The Lavender Flutter curtain is an airy lace panel made of small butterflies. Each butterfly has solid, ribbed upper wings, corded loop lower wings, and a teardrop tail with a tiny picot. Light passes through the open lattice between motifs, so the curtain filters a window instead of blocking it.
The whole design uses one color, a soft lavender cotton. This keeps the look calm and romantic, and it lets the butterfly shapes stand out. The pattern uses US crochet terms throughout.
One finished panel measures 31 in (78.7 cm) wide × 75.75 in (192.4 cm) long, plus 2 in (5.1 cm) tab tops, for a hanging length of 77.75 in (197.5 cm). The photo shows a pair, so this pattern makes two identical panels.
Construction is simple to follow. You work each butterfly in four rounds from a center ring. From the second motif on, you join each one as you go with chain links at its corners and tail. A three-round border then straightens the edges, and tab tops finish the top edge.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished panel size: 31 in (78.7 cm) × 75.75 in (192.4 cm), plus 2 in (5.1 cm) tabs
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Medium (#4) worsted cotton
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 90 motifs per panel, 180 for the pair
- Layout: 6 motifs wide × 15 motifs tall per panel
- Motif size: 4.5 in (11.4 cm) unjoined; 5 in (12.7 cm) spacing once joined
- Size before border: 30 in (76.2 cm) × 75 in (190.5 cm)
- Border depth: 0.5 in (1.3 cm) on the sides and bottom, 0.25 in (0.6 cm) on the top
Materials
Choose a smooth, mercerized or combed cotton in worsted weight. Cotton holds the corded loops crisply and blocks flat. Avoid fuzzy or very stretchy yarns, because the lattice can sag under its own weight.
Yarn (for two panels):
– Lavender: 1,500 g / 3,000 m (about 30 balls of 50 g / 100 m)
Each motif uses about 6.5 g / 13 m. Each panel uses about 585 g / 1,170 m for the motifs plus 75 g / 150 m for the border and tabs, for 660 g / 1,320 m per panel. These quantities include a margin of about 14% for gauge swatches and dye-lot safety.
Tools:
– 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Stitch markers (at least 4)
– Rust-proof blocking pins
– Large blocking surface or foam mats
– Measuring tape
– Spray bottle
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet (yo twice)
- dtr – double treble crochet (yo 3 times)
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sp – space
- rep – repeat
- RS / WS – right side / wrong side
Special stitches and terms:
– Picot: Ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook.
– Corner loop: If no neighbor exists at this point, ch 11. The 6th ch is the link point.
– Joined corner loop: Ch 5, sl st into the existing link point, ch 5.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Make one complete test motif before starting. Lay it flat without stretching it and check these measurements:
- After Rnd 1: 1.25 in (3.2 cm) diameter
- After Rnd 2: 2.25 in (5.7 cm) diameter
- After Rnd 3: upper wings span 4 in (10.2 cm)
- After Rnd 4: 4.5 in (11.4 cm) wide × 4.5 in (11.4 cm) tall, not counting corner loops
Joined motifs should sit at 5 in (12.7 cm) from center to center.
If your motif measures more than 4.75 in (12.1 cm), go down one hook size. If it measures less than 4.25 in (10.8 cm), go up one hook size. Matching gauge matters here, because a 0.25 in (0.6 cm) error per motif adds up to 3.75 in (9.5 cm) over the 15 rows.
Butterfly Motif
Stitch numbering: Rnd 2 has 32 dc. Count them clockwise from top center. Sts 1–8 are the upper right quarter, sts 9–16 the lower right, sts 17–24 the lower left, and sts 25–32 the upper left.
Rnd 1: Ch 4, sl st in first ch to form a ring. Ch 1, 16 sc in ring, sl st in first sc. (16 sc)
Rnd 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in same st, 2 dc in each sc around, sl st in top of ch-3. (32 dc)
Place markers in sts 8, 16, 17, and 25.
Rnd 3 (wing framework):
– Upper right wing: Ch 4 (counts as tr), tr in same st, 2 tr in each of sts 2–8. That gives 16 tr. Sc in st 8, in the same st.
– Lower right wing: Ch 8, skip 3 sts, sc in st 12. Ch 8, skip 3 sts, sc in st 16.
– Tail: Ch 15, sc in st 17.
– Lower left wing: Ch 8, skip 3 sts, sc in st 21. Ch 8, skip 3 sts, sc in st 25.
