This curtain brings a quiet winter night to your window. A row of navy half-circle lace motifs forms the valance, and each motif holds a cream snowflake. Long cream strands hang below it, dotted with round chain beads, lacy angels and small navy stars.
The palette uses just two colors, deep navy and soft cream. The style is classic Scandinavian Christmas, with crisp contrast and lace that lets light through. The pattern uses US crochet terms.
The valance measures 49 in (124.5 cm) wide and 4 in (10.2 cm) deep, not counting the tabs. From the top of the band to the end of the longest strands, the curtain drops 40 in (101.6 cm).
You make 7 half-circle motifs and sew a snowflake onto each one. Then you join the motifs, work a sc band with 8 tabs across the straight top edge, and add 15 beaded strands with angels and stars.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 49 in (124.5 cm) wide; valance 4 in (10.2 cm) deep; total drop 40 in (101.6 cm)
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK (light worsted, weight 3) cotton
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Number of pieces: 7 motifs, 7 snowflakes, 14 angels, 31 stars, 15 strands
- Layout: 7 motifs in one row, 15 strands below
- Piece size: each motif 7 in (17.8 cm) across the straight edge, 3.5 in (8.9 cm) deep
- Size before border: 49 in x 3.5 in (124.5 cm x 8.9 cm)
- Border depth: top band 0.5 in (1.3 cm), plus tabs folded into 1 in (2.5 cm) loops
Materials
Use a smooth mercerized or combed cotton in DK weight. Cotton keeps the lace crisp and holds its shape when hung. Avoid fuzzy or stretchy yarns, because the strands would sag under the angels.
- Navy: 200 g, about 420 m (motifs, band, tabs, stars)
- Cream: 250 g, about 525 m (snowflakes, angels, strands)
These quantities include a margin of about 20 percent for swatching and tension differences.
Tools:
– 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Stitch markers
– A small amount of polyester fiberfill
– Blocking mats, rust-proof pins, spray bottle
– Scissors and measuring tape
– Curtain rod up to 0.5 in (1.3 cm) thick
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch = chain
- sl st = slip stitch
- sc = single crochet
- hdc = half double crochet
- dc = double crochet
- sc2tog = single crochet 2 together
- MR = magic ring
- sp = space
- st(s) = stitch(es)
Special stitch: Chain Bead (CB). Ch 3, then work 5 dc in the 3rd ch from the hook. Remove the hook from the loop and insert it front to back into the top of the first dc. Put the dropped loop back on the hook and pull it through, then ch 1 to lock. This makes a round ball that sits on the chain.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Band gauge: 20 sc and 24 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm). That works out to 5 sc and 6 rows per 1 in (2.5 cm).
Make one full motif first. It is your real gauge test, because every later number depends on it.
- After Row 3: straight edge 3.5 in (8.9 cm)
- After Row 5: straight edge 6 in (15.2 cm)
- After Row 6: straight edge 7 in (17.8 cm), depth 3.5 in (8.9 cm)
- Snowflake: 2.75 in (7.0 cm) point to point
- Angel: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall
- Star: 1.75 in (4.4 cm) across
If your motif comes out larger, go down 0.25 mm in hook size. If it comes out smaller, go up 0.25 mm. Change the hook, not the stitch counts, because the band depends on 35 sc per motif.
Half-Circle Motif (Make 7, Navy)
You work the motif in turning rows, growing outward from the center of the straight edge. The row ends form the flat top edge.
Row 1: MR, ch 3 (counts as dc), 6 dc in ring. Pull the ring closed. Turn. (7 dc)
Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in same st, 2 dc in each st across. Turn. (14 dc)
Row 3: Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in same st, [dc in next st, 2 dc in next st] 6 times, dc in last st. Turn. (21 dc)
Row 4: Ch 5 (counts as dc + ch 2), skip next st, dc in next st, [ch 2, skip next st, dc in next st] 9 times. Turn. (11 dc, 10 ch-2 sps)
Row 5: Ch 3 (counts as dc), [3 dc in next ch-2 sp, dc in next dc] 10 times. Work the last dc into the 3rd ch of the turning ch-5. Turn. (41 dc)
Row 6 (scallops): Ch 1, sc in first st, [skip next st, 5 dc in next st, skip next st, sc in next st] 10 times. Fasten off. (10 shells, 11 sc)
The 6th sc of Row 6 sits at the bottom center of the curve. Mark it, because a strand will hang from it.
