This window valance is a light, airy filet piece in one soft sky blue. A straight band of open mesh hangs from curtain rings on a rod. The lower edge breaks into nine stepped points, and a beaded strand drops from the tip of each one.
Each strand carries two on-point diamond motifs with open square centers. Small five-petal flowers sit along the cord between them, and the strand ends in a full tassel with a round crocheted cap. Odd and even strands place their diamonds at different heights. This gives a staggered lattice look while all the tassels end level.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished valance measures 32.4 in (82.3 cm) wide and about 27.8 in (70.6 cm) from the top edge to the tassel tips.
Construction is simple. First you work the header flat in filet mesh rows, shape the points one at a time, and add a firm sc band across the top. Then you make the diamonds, flowers, and tassels. Finally you build each strand as a chain cord joined straight onto the pieces.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 32.4 in (82.3 cm) wide x about 27.8 in (70.6 cm) long
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK (3), cotton
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Number of pieces: 1 header, 18 diamonds, 36 flowers, and 9 tassels with caps; the 9 chain cords are worked in place
- Layout: 9 points across the header, 1 strand per point, with strands A and B alternating
- Piece size: diamond 2.6 in (6.6 cm) square, about 3.7 in (9.4 cm) point to point; flower 1 in (2.5 cm); tassel 4 in (10.2 cm)
- Header size before border: 32.4 in x 5.6 in (82.3 cm x 14.2 cm)
- Border depth: 0.4 in (1.0 cm), top edge only
Materials
Choose a smooth, mercerized DK cotton or cotton blend. Cotton gives crisp mesh, keeps the diamonds square, and makes tassels that hang straight. Avoid fuzzy or very stretchy yarn, because the open spaces will blur and the strands may stretch longer.
- Sky Blue: 260 g (572 m), based on 50 g / 110 m balls
Approximate use is: header 70 g, diamonds 54 g, flowers 36 g, tassels and caps 54 g, and cords 9 g. The quantity above includes a margin of about 15% for gauge differences and tassel trimming.
Tools:
- 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Stiff card, 4 in (10.2 cm) tall, for tassels
- Stitch markers
- 10 curtain clip rings
- Rust-proof pins and a blocking mat
- Spray bottle
- Measuring tape
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- beg – beginning
- rep – repeat
- RS – right side
Special stitch – Mesh: dc, ch 2, skip 2 sts or 1 ch-2 sp, dc in next dc. Neighboring meshes share the dc between them, so a row of N mesh has N + 1 dc.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 5 mesh and 5 rows = 2 in (5.1 cm) in filet mesh. Each mesh is 0.4 in (1.0 cm) wide and tall. Chain gauge is 15 ch = 2 in (5.1 cm).
Test one piece first. Make one diamond before you start the header. It uses the same mesh logic and gives you quick feedback on your gauge.
Checkpoints:
- Diamond after Round 2: 1.6 in (4.1 cm) square
- Diamond after Round 3: 2.4 in (6.1 cm) square
- Diamond after edging: 2.6 in (6.6 cm) square
- Header after Row 10: 32.4 in x 4.0 in (82.3 cm x 10.2 cm)
- Header after points: 5.6 in (14.2 cm) deep at the tips
If too big: go down 0.5 mm, or work your ch-2 loops more tightly. If too small: go up 0.5 mm. Check the header width after Row 3. If it is off by more than 0.5 in (1.3 cm), start over now rather than later.
Diamond Motif (make 18)
The diamond is a square worked in rounds around a chain ring. The ring stays open as the center window. You hang the square on point from two opposite corners.
Round 1: Ch 24, sl st in first ch to form a ring, taking care not to twist it. (24 ch; 6 ch per side.)
Round 2: Ch 5 (counts as dc and ch 2), dc in same ch as join (first corner). *Ch 2, skip 2 ch, dc in next ch, ch 2, skip 2 ch**, (dc, ch 2, dc) in next ch (corner). Rep from * twice more, then rep from * to ** once. Join with sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch-5. (12 dc, 12 ch-2 sps: 4 corner sps and 8 side sps.)
The corners land on chains 1, 7, 13, and 19, so each side uses exactly 6 chains.
