The Ginkgo Breeze strand is a light, airy hanging made of two-tone fan motifs that look like ginkgo leaves. Each fan is half pale peach and half coral. A raised spine runs up the middle, long open spokes fan outward, and a ruffled shell edge runs across the top. The fans hang from a fine chain cord, with one small round bead between each pair of fans.
The colors are warm and soft. Coral gives depth and peach catches the light. The peach and coral sides swap on every fan, so the strand gets a gentle checkerboard rhythm as it moves in a breeze. Hang one strand alone, or line several up along a curtain rod.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. One finished fan measures 6 in (15.2 cm) wide and 3 in (7.6 cm) tall. The full strand of 8 fans measures about 46.5 in (118.1 cm) from the top of the first bead cord to the tip bead, not counting the hanging loop.
Here is how it’s built. You crochet each half-fan flat in rows, starting at the point. You then join two halves into one fan with a slip-stitch spine, add a shell border across the top, and link the fans with chain-and-bead connectors.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished fan size: 6 in (15.2 cm) wide x 3 in (7.6 cm) tall
- Finished strand length: about 46.5 in (118.1 cm), plus the hanging loop
- Skill level: Easy intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Sport weight (#2) cotton
- Hook: 3.25 mm (US D-3)
- Number of pieces: 16 half-fans (8 coral, 8 peach), joined into 8 fans
- Layout: 1 column of 8 fans, connected point-to-top
- Piece size (one half-fan before border): 2.5 in (6.4 cm) radius
- Fan size before border: 5 in (12.7 cm) wide x 2.5 in (6.4 cm) tall
- Border depth: 0.5 in (1.3 cm)
Materials
Choose a mercerized or smooth combed cotton in sport weight. Cotton holds the spokes crisp and keeps the shells defined. It also doesn’t stretch much when the strand hangs. Avoid fuzzy or very soft acrylics, because they blur the open spokes.
- Color A, coral: 30 g / about 90 m
- Color B, pale peach: 45 g / about 135 m (also used for spines, connectors, and beads)
These quantities include a margin of about 20 percent for gauge swatching and the weaving-in of ends.
Tools:
– 3.25 mm (US D-3) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Stitch markers (2–3)
– Rustproof pins and a blocking mat
– Spray bottle with water
– Measuring tape
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- rep – repeat
- RS / WS – right side / wrong side
- yo – yarn over
Special stitch – Chain Bead: Ch 3. *Yo, insert hook in the 3rd ch from hook, yo and pull up a loop, yo and draw through 2 loops. Rep from * 4 more times (6 loops on hook). Yo and draw through all 6 loops, then sl st into the same 3rd ch from hook to close the bobble into a ball. Each bead measures about 0.4 in (1.0 cm) across.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 20 dc and 10 dc rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) in sport cotton with a 3.25 mm hook.
Make one complete half-fan before you commit to the full set. Measure it from the point straight up to the top edge (the radius), lying flat and unstretched.
- After Row 2: radius 1 in (2.5 cm)
- After Row 4: radius 2.1 in (5.3 cm)
- After Row 5: radius 2.5 in (6.4 cm)
- After joining and border: fan 6 in (15.2 cm) wide x 3 in (7.6 cm) tall
If your half-fan is too big by more than 0.25 in (0.6 cm), go down to a 3.0 mm hook. If it is too small by more than 0.25 in (0.6 cm), go up to a 3.5 mm hook (US E-4). Tall stitches drift the most, so keep the tr rows snug and even.
Half-Fan (Make 16: 8 in Color A, 8 in Color B)
Each half-fan is worked flat in rows from the point outward. Row 1 is the RS. The straight side edges are made of row ends, and the outer edge is the curved arc.
Foundation: Ch 4.
Row 1 (RS): Work 3 dc in the 4th ch from hook. The skipped ch-3 counts as the first dc. Turn.
Count: 4 dc.
Row 2: Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), dc in the first st. Ch 1, (dc, ch 1, dc) in the next st. Rep from * 2 more times, working the last repeat into the top of the beginning ch-3. Turn.
