leaf pairs on a central stem
- Piece size (one leaf): 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide x 2.25 in (5.7 cm) tall
- Size before border: 7 in (17.8 cm) x about 26 in (66.0 cm), from bottom tip to top of top leaf
- Border depth: the header adds about 3 in (7.6 cm) above the top leaf; the side edging adds no width
Materials
Choose a smooth, mercerized or combed DK cotton. Cotton holds the fan shape, shows the scallops crisply and does not stretch much when the strips hang. Avoid fuzzy yarns, which blur the spokes.
- Pale butter yellow (fans): 100 g / about 220 m
- Light taupe beige (rings, spokes, stem, edging, header): 75 g / about 165 m
Tools:
- 4 mm (US G-6) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Stitch markers (about 6)
- Scissors and a measuring tape
- Blocking mat, rust-proof pins and a spray bottle
All yarn quantities include a margin of roughly 30% for gauge differences, swatching and weaving in ends.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sk – skip
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- rep – repeat
Special stitch – Spoke: Ch 12, sl st in the ring. This makes a long, narrow ch-12 loop that hangs as a doubled, twisted-looking chain about 1.2 in (3.0 cm) long. Its folded tip (around the 6th and 7th chains) is the “loop tip” you work into later.
Shell: 5 dc in the same st.
Gauge and Checkpoints
- Dc gauge: 18 dc x 9 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm)
- Chain gauge: 5 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm)
The chain gauge matters most, because every stem segment and edging chain is sized from it. Chain 25 and measure it relaxed: it should be 5 in (12.7 cm).
Make one complete leaf before anything else and check it:
- After Row 1: spokes are about 1.2 in (3.0 cm) long from the ring.
- After Row 2: the leaf is about 1.6 in (4.1 cm) tall.
- After Row 3: the leaf is about 2 in (5.1 cm) tall.
- After Row 4: the leaf is 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide x 2.25 in (5.7 cm) tall, gently pinned.
If your leaf is too big, go down a hook size (3.75 mm). If it is too small, go up a size (4.5 mm). If only your chains are off, keep the same hook for the leaves and change hook size just for the stem and edging.
Leaf Motif (Make 38)
Each leaf is worked flat in rows, starting at the base ring.
Row 1 (beige): Ch 4, sl st in first ch to form a ring. Work 7 Spokes into the ring: (ch 12, sl st in ring) 7 times. Fasten off and weave in the end. (7 spokes)
Lay the leaf with the ring at the bottom and fan the spokes upward in a half circle. Spoke 1 is on the right.
Row 2 (yellow): Join yellow with a sl st in the tip of spoke 1. Ch 1, 3 sc in the same loop tip, then 3 sc in the tip of each of the next 6 spokes. Turn. (21 sc)
Work snugly so the spoke tips sit side by side and the spokes stay straight.
Row 3 (yellow, growth row): Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in next sc, 2 dc in next sc, dc in next 4 sc, 2 dc in next sc, dc in next 5 sc, 2 dc in next sc, dc in next 4 sc, 2 dc in next sc, dc in last 2 sc. Turn. (25 dc)
That is 21 dc worked one per sc + 4 extra dc = 25 dc. The increases fall on sc 3, 8, 14 and 19. This spacing is the same from both ends, so the fan widens evenly.
Row 4 (yellow, scallop edge): Ch 1, sc in first dc, *sk next dc, Shell in next dc, sk next dc, sc in next dc; rep from * 5 more times. Fasten off. (6 shells, 7 sc; 37 sts)
Check: 1 sc + 6 repeats that each use 4 dc = 25 sts used. The six shells make the soft, wavy ginkgo edge.
Weave in the yellow ends along the back of Row 3. Leave the ring free, because the stem passes through it.
Make All Pieces
Make 38 leaves in total: 19 for each strip.
- Rings and spokes: beige, 38 leaves
- Fan rows: yellow, 38 leaves
Stack the finished leaves in groups of 19 and pin each group flat before joining. This makes the fans much easier to handle.
Layout per strip (T = top leaf, L = left leaf, R = right leaf, | = stem, o = bottom loop):
T
L9 | R9
L8 | R8
L7 | R7
L6 | R6
L5 | R5
L4 | R4
L3 | R3
L2 | R2
L1 | R1
o
Joining: The Stem
You chain each strip’s stem from the bottom up in beige and attach the leaves through their rings as you go.
Bottom loop: Ch 8, sl st in first ch to form the bottom loop, about 0.8 in (2.0 cm) long. Ch 6 for the lead (1.2 in / 3.0 cm).
Attach a pair:
- Ch 4 (petiole). Insert the hook from front to back through the ring of a right leaf and sl st. Sl st back along the 4 petiole ch to the stem.
- Ch 4, sl st through the ring of a left leaf, then sl st back along the 4 ch to the stem.
Angle each leaf so its fan opens up and outward, with the center spoke pointing about 45 degrees away from the stem.
Stem segment: Ch 12 (2.4 in / 6.1 cm).
Attach pair 1. Then *work 1 stem segment and attach the next pair; rep from * until all 9 pairs are attached. Pair 1 sits 2 in (5.1 cm) above the bottom tip, and pair 9 sits 21.2 in (53.8 cm) above it.
Top leaf:
- Ch 12, then sl st through the ring of the top leaf, with its fan pointing straight up. The ring now sits 23.6 in (59.9 cm) above the bottom tip.
- Ch 6 behind the center spoke and sl st in the center (11th) sc of Row 2 to anchor the leaf.
- Ch 16 for the upper center post.
- Place a marker in the last ch. Cut the yarn, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail, and pull it through.