Round 3: Sl st in next corner sp. Ch 5 (counts as dc and ch 2), dc in same sp. *[Ch 2, dc in next dc] 3 times, ch 2**, (dc, ch 2, dc) in next corner sp. Rep from * twice more, then rep from * to ** once. Join with sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch-5. (20 dc, 20 ch-2 sps: 4 corner sps and 16 side sps.)
Each side now has 5 dc between the corner sps: the 2 corner dc plus 3 side dc.
Round 4 (edging): Sl st in next corner sp, ch 1. In this corner sp work (sc, ch 6, sc) for the top hanging loop. *Sc in next dc, [2 sc in next ch-2 sp, sc in next dc] 4 times**. In next corner sp work (sc, ch 3, sc). Rep from * to ** once. In next corner sp work (sc, ch 6, sc) for the bottom loop. Rep from * to ** once. In last corner sp work (sc, ch 3, sc). Rep from * to ** once. Join with sl st in first sc and fasten off. (60 sc: 13 sc along each side plus 2 sc at each of 4 corners.)
To check: 20 dc + (2 x 16 side sps) + (2 x 4 corner sps) = 20 + 32 + 8 = 60 sc. The ch-6 loops sit at opposite corners, and the ch-3 picots sit at the side corners.
Flower (make 36)
Round 1: Make a magic ring, ch 1, 10 sc in ring. Join with sl st in first sc. (10 sc.)
Round 2: *(Hdc, dc, hdc) in next sc, sl st in next sc. Rep from * 4 more times. Fasten off, leaving a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail. (5 petals: 15 petal sts and 5 sl sts.)
Pull the ring closed firmly. The flower measures 1 in (2.5 cm) across.
Tassel (make 9)
Cap, Round 1: Make a magic ring, 6 sc in ring. (6 sc.)
Round 2: 2 sc in each sc. (12 sc.)
Rounds 3–4: Sc in each sc. (12 sc.)
Round 5: Sc2tog 6 times. (6 sts.) Fasten off, leaving a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail. The cap is about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) tall.
Tassel body: Wrap yarn 30 times around the 4 in (10.2 cm) card. Tie the wraps together at the top with a 12 in (30.5 cm) strand, then cut through the wraps at the bottom. Push the tied top into the cap and sew the cap’s last round snugly around the bundle. Trim so the tassel measures 4 in (10.2 cm) from the top of the cap to the tips.
Header
The header is worked flat in rows. The foundation chain becomes the top edge.
Foundation: Ch 248.
Row 1: Dc in 8th ch from hook. *Ch 2, skip 2 ch, dc in next ch. Rep from * across. Turn. (81 mesh, 82 dc counting the beg ch.)
The first mesh uses 8 ch and each of the other 80 mesh uses 3 ch, so 8 + (3 x 80) = 248.
Rows 2–10: Ch 5 (counts as dc and ch 2), skip first ch-2 sp, dc in next dc. *Ch 2, dc in next dc. Rep from * across, working the last dc in 3rd ch of turning ch. Turn. (81 mesh per row.)
Measure the header now: it should be 32.4 in x 4.0 in (82.3 cm x 10.2 cm). Fasten off.
Points (make 9)
Divide Row 10 into 9 sections of 9 mesh each, and place a marker in the dc between sections. Work each point separately over its own 9 mesh.
Row 11: Skip the first mesh of the section. Join yarn with sl st in the dc at the end of that mesh. Ch 5 (counts as dc and ch 2), dc in next dc, [ch 2, dc in next dc] 6 times. Leave the last mesh unworked. Turn. (7 mesh.)
Row 12: Sl st in next 2 ch and next dc. Ch 5, dc in next dc, [ch 2, dc in next dc] 4 times. Leave the last mesh unworked. Turn. (5 mesh.)
Row 13: Sl st in next 2 ch and next dc. Ch 5, dc in next dc, [ch 2, dc in next dc] 2 times. Leave the last mesh unworked. Turn. (3 mesh.)
Row 14: Sl st in next 2 ch and next dc. Ch 5, dc in next dc. (1 mesh.) Fasten off.
Each row loses 1 mesh at each end, which gives the stepped 9-7-5-3-1 triangle. Depth at the tips is 14 rows x 0.4 in = 5.6 in (14.2 cm).
Make All Pieces
All pieces use Sky Blue: 1 header, 18 diamonds (2 per strand), 36 flowers (4 per strand), and 9 tassels with caps.
Point: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Strand: A B A B A B A B A
You need 5 of Strand A and 4 of Strand B.