Snowflake Appliqué (Make 7, Cream)
Round 1: MR, ch 1, 12 sc in ring, join with sl st to first sc. (12 sc)
Round 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in same st, 2 dc in each st around, join to top of ch-3. (24 dc)
Round 3: Ch 1, sc in next st, hdc in next st, (dc, ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, dc) in next st, hdc in next st; repeat from * 5 more times, join to first sc. Fasten off and leave a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail. (30 sts, 6 picots)
Each 4-st repeat makes one rounded point with a picot tip. Six repeats use all 24 sts.
Attach: Center the snowflake over Rows 1–4 of the motif. Point one tip straight down and keep the top points 0.25 in (0.6 cm) below the straight edge. Whipstitch around Round 2 and leave the points free.
Angel (Make 14, Cream)
Head:
– Round 1: MR, 6 sc in ring. (6)
– Round 2: 2 sc in each st. (12)
– Rounds 3–4: Sc in each st. (12)
– Round 5: [Sc2tog] 6 times. (6)
Stuff lightly and close. The finished head is about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) across.
Skirt:
– Round 1: Ch 8 and join with a sl st to form a ring. Ch 3 (counts as dc), 15 dc in ring, join. (16 dc)
– Round 2: Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), [dc in next st, ch 1] 15 times, join to 3rd ch of ch-4. (16 dc, 16 ch-1 sps)
– Round 3: Sl st into first ch-1 sp, ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in same sp, ch 1, [2 dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1] 15 times, join. (32 dc, 16 ch-1 sps)
– Round 4: Sl st in next dc and into next ch-1 sp, ch 1, sc in same sp, [5 dc in next ch-1 sp, sc in next ch-1 sp] 7 times, 5 dc in last ch-1 sp, join. Fasten off. (8 shells, 8 sc)
Wings (make 2 per angel):
– Row 1: MR, ch 3 (counts as dc), 6 dc in ring. Turn. (7 dc)
– Row 2: Ch 1, sc in first st, [ch 3, sc in next st] 6 times. Fasten off. (7 sc, 6 ch-3 loops)
Each wing is about 1.2 in (3.0 cm) wide.
Assemble: Sew the head over the skirt’s top ring. Sew the wings to the back of Rounds 1–2 with the flat edges toward the center, angled up and out.
Star (Make 31, Navy)
Round 1: MR, ch 1, 10 sc in ring, join to first sc. (10 sc)
Round 2: Ch 4, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next ch, hdc in next ch, skip next sc, sl st in next sc; repeat from * 4 more times. The last sl st lands in the joining st. Fasten off. (5 points)
Each point uses 2 sts, and 5 x 2 = 10.
Make All Pieces
Before joining, check that you have:
- Navy: 7 motifs, 31 stars
- Cream: 7 snowflakes (already sewn on) and 14 angels
Lay the motifs in a single row with the straight edges up. In the grid, T is a tab, M is a motif, S is a seam strand and C is a center strand.
TOP: T M1 T M2 T M3 T M4 T M5 T M6 T M7 T
STRANDS: S C S C S C S C S C S C S C S
The grid has 8 tabs, 8 seam strands and 7 center strands.
Joining
Place two motifs side by side, right sides up, with the straight edges lined up. Their Row 6 row-ends meet at the top corner.
With navy and a tapestry needle, whipstitch the Row 6 row-ends together with 3 stitches, catching the side of the end shells. Join only this short section. Below it, the scallops should curve apart to form the arches.
Join stitch to stitch, matching the end sc of Row 6 on one motif to the end sc of Row 6 on the next. Keep the stitches snug but flat so the straight edges stay level.
Size checkpoint: the joined row measures 49 in (124.5 cm), which is 7 motifs x 7 in (17.8 cm).
Border: Top Band and Tabs
Border gauge: 5 sc per 1 in (2.5 cm).