– Upper left wing: 2 tr in st 25, in the same st as the sc. Work 2 tr in each of sts 26–32. That gives 16 tr.
– Sl st in top of the beginning ch-4.
Count: 32 tr, 6 sc, four ch-8 loops, one ch-15 loop.
Each upper wing has a matching sc at its outer side, in st 8 and st 25, so the motif stays symmetrical.
Rnd 4 (cording and corners):
– Top link: Only if a motif sits above this one: ch 7, sl st in the tail picot of the motif above, ch 7, sl st in the same st. Skip this step for top-row motifs.
– Upper right wing: Ch 1, sc in the same st and in each of the next 9 tr (10 sc). Work a corner loop (top right). Sc in each of the next 6 tr.
– Lower right wing: Sc in the sc at st 8. Work 12 sc in the ch-8 loop. Sc in the sc at st 12, then work a corner loop (bottom right). Work 12 sc in the next ch-8 loop. Sc in the sc at st 16.
– Tail: Work 9 sc in the ch-15 loop, a picot, then 9 sc in the same loop. Sc in the sc at st 17.
– Lower left wing: Work 12 sc in the ch-8 loop. Sc in the sc at st 21, then work a corner loop (bottom left). Work 12 sc in the next ch-8 loop. Sc in the sc at st 25.
– Upper left wing: Sc in each of the next 6 tr. Work a corner loop (top left). Sc in each of the last 10 tr.
– Sl st in first sc. Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Count: (32 sc worked 1 per tr + 6 sc worked 1 per anchor sc) + (48 sc in the four ch-8 loops + 18 sc in the tail loop) = 104 sc, plus 4 corner loops and 1 picot.
The 12 sc packed into each ch-8 loop give the thick, corded lobes. The tr fans give the ribbed upper wings, with each tip loop falling at the outer top corner.
Make All Pieces
Make 90 motifs per panel, 180 for the pair, all in Lavender. Make them by joining as you go, row by row, from the top left of each panel.
Layout grid (each panel):
ROW 1: LAV LAV LAV LAV LAV LAV
ROW 2: LAV LAV LAV LAV LAV LAV
ROW 3: LAV LAV LAV LAV LAV LAV
...
ROW 15: LAV LAV LAV LAV LAV LAV
That is 6 motifs per row × 15 rows = 90 motifs.
Joining
Method: Join as you go during Rnd 4. Each corner point of the grid is shared by up to four motifs. The first motif to reach a point makes a ch-11 corner loop. Every later motif sl sts into that loop’s 6th ch.
Stitch-to-stitch logic for a motif in row r, column c:
– Top link: Joins to the tail picot of the motif directly above.
– Top right corner loop: Joins to the link point already shared by the two motifs above. Make a ch 11 in Row 1, or on the last motif of any row with nothing above it.
– Bottom right corner loop: Always ch 11. No neighbor exists there yet.
– Tail picot: Left free. The motif below will join to it.
– Bottom left corner loop: Joins to the bottom right link point of the motif to the left. Make a ch 11 in column 1.
– Top left corner loop: Joins to the shared link point at that corner. Make a ch 11 for the first motif of Row 1.
Tension: Keep the ch 5 / sl st / ch 5 links the same length as a ch-11 loop. Don’t pull the sl st tight. If the links are too tight, the lattice puckers. If they are too loose, it sags.
Size checkpoint: After two rows (12 motifs), lay the piece flat. It should measure 30 in (76.2 cm) × 10 in (25.4 cm). The full panel should measure 30 in (76.2 cm) × 75 in (190.5 cm) before the border.
Border
Border gauge: 4 sts = 1 in (2.5 cm), so 20 sts per 5 in (12.7 cm) motif.
Rnd 1 (straightening):
1. With RS facing, join with sc in the top left corner link point. This sc counts as the last st of the left side. Ch 3 for the corner sp.
2. Top: [Ch 9, dtr in the top-center gap between the first and last sc of Rnd 4, ch 9, sc in next link point] 6 times. The 6th sc lands on the top right corner. Ch 3.
3. Right side: [Ch 9, dtr in the waist sc above st 8, ch 9, sc in next link point] 15 times. Ch 3.
4. Bottom: [Ch 9, sc in tail picot, ch 9, sc in next link point] 6 times. Ch 3.
5. Left side: [Ch 9, dtr in the waist sc above st 25, ch 9, sc in next link point] 14 times. Then ch 9, dtr, ch 9, and sl st in the first sc.
