The Frosted Lattice Diamond Table Runner is a long, airy runner built from 36 lace diamonds. Each diamond is a small square motif turned on point. A flower of eight petals sits at its center, with fans of tall stitches around it and a neat corded edge finished by little chain rings at the points.
The runner is worked in one calm shade of denim blue. That color looks good with silver, white, pine greenery and candlelight, and it still works after the holidays. Three full tassels hang from each end and swing over the edge of the table.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished runner measures 18 in (45.7 cm) wide and 72 in (182.9 cm) long without the tassels. With a 4 in (10.2 cm) tassel at each end, the total length is 80 in (203.2 cm).
Construction is simple. You crochet one full motif, then join every other motif to its neighbors at the corner rings during its last round (join-as-you-go). The grid is 3 motifs wide and 12 long, and the tassels are tied on at the end.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 18 in x 72 in (45.7 cm x 182.9 cm), or 80 in (203.2 cm) long including tassels
- Skill level: Easy intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK (light worsted, #3), cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 4.0 mm (G-6)
- Number of pieces: 36 motifs plus 6 tassels
- Layout: 3 motifs wide x 12 motifs long, set on point
- Piece size: 4.25 in (10.8 cm) per straight side; 6 in (15.2 cm) point to point
- Size before border: 18 in x 72 in (45.7 cm x 182.9 cm)
- Border depth: 0 in (0 cm). The border is built into Round 5 of each motif, so nothing is added afterward.
Materials
Yarn advice: Choose a smooth, mercerized or combed cotton in DK weight. Cotton holds the lace open, keeps the points crisp, and stays flat on a table. Acrylic will work, but the points curl more and need firmer blocking.
- Denim blue: 350 g / 790 m (about 7 balls of 50 g / 113 m). This covers all 36 motifs at about 7 g / 16 m each and all 6 tassels at about 5 g / 11 m each.
These quantities include a margin of roughly 20 percent for your gauge swatch, a dye-lot cushion and fuller tassels.
Tools:
– 4.0 mm (G-6) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Stiff card, 4.5 in (11.4 cm) tall, for the tassels
– Rust-proof pins and a large blocking surface
– Spray bottle
– 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)
- MR: magic ring
- cl: 2-dc cluster
Special stitch, 2-dc cluster (cl): Yarn over, insert the hook in the ring, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through 2 loops. Repeat once more (3 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through all 3 loops.
Beginning cluster: Ch 2, then work one partial dc (stop at 2 loops on the hook), yarn over and pull through all loops. This counts as the first cl.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Make one complete motif first and block it before you start the full runner. The whole runner depends on this one measurement.
Checkpoints for a single motif (measured flat, before blocking):
– After Round 1: 1.25 in (3.2 cm) across
– After Round 2: 2.75 in (7.0 cm) across the chain circle
– After Round 3: 3 in (7.6 cm) per straight side
– After Round 4: 3.75 in (9.5 cm) per straight side
– After Round 5: 4.25 in (10.8 cm) per straight side, 6 in (15.2 cm) point to point
Border gauge (Round 5): 21 sc per 4.25 in (10.8 cm) side, or about 5 sc per 1 in (2.5 cm).
If your motif is too big: go down 0.5 mm to a 3.5 mm hook and check again. Every extra 0.25 in (0.6 cm) per motif adds 3 in (7.6 cm) to the runner’s length.
If your motif is too small: go up 0.5 mm to a 4.5 mm hook. Also check that your chain loops are not tight, because tight ch-5 loops in Round 2 pull the whole motif in.
Motif Pattern (Make 36)
Round 1: Petal Center
MR. Make a beginning cluster, ch 3, cl in ring, ch 3. Repeat from * 7 times. Join with a sl st to the top of the beginning cluster. Pull the ring closed.
Count: 8 cl and 8 ch-3 sp.
The eight clusters make the small flower petals at the center.
Round 2: Chain Circle
Ch 1, sc in the top of the same cl, ch 5, sc in the top of the next cl, ch 5. Repeat from * 6 times. Join with a sl st to the first sc.
Count: 8 sc and 8 ch-5 sp, for 48 sts in total.
The ch-5 loops bow outward and form the round chain circle around the flower.