Count: 8 dc, 7 ch-1 sps.*
Each original stitch now holds 2 dc. This doubles the spokes and spreads the wedge.
Row 3: Ch 5 (counts as tr + ch 1). Tr in the next dc, ch 1. Rep from * 5 more times (6 times total). Tr in the 3rd ch of the turning ch-4. Turn.
Count: 8 tr, 7 ch-1 sps.*
Row 4: Ch 6 (counts as tr + ch 2). Tr in the next tr, ch 2. Rep from * 5 more times (6 times total). Tr in the 4th ch of the turning ch-5. Turn.
Count: 8 tr, 7 ch-2 sps.*
Rows 3 and 4 make the long open spokes. The wider ch-2 spaces in Row 4 let the fan open outward.
Row 5: Ch 3 (counts as dc). 2 dc in the next ch-2 sp, dc in the next tr. Rep from * 5 more times (6 times total). 2 dc in the last ch-2 sp, dc in the 4th ch of the turning ch-6.
Count: 1 + (6 x 3) + 2 + 1 = 22 dc.*
This is a conversion row: 8 stitches worked one into each tr, plus 14 stitches added in the 7 spaces, for 22 dc. It makes the solid band below the scallops.
Fasten off and leave a 4 in (10.2 cm) tail. Weave in the ends.
Checkpoint: Each half-fan has 22 dc along its arc and 5 row ends along each straight edge, with a radius of 2.5 in (6.4 cm).
Make All Pieces
- Color A (coral): 8 half-fans
- Color B (peach): 8 half-fans
- Total: 16 half-fans, joined into 8 fans
Strand layout (top to bottom):
[Hanging loop + top cord, 2 beads]
Fan 1: B | A
cord + bead
Fan 2: A | B
cord + bead
Fan 3: B | A
cord + bead
Fan 4: A | B
cord + bead
Fan 5: B | A
cord + bead
Fan 6: A | B
cord + bead
Fan 7: B | A
cord + bead
Fan 8: A | B
[Tip bead]
“B | A” means peach on the left and coral on the right, seen from the RS.
Joining
Each fan is one coral half and one peach half joined along their straight edges. The joining seam forms the raised center spine.
Method: Hold the 2 half-fans WS together with their points matched and their straight edges aligned. The arcs face away from each other, like a closed book. With Color B, join with a sl st through both points at the foundation chains.
Stitch-to-stitch logic: Work sl sts through both layers, matching row end to row end:
– Row 1 ends (dc): 2 sl st
– Row 2 ends (dc): 2 sl st
– Row 3 ends (tr): 3 sl st
– Row 4 ends (tr): 3 sl st
– Row 5 ends (dc): 2 sl st
Total: 12 sl st along the spine.
Fasten off. Open the fan flat: both RS now face up, and the sl-st ridge sits on the RS as a neat spine.
Tension advice: Keep the sl sts as loose as the dc fabric. A tight spine pulls the fan into a cone. If the seam puckers, take it out and redo it with a hook one size larger.
Size checkpoint: The joined fan measures 5 in (12.7 cm) wide x 2.5 in (6.4 cm) tall, lying flat.
Border
The shell border runs across the top arc only. Work each half in its own color so the color split continues up through the scallops. The straight edges are fully closed by the spine, so the border is the only edge you work.
Border gauge: Each shell group (1 shell + 1 sc) covers 3 sts of Row 5 and measures about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) wide and 0.5 in (1.3 cm) deep.
Starting count: 2 half-fans x 22 sts per arc = 44 sts across the fan. No stitches are added at the spine.
Peach half (Color B): With the RS facing, join B with a sl st in the first dc of Row 5 at the outer corner of the peach half. Ch 1, sc in the same st. Skip 1 dc, 5 dc in the next dc, sc in the next dc. Rep from * 6 more times (7 times total). The last sc lands in the final dc beside the spine.
Count: 22 sts used = 1 + (7 x 3). Result: 7 shells, 8 sc.*
Fasten off.
Coral half (Color A): With the RS facing, join A with a sl st in the first dc of Row 5 beside the spine. Ch 1, sc in the same st. Work the same repeat 7 times, ending with sc in the last dc at the outer corner.