Count per side:
– 20 sts per motif (9 + 1 + 9 + 1 sc)
– Top and bottom: 6 × 20 = 120 sts
– Right and left sides: 15 × 20 = 300 sts
– Total: 840 sts plus 4 ch-3 corner sps
Each side’s ending sc is its own corner st. No corner st is counted twice.
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in each st and in each ch around, with 3 sc in each corner sp. Sl st in first sc. Fasten off.
Count: (840 sc worked 1 per st) + (12 sc in corner sps) = 852 sc.
Between corner-center sts there are:
– Top and bottom: 1 + 120 + 1 = 122 sts
– Sides: 1 + 300 + 1 = 302 sts
Rnd 3 (picot edge, sides and bottom only):
1. Join with sc in the top right corner-center sc, then work a picot.
2. Right side: [Sc in next 2 sts, picot] 151 times.
3. Sc in the bottom right corner-center sc, picot.
4. Bottom: [Sc in next 2 sts, picot] 61 times.
5. Sc in the bottom left corner-center sc, picot.
6. Left side: [Sc in next 2 sts, picot] 151 times.
7. Sc in the top left corner-center sc, picot. Fasten off.
Count: 730 sc and 367 picots.
Tab tops: Work into the 122 top sts of Rnd 2. Leave 11 sts free between tabs.
1. Row 1: With RS facing, join in st 1. Sc in 8 sts, then turn.
2. Rows 2–16: Ch 1, sc in 8 sts, then turn.
3. Finish: Fold the tab to the WS and sew Row 16 to the back of Rnd 1.
4. Rep for the remaining tabs. Tabs start at sts 1, 20, 39, 58, 77, 96, and 115.
Count: 7 tabs × 8 sts + 6 gaps × 11 sts = 56 + 66 = 122 ✓
Each tab is 2 in (5.1 cm) wide and each gap is 2.75 in (7.0 cm). The folded loops fit a rod up to 1 in (2.5 cm) in diameter.
Why the math works:
– Rnd 1 uses the same 20 sts for every motif on every side.
– Rnd 2 keeps each side as one sc per st and adds only 3 sc per corner.
– Both 122 and 302 are even, so the 2-st picot repeat comes out exact.
– 122 also splits exactly into 7 tabs and 6 gaps.
Final Blocking
- Soak the panel in cool water with a little wool wash for 15 minutes.
- Press out the water. Don’t wring it. Roll it in towels.
- Lay it flat and measure: 31 in (78.7 cm) wide × 75.75 in (192.4 cm) long.
- Pin the four corners first, then pin every link point along the edges.
- Pin each interior link point onto a 5 in (12.7 cm) grid.
- Open each tail and lower loop with a pin so the lobes stay rounded.
- Let it dry completely. Repeat for the second panel.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Every motif has 104 sc in Rnd 4, 4 corner loops, and 1 picot
- Every interior link point holds the correct number of joins
- All top links connect to a tail picot
- Rnd 1 has 120 / 300 / 120 / 300 sts
- Rnd 2 has 852 sc
- Picots are evenly spaced, with 151 / 61 / 151 repeats
- Tabs line up at sts 1, 20, 39, 58, 77, 96, and 115
- Both panels match within 0.5 in (1.3 cm)
- All ends are woven in securely
Troubleshooting
- Wings cup: Your tr is too tight. Loosen your yarn-overs or go up a hook size.
- Corded loops ripple: Work 11 sc instead of 12 into each ch-8 loop. Make the same change on every motif.
- Lattice puckers: The links are too short. Keep each joined link at 10 ch total.
- Panel too long: Check your row spacing. Fifteen rows should measure 75 in (190.5 cm).
- Border waves: Your Rnd 1 chains are too loose. Use ch 8 in place of ch 9 on every repeat, and recount each side as 18 sts per motif.
- Picots miss the corner: Recount the 302 or 122 sts between corner centers.
Care
Hand wash cool, or machine wash on a gentle cycle in a mesh bag. Dry flat and re-pin the link points if needed.
Final Notes
Each panel follows one measurement chain:
– One motif is 4.5 in (11.4 cm) and sits at 5 in (12.7 cm) spacing once joined.
– Six motifs make 30 in (76.2 cm) of width, and 15 make 75 in (190.5 cm) of length.
– The border brings the panel to 31 in (78.7 cm) × 75.75 in (192.4 cm).
– The tabs give a hanging length of 77.75 in (197.5 cm).
Check your gauge at the first motif and again at the two-row checkpoint, and the rest of the panel follows.
Happy crocheting!