Round 3: Squaring Fans
Sl st into the first ch-5 sp. Ch 4 (counts as tr), work 2 tr, ch 3, 3 tr all in the same sp. This is the first corner. Ch 1, 5 dc in the next ch-5 sp (side fan), ch 1.
(3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr) in the next ch-5 sp (corner), ch 1, 5 dc in the next ch-5 sp (side fan), ch 1. Repeat from * 2 more times. Join with a sl st to the top of the beginning ch-4.
Count: 24 tr and 20 dc, for 44 sts, plus 4 corner ch-3 sp and 8 ch-1 sp.
The tall tr groups pull four of the loops out into points. The shorter dc fans sit between them as the side fans.
Round 4: Lace Frame
Sl st in the next 2 tr and into the corner ch-3 sp. Ch 3 (counts as dc), work 2 dc, ch 5, 3 dc all in the same corner sp.
Ch 4, skip the ch-1 sp, sc in the 3rd (center) dc of the 5-dc fan, ch 4, (3 dc, ch 5, 3 dc) in the next corner ch-3 sp. Repeat from * 2 more times. Ch 4, sc in the center dc of the last fan, ch 4. Join with a sl st to the top of the beginning ch-3.
Count: 24 dc and 4 sc, for 28 sts, plus 4 corner ch-5 sp and 8 ch-4 sp.
The sc that anchors each side fan makes the fans point back toward the center, which is the leaf-like detail inside each diamond.
Round 5: Corded Edge with Corner Rings (First Motif Only)
Sl st in the next 2 dc and into the corner ch-5 sp. Ch 1, then work (3 sc, ch 6, 3 sc) in the same corner sp.
Sc in the next 3 dc, 4 sc in the ch-4 sp, sc in the sc, 4 sc in the next ch-4 sp, sc in the next 3 dc, then (3 sc, ch 6, 3 sc) in the corner ch-5 sp. Repeat from * 2 more times. Sc in the next 3 dc, 4 sc in the ch-4 sp, sc in the sc, 4 sc in the ch-4 sp, sc in the next 3 dc. Join with a sl st to the first sc. Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Count per side: 3 sc from the corner, 3 + 4 + 1 + 4 + 3 sc along the side, and 3 sc from the next corner, for 21 sc. The ch-6 rings sit between sides and are not counted as stitches.
Total: 84 sc and 4 ch-6 corner rings.
Make All Pieces
Make 36 motifs in denim blue. Work Rounds 1 to 4 on all of them. Work Round 5 as written on Motif 1 only. Every other motif gets Round 5 with joins (see Joining).
Layout grid (3 wide x 12 long, each motif set on point):
Row 1: ◇ ◇ ◇ <- tassels hang from these bottom points
Row 2: ◇ ◇ ◇
Row 3: ◇ ◇ ◇
Row 4: ◇ ◇ ◇
Row 5: ◇ ◇ ◇
Row 6: ◇ ◇ ◇
Row 7: ◇ ◇ ◇
Row 8: ◇ ◇ ◇
Row 9: ◇ ◇ ◇
Row 10: ◇ ◇ ◇
Row 11: ◇ ◇ ◇
Row 12: ◇ ◇ ◇ <- tassels hang from these top points
Number the motifs left to right, row by row: Row 1 is Motifs 1 to 3, Row 2 is Motifs 4 to 6, and so on up to Motif 36.
Joining
Method: Join-as-you-go, point to point. A motif touches a neighbor only where two corner rings meet: left point to right point, or top point to bottom point. The open diamond windows between motifs come from this.
Joined corner: Work 3 sc in the corner ch-5 sp, ch 3, then insert the hook from front to back through the neighbor’s ch-6 ring and sl st. Ch 3, then work 3 sc in the same corner sp.
The ch 3 + sl st + ch 3 replaces the ch 6, so the joined point keeps the same length as a free ring. The 3 sc on each side of the corner do not change, so every side stays at 21 sc.
How many joins each motif gets:
– Motif 2: 1 join (its left point to Motif 1’s right point)
– Motif 4: 1 join (its bottom point to Motif 1’s top point)
– Motif 5: 2 joins (left point to Motif 4, bottom point to Motif 2)
– Each new motif joins to its left neighbor, if there is one, and to the motif below it.