Joining
Each strand is a chain cord worked down from a point tip and slip stitched into the diamond loops. Keep the RS of the header facing you.
Strand A:
- Join yarn with sl st in the ch-2 sp of Row 14 at the tip. Ch 12 (1.6 in / 4.1 cm). Sl st through the top ch-6 loop of a diamond. Fasten off.
- Join yarn in the bottom loop of that diamond. Ch 30 (4.0 in / 10.2 cm). Sl st through the top loop of a second diamond. Fasten off.
- Join yarn in the bottom loop of the second diamond. Ch 24 (3.2 in / 8.1 cm). Fasten off, leaving a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail.
Strand B: Work it the same way, using ch 24, ch 30, and ch 12.
Both strands total 66 ch. The diamonds sit 1.6 in (4.1 cm) lower on Strand B, but the tassels still hang level.
Tassels: Thread the cord tail through the cap and into the tassel tie, knot it, and bury the tail.
Flowers: Sew 1 flower to the center of the first segment, 2 evenly spaced on the middle segment, and 1 to the center of the last segment. Stitch around the chain 3 times so the flowers can’t slide.
Tension: Chain evenly and keep it relaxed. Tight cords pull the points out of line, and loose cords sag. Match every strand to the first one before you add flowers.
Size checkpoint: Each ch-6 loop adds about 0.4 in (1.0 cm). The drop from point tip to tassel cap is 8.8 in (22.4 cm) of chain + 7.4 in (18.8 cm) of diamonds + 1.6 in (4.1 cm) of loops = 17.8 in (45.2 cm).
Border
The border is a 2-row sc band across the top edge only. It gives the clip rings a firm edge to hold.
Border gauge: 15 sc = 2 in (5.1 cm), which matches the foundation chain.
Row 1: With RS facing, join yarn at the right top corner on the foundation side. Ch 1, sc in base of first dc, *2 sc in next ch-2 sp, sc in base of next dc. Rep from * across. Turn. (244 sc: 82 over the dc + 162 in the 81 sps.)
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in each sc across. Fasten off. (244 sc.)
Why the math works: The foundation has (3 x 81) + 1 = 244 sts, and the band places exactly 1 sc over each one. That keeps the band 32.4 in (82.3 cm) wide, so it won’t ruffle or pull in. The band runs along one straight edge, so there are no corner stitches to add. Its depth of 0.4 in (1.0 cm) brings the header to 6.0 in (15.2 cm).
Rings: Attach 10 clip rings: one at each end and one above each section marker. That spaces them every 9 mesh, or 3.6 in (9.1 cm).
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends.
- Soak the piece in cool water for 15 minutes, then press out the water in a towel.
- Pin the header to 32.4 in x 5.6 in (82.3 cm x 14.2 cm) below the band, and pin each tip.
- Pin each diamond to 2.6 in (6.6 cm) square with the window open.
- Lay the strands straight and check the 17.8 in (45.2 cm) drop.
- Comb the tassels straight and let everything dry fully.
- Hang the valance and trim the tassels level.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- The header is 81 mesh wide in every body row
- All 9 points step 9-7-5-3-1
- Each diamond edging has 60 sc and an open window
- Strands alternate A and B
- Each strand has 2 diamonds, 4 flowers, and 1 tassel
- Tassels hang level at 4 in (10.2 cm) long
- The top band has 244 sc and lies flat
Troubleshooting
- Header too wide: Your chains are loose, so go down a hook size.
- Mesh leans: Work each dc into the dc below, not into the chain.
- Diamond ruffles: Each corner should hold only (dc, ch 2, dc).
- Window closes up: Use a hook 0.5 mm larger for Round 1.
- Strands twist: Block them straight with a light clip on each tassel.
- Flowers slide: Add more anchoring stitches.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap and lay flat to dry. Reshape the diamonds and comb the tassels while damp.
Final Notes
Everything rests on a 0.4 in (1.0 cm) mesh. That gives a 32.4 in (82.3 cm) header with 5.6 in (14.2 cm) of mesh at the tips. The 0.4 in (1.0 cm) band brings the header to 6.0 in (15.2 cm). Then 17.8 in (45.2 cm) strands and 4 in (10.2 cm) tassels give a total length of about 27.8 in (70.6 cm).
Happy crocheting!