Count: 7 shells, 8 sc.
Fasten off.
Total border: 14 shells and 16 sc, so (14 x 5) + 16 = 86 sts.
Why the math works: The repeat uses 3 stitches, and 22 = 1 + (7 x 3). Every half ends exactly on an sc at both corners, so the two center sc meet at the spine and frame it evenly. Five dc packed into every third stitch makes the edge flare, which gives the ruffled, ginkgo-like scallop and adds 0.5 in (1.3 cm) of depth.
Checkpoint: The bordered fan measures 6 in (15.2 cm) wide x 3 in (7.6 cm) tall.
Assembling the Strand
All cords use Color B.
Top cord: Join B with a sl st through the top of the spine of Fan 1, between the 2 center sc. Ch 7, Chain Bead, ch 7, Chain Bead, ch 7. Then ch 16 and sl st in the 16th ch from hook to form the hanging loop. Fasten off. The top cord measures about 4 in (10.2 cm), and the loop hangs about 1 in (2.5 cm) deep.
Connectors (make 7): Join B with a sl st through the point of the upper fan, catching both foundation chains. Ch 7, Chain Bead, ch 7. Then sl st through the top of the spine of the next fan, between its 2 center sc. Fasten off. Each connector spans 2.5 in (6.4 cm) from point to top.
Tip bead: Join B at the point of Fan 8. Ch 4, Chain Bead. Fasten off. This adds about 1 in (2.5 cm) and a little weight at the bottom.
Follow the layout grid so the colors swap on every fan.
Length checkpoint:
– 8 fans x 3 in = 24 in (61.0 cm)
– 7 connectors x 2.5 in = 17.5 in (44.5 cm)
– Top cord: 4 in (10.2 cm)
– Tip bead: 1 in (2.5 cm)
– Total: 46.5 in (118.1 cm)
Final Blocking
- Weave in every end along the spine or inside the dc band, not through the open spokes.
- Lay each fan RS up on a blocking mat.
- Pin the point, then pin the 2 outer corners so the fan measures 6 in (15.2 cm) wide.
- Pin the top of the spine at 3 in (7.6 cm) above the point.
- Pin the tip of each shell so the scallops fan out evenly.
- Mist with water until damp, but not soaked.
- Let the fans dry completely, which takes about 4–6 hours.
- Unpin, then hang the strand and let it settle for a day. Gravity straightens the chain cords.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Each half-fan has 22 dc in Row 5.
- Each spine has 12 sl st, with the ridge on the RS.
- Each half has 7 shells and 8 sc in the border.
- All fans measure 6 in (15.2 cm) x 3 in (7.6 cm).
- The colors swap on every fan, per the grid.
- All 7 connectors and the top cord use 7-ch lengths between beads.
- The beads are round and closed, not flat.
- The strand hangs straight, at about 46.5 in (118.1 cm).
- No ends show on the RS.
Troubleshooting
The fan cups or curls. The spokes are too tight. Loosen the tr stitches or go up a hook size for Rows 3 and 4 only.
The border ruffles too much. Swap the 5-dc shells for 4-dc shells. Keep the same 3-stitch repeat.
The spine puckers. The sl sts are too tight. Redo the seam with a larger hook.
The beads look flat. Pull the final yo firmly, and roll the bead between your fingers before continuing.
The strand twists. Hang it with a small weight on the tip bead while it rests, or block the cords damp and straight.
Fans are uneven sizes. Measure every half-fan against the 2.5 in (6.4 cm) checkpoint, and remake any outliers.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press out the water in a towel, and dry the strand flat or hanging. If the fans soften over time, re-block them as above.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is simple:
- Gauge: 20 dc x 10 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm)
- Half-fan: 2.5 in (6.4 cm) radius with 22 dc on the arc
- Joined fan: 5 in (12.7 cm) wide
- Bordered fan: 6 in (15.2 cm) x 3 in (7.6 cm)
- Strand: 8 fans and 7 connectors, about 46.5 in (118.1 cm) long
Check each stage before moving on, and every fan will match. To fill a curtain rod like the window in the photo, make more identical strands and hang them side by side.
Happy crocheting!