– Middle-column motifs end up joined at all 4 points. Edge-column motifs end up joined at 3 points; the corner motifs of the first and last rows have 2.
Tension advice: Keep the ch-3 stitches at your normal chain size. If they are tight, the points pucker and the windows narrow. If they are loose, the runner gets wavy along its length.
Size checkpoint: After 4 rows (12 motifs), lay the runner flat. It should measure 18 in x 24 in (45.7 cm x 61.0 cm). If it is more than 0.5 in (1.3 cm) off, check your hook and tension before you go on.
Border
There is no separate border round. Round 5 of every motif is the finished edge, so the runner keeps its zigzag outline and its open lace look.
Border gauge: 21 sc per 4.25 in (10.8 cm) side, or about 5 sc per 1 in (2.5 cm).
Edge stitch counts:
– Each long side: 12 edge motifs x 2 outer sides x 21 sc = 504 sc, with 12 free outer point rings.
– Each short end: 4 outer sides x 21 sc = 84 sc. These are the outer-lower side of each end-corner motif and both outer sides of the middle motif. There are 3 free point rings for the tassels.
– Whole outline: (504 x 2) + (84 x 2) = 1,176 sc, with 30 free point rings.
Why the math works: Every outer side is one complete motif side of 21 sc, so each count is just (number of sides) x 21. The joins are only chains and a slip stitch through a ring. They add no sc to the edge and do not change the side count.
Tassels (make 6): Wrap the yarn 40 times around the 4.5 in (11.4 cm) card. Slide a 10 in (25.4 cm) tie under the top loops and knot it tightly. Cut the bottom loops. Wrap a second strand around the bundle 0.75 in (1.9 cm) below the top, 6 times, and knot it. Trim the tassel to 4 in (10.2 cm).
Use the tie ends to fasten one tassel through each free bottom ring of Row 1 and each free top ring of Row 12. Bury the ends inside the tassel.
Final Blocking
- Weave in any remaining ends along the sc edges, not through the lace.
- Lay the runner on a large, padded blocking surface.
- Pin the four outer corners of the grid to 18 in x 72 in (45.7 cm x 182.9 cm).
- Pin every free point ring so it sits straight and opens fully.
- Pin each joined point so that each motif side measures 4.25 in (10.8 cm).
- Spray until the yarn is evenly damp, then pat the petal centers flat.
- Let it dry completely, at least 12 hours, before you unpin.
- Fluff the tassels and trim them to an even 4 in (10.2 cm).
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Every motif has 84 sc and 4 corner rings, with 21 sc on each side.
- Every motif measures 6 in (15.2 cm) point to point.
- All 36 motifs are in a 3 x 12 grid.
- Each motif touches its neighbors only at the points, and every window is open.
- The width is 18 in (45.7 cm) and the length is 72 in (182.9 cm).
- There are 6 tassels, all 4 in (10.2 cm) long and firmly tied.
- No ends are showing on the front.
Troubleshooting
The center bulges like a cup: The Round 2 chain loops are too long. Try ch 4 instead of ch 5, or use a smaller hook.
The motif ruffles: Round 3 is too crowded. Push the stitches together inside each ch-5 sp, or loosen your Round 2 chains a little.
The points look blunt: Make sure you work the full (3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr) at each Round 3 corner, and pin the rings firmly when blocking.
The runner is wavy along its length: The ch-3 joining chains are loose. Redo the loose joins with tighter chains.
The windows are distorted: A join was made into the wrong ring. Check against the grid, then undo and rejoin.
A tassel slips: Tie it again with a double knot through the ring, and add a drop of fabric glue inside the neck if needed.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap and press out the water in a towel. Lay flat and re-pin the points to dry. Do not tumble dry.
Final Notes
The measurements build on each other from start to finish. A 1.25 in (3.2 cm) center grows to a 2.75 in (7.0 cm) circle, then to a 4.25 in (10.8 cm) side with 21 sc, then to a 6 in (15.2 cm) diamond. Three diamonds across make 18 in (45.7 cm), and twelve rows make 72 in (182.9 cm). With the tassels, the runner reaches 80 in (203.2 cm). If you check each step as you go, the finished runner will lie flat.
Happy crocheting!