Tension: Keep the stem chains the same size as your gauge chain. Tight stem chains shorten the strip and crowd the pairs. Loose chains let the leaves droop.
Size checkpoint: Lay the strip flat. It should measure about 7 in (17.8 cm) across the widest pair and about 26 in (66.0 cm) from the bottom tip to the top edge of the top leaf.
Border: Edging and Header
The border is one continuous beige round. It links the outer corner of every side leaf, builds the header, and comes back down the other side.
Border gauge: 5 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm), the same as the stem.
“Outer corner” means the first or last sc of Row 4, whichever is on the side farthest from the stem.
Side A (right side, working up):
- Join beige with a sl st at the base of the bottom loop. Ch 20, sl st in the outer corner of leaf R1.
- (Ch 12, sl st in the outer corner of the next right leaf) 8 times, ending at R9.
- Ch 14, sl st in the right outer corner of the top leaf.
- Ch 20 for side post A.
Side A count: 20 + (8 x 12) + 14 + 20 = 150 ch, with 10 sl st joins (9 side leaves + the top leaf).
Top bar and hanging loops:
- Ch 10, sl st in the last ch of side post A (hanging loop 1).
- Ch 12, then ch 10 and sl st in the 11th ch from hook (hanging loop 2).
- Ch 6, sl st in the marked top ch of the center post, ch 6. Then ch 10 and sl st in the 11th ch from hook (hanging loop 3).
- Ch 12, then ch 10 and sl st in the 11th ch from hook (hanging loop 4).
Top bar count: 12 + 6 + 6 + 12 = 36 ch = 7.2 in (18.3 cm), plus 4 loops of 10 ch each (40 ch).
Side B (left side, working down):
- Ch 20 for side post B, then sl st in the left outer corner of the top leaf.
- Ch 14, sl st in the outer corner of leaf L9.
- (Ch 12, sl st in the outer corner of the next left leaf) 8 times, ending at L1.
- Ch 20, sl st at the base of the bottom loop. Fasten off.
Side B count: 20 + 14 + (8 x 12) + 20 = 150 ch, with 10 sl st joins. It is a mirror of side A.
Header swag:
- Join beige in the 10th ch of side post A, counting down from the bar.
- Ch 20, sl st in the 6th ch of the upper center post, counting up from the Row 2 anchor.
- Ch 20, sl st in the 10th ch of side post B, counting down from the bar. Fasten off. (40 ch)
Why the math works:
- Each side has 9 leaves, so there are 8 gaps between them. Every gap is ch 12, the same as the 12-ch stem segment between pairs. So 8 x 12 = 96 ch = 19.2 in (48.8 cm) of edging lies along 19.2 in (48.8 cm) of stem, with no pulling or rippling.
- The end segments are sized to their diagonal distances: ch 20 (4 in / 10.2 cm) for the bottom spread and ch 14 (2.8 in / 7.1 cm) up to the top leaf.
- Both 20-ch side posts are equal, so the bar sits level. The center post is 6 + 16 = 22 ch, or 4.4 in (11.2 cm) above the ring, which matches the side posts measured from the leaf corners.
- Each swag spans 3.6 in (9.1 cm) with 4 in (10.2 cm) of chain, which gives a gentle 0.4 in (1.0 cm) drape.
Final Blocking
- Weave in every remaining end along the chains or behind the yellow rows.
- Spritz both strips evenly with water until damp, not dripping.
- Lay each strip flat on the mat. Pin the bottom loop, then the top bar, stretching the strip to 28 in (71.1 cm) from the bottom tip to the bar.
- Pin each pair so the leaves sit evenly on both sides, 7 in (17.8 cm) across.
- Pin each fan at the tip of every shell to open the scallops, keeping the leaves 3.5 in (8.9 cm) wide.
- Straighten the spokes so they fan out evenly from each ring.
- Let the strips dry completely, about 24 hours, before unpinning.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- 19 leaves per strip: 1 top leaf + 9 pairs
- Every leaf: 7 spokes, 21 sc in Row 2, 25 dc in Row 3, 6 shells in Row 4
- All stem segments are ch 12, and all petioles are ch 4
- Each side edging: 150 ch with 10 joins
- Top bar: 36 ch with 4 hanging loops of 10 ch
- Each strip: 7 in (17.8 cm) wide and 29 in (73.7 cm) long, including the loops
- Both strips match in length within 0.5 in (1.3 cm)
Troubleshooting
- Fans ruffle too much: Your dc is loose. Go down a hook size for Rows 3 and 4.
- Fans cup instead of lying flat: Row 2 is too tight. Work the sc loosely into the spoke tips.
- Spokes look uneven: Keep all 12 ch the same size, and block the spokes straight.
- Leaves droop on the stem: Work the sl sts back along the petiole firmly so the leaves sit close against the stem.
- Edging puckers the sides: Your edging chains are tighter than your stem chains. Use a larger hook for the border.
- Strip twists when hung: Re-block it flat and check that the left and right edging counts match.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press out the water in a towel, and dry flat, re-pinning if needed. Don’t hang the strips while wet, because that stretches the chains.
Final Notes
The whole design rests on one chain of measurements:
- A 3.5 in (8.9 cm) leaf sets the 7 in (17.8 cm) width.
- The gauge of 5 ch per inch makes each 12-ch stem segment 2.4 in (6.1 cm).
- Nine pairs plus the top leaf give about 26 in (66.0 cm) before the border.
- The edging gaps match the stem segments exactly, and the header brings each strip to 29 in (73.7 cm).
Check your gauge chain and your first leaf, and the rest will fall into place.
Happy crocheting!