Work the band along the straight edge only. Each motif takes 35 sc. On each side, work 3 sc into each of the 5 dc row-ends and 2 sc into the Row 6 row-end, for 17 sc per side. Add 1 sc into the ring at the center. The total is 17 + 1 + 17 = 35.
Row 1: With the right side facing, join navy at the right corner. Ch 1, then work 35 sc across each motif as described. Add no stitches at the seams. Turn. (245 sc)
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (245 sc)
Row 3: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Fasten off. (245 sc)
Tabs: Each tab is 6 sts wide. Mark these positions on Row 3:
- Tab 1: sts 1–6
- Tabs 2–7 (one over each seam): sts 33–38, 68–73, 103–108, 138–143, 173–178, 208–213
- Tab 8: sts 240–245
For each tab, join navy in the first marked st, ch 1 and sc in the 6 sts. Work 11 more rows of 6 sc, for 12 rows total, about 2 in (5.1 cm). Fold the tab to the back and sew it to Row 1 of the band. This makes a 1 in (2.5 cm) loop.
Why the math works: 7 motifs x 35 sc = 245 sc, and 245 sc at 5 sc per inch is 49 in (124.5 cm). The 8 tabs use 8 x 6 = 48 sts. The gaps use 26 + (5 x 29) + 26 = 197 sts, and 48 + 197 = 245. Each seam tab covers 3 sts on each side of the seam, so it is centered over the join.
Strands (Make 15, Cream)
Each strand is a chain built from repeating units. One unit is ch 14 followed by 1 CB, about 3 in (7.6 cm) long.
Center strands (7): Join cream with a sl st in the marked bottom-center sc of a motif. Work 10 units and fasten off. (about 30 in / 76.2 cm)
Seam strands (8): Join cream at a whipstitched seam. For the two end strands, join at the outer Row 6 corner instead. Work 12 units and fasten off. (about 36 in / 91.4 cm)
Ornaments:
– Center strands: Sew one angel over units 2–3 and another over units 6–7. Tack the top of the head and the back of the skirt to the chain. Sew a star just below the last CB.
– Seam strands: Sew a star just below the CB of units 4, 8 and 12.
Count check: 7 x 2 = 14 angels, and 7 + (8 x 3) = 31 stars.
Final Blocking
- Lightly mist the finished valance.
- Pin each motif to a semicircle 7 in (17.8 cm) wide and 3.5 in (8.9 cm) deep.
- Pin out every shell tip so the scallops open evenly.
- Pin the snowflake points flat.
- Pin the band straight at 49 in (124.5 cm).
- Shape each angel skirt over a small cone of rolled paper, and pin the 5 points of each star.
- Hang the strands with a light clip at the bottom of each to straighten them.
- Let everything dry completely.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- 7 motifs, each 7 in (17.8 cm) wide and 3.5 in (8.9 cm) deep
- 10 shells and a centered snowflake on every motif
- 245 sc in every band row
- 8 tabs, each 6 sts wide and 12 rows long
- 7 strands at 30 in (76.2 cm) and 8 strands at 36 in (91.4 cm)
- 14 angels and 31 stars, all firmly tacked
- All tails woven in
Troubleshooting
- Motif ruffles: The dc are too loose. Go down a hook size.
- Motif cups: The tension is too tight. Go up a hook size.
- Band waves or pulls in: Recount 35 sc per motif, with 3 sc per dc row-end.
- Tabs miss the seams: Recount the tab positions starting from st 1.
- Strands twist: Block them with a light weight and keep your chain tension even.
- Angels tip forward: Add a second tack at the skirt hem.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap and lay flat to dry. Reshape the shells, angels and stars while damp.
Final Notes
The measurements all build on one motif. A motif is 7 in (17.8 cm) wide, with 35 sc along its straight edge. Seven motifs give 245 sc and 49 in (124.5 cm). The band adds 0.5 in (1.3 cm), and the tabs fold into 1 in (2.5 cm) loops. The strands are made of 3 in (7.6 cm) units and hang 30 in (76.2 cm) and 36 in (91.4 cm), for a total drop of 40 in (101.6 cm).
If your first motif matches these numbers, the rest of the curtain will too. Happy crocheting!