The Evergreen Lantern Link Curtain is a light, airy window hanging made of nine crocheted strands. Each strand is a chain of pointed oval links, and every link has a firm outer cord, two delicate inner arcs and a straight center chain. Light passes through the open shapes, so the curtain softens a window without blocking it.
The palette is forest green and natural cream. The strands alternate green and cream, with green on both outside edges, and the header band is cream. Each strand finishes with a full tassel in its own color, which gives the curtain a relaxed boho feel.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished curtain measures 40.5 in (102.9 cm) wide and 61.5 in (156.2 cm) long, including the header and tassels.
You make each strand from the top down: first a small tab, then eight chain-and-cord links, then a tassel. When all nine strands are done, the first header row joins them by working across their tabs, and the remaining header rows act as the border.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 40.5 in (102.9 cm) wide × 61.5 in (156.2 cm) long
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) cotton
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 9 strands + 1 header band worked onto them
- Layout: 9 strands in one row: G, C, G, C, G, C, G, C, G
- Piece size: each strand is 3 in (7.6 cm) wide at the links and 54.25 in (137.8 cm) long before the tassel, or 59.25 in (150.5 cm) with the tassel
- Size before border: 40.5 in (102.9 cm) wide after Joining Row 1
- Border depth: 2 in (5.1 cm), Header Rows 2–10
Materials
Yarn: Use a smooth, firmly twisted worsted-weight cotton or cotton blend, about 71 g / 109 m per ball. Cotton holds the oval shapes crisply and hangs straight. Avoid fuzzy or very stretchy acrylic, because the links will sag.
- Color G (forest green): 270 g (about 415 m)
- Color C (natural cream): 280 g (about 430 m)
These quantities include a margin of roughly 20% for gauge swatches, tassels and tension differences.
Tools:
- 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Stiff card 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tall, for tassels
- Scissors
- Stitch markers
- Measuring tape
- Rust-proof pins and a blocking surface
- 9–10 curtain ring clips and a rod, for hanging
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- sc2tog: single crochet 2 together
- rev sc: reverse single crochet (crab stitch)
- st(s): stitch(es)
- RS: right side
Special technique: pinch ring. Ch 4 and sl st in the 4th ch from the hook to form a small ring. Later you work 6 sc into it, which turns it into the firm pinch point between links. Arcs attach to a pinch ring by working a sl st into the ring’s center, around any stitches already there.
Gauge and Checkpoints
- Chain gauge: 4 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm)
- Fabric gauge: 16 sc × 18 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) square
Test one strand section first. Make the tab and two links, then lay them flat without stretching and check them against these numbers:
- Tab: 2 in (5.1 cm) wide × 1.75 in (4.4 cm) tall
- Center chain of one link: 6 in (15.2 cm)
- One link, pinch to pinch: 6.5 in (16.5 cm)
- One link, widest point: 3 in (7.6 cm)
- Two links: 13 in (33.0 cm)
If your links are too long or too wide, go down to a 4.5 mm hook. If they are too short or narrow, go up to a 5.5 mm hook. Don’t change the chain counts. The outer, inner and center chain lengths are balanced against each other, so changing one of them distorts the oval.
Strand Pattern (Make 9)
Make 5 strands in Color G and 4 strands in Color C. Each strand uses one color from start to finish.
Top Tab
Row 1: Ch 9. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. (8 sc)
Rows 2–6: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (8 sc)
Row 7: Ch 1, turn, sc2tog 4 times. (4 sc)
Row 8: Ch 1, turn, sc2tog 2 times. (2 sc)
The tab should measure 2 in (5.1 cm) across the foundation edge. Place a marker on the foundation edge so you can find the 8 free loops later.
Top Pinch Ring
Ch 4, then sl st in the 4th ch from the hook to form the ring. Work 6 sc into the ring and sl st in the first sc. This is Ring A for Link 1.
Link (Repeat 8 Times)
Work every step with the loop on your hook, starting at Ring A.
Step 1 (outer arc 1): Ch 28. Then ch 4 and sl st in the 4th ch from the hook to form Ring B.
Step 2 (inner arc 1): Ch 25, sl st in Ring A.
Step 3 (center line): Ch 24, sl st in Ring B.
Step 4 (inner arc 2): Ch 25, sl st in Ring A.
Step 5 (outer arc 2): Ch 28, sl st in Ring B.
Step 6 (cord the outer arcs): Turn the work. Working along outer arc 2 in the back bump of each ch, sc in each ch back toward Ring A. (28 sc) Sl st in Ring A. Now sc in the back bump of each ch of outer arc 1, working down toward Ring B. (28 sc) Sl st in Ring B.
Step 7 (pinch): Work 6 sc into Ring B, over the sl sts already in it. Sl st in the first sc.
Stitch count per link: 134 ch (28 + 4 + 25 + 24 + 25 + 28) and 62 sc (28 + 28 + 6).
Ring B now becomes Ring A for the next link. The two outer arcs bow out about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) on each side of the center line, which makes the link 3 in (7.6 cm) wide. The inner arcs bow about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) on each side, and the center line stays straight.
Arrange each finished link so the sc cords face outward and the inner arcs sit evenly on either side of the center line.
Strand checkpoint: After 8 links, the strand should measure 54.25 in (137.8 cm) from the top of the tab to the bottom of the last ring. That is 1.75 in tab + 0.5 in (1.3 cm) top ring + 8 × 6.5 in links (52 in / 132.1 cm). Fasten off and leave a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail.
Tassel
- Wrap yarn in the strand color around the 5.5 in (14.0 cm) card 40 times.
- Thread the strand’s 12 in tail under all the wraps at the top edge of the card, through the last pinch ring, and back under the wraps. Tie it tightly.
- Cut the wraps at the bottom edge of the card.
- With a separate 18 in (45.7 cm) piece of yarn, wrap the neck 8 times, 0.75 in (1.9 cm) below the ring, and tie off. Bury the ends inside the tassel.
- Trim the bottom edge evenly to 5 in (12.7 cm) below the ring.
The finished strand measures 59.25 in (150.5 cm) with the tassel.
Make All Pieces
- Color G: 5 strands, each with a green tassel
- Color C: 4 strands, each with a cream tassel
- Header band: worked in Color C after all strands are finished
Layout, viewed from the RS with the tabs at the top:
[Header band - Color C - 162 sts wide]
G C G C G C G C G
| | | | | | | | |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Before joining, lay all nine strands flat, side by side, and confirm that they match in length within 0.5 in (1.3 cm). If one is longer, gently re-block it rather than ripping it out.
Joining (Header Row 1)
The first header row joins the strands by working into the 8 free foundation loops at the top of each tab, with chain spacers between tabs.
Row 1 (RS): With Color C, make a slipknot and ch 5 for the right margin. With the RS of Strand 1 facing, sc in each of the 8 free foundation loops of its tab. Ch 10, then sc in each of the 8 free foundation loops of the next tab. Repeat from * 7 more times. Ch 5 for the left margin.
Count: 5 + (9 × 8) + (8 × 10) + 5 = 5 + 72 + 80 + 5 = 162 sts
Stitch-to-stitch logic: Each tab contributes exactly its own 8 stitches, and no stitches are added at the tab edges. Each ch-10 spacer is 2.5 in (6.4 cm), so the strands sit 4.5 in (11.4 cm) apart, center to center. That leaves a 1.5 in (3.8 cm) gap between neighboring links. Each margin is 5 ch, so the center of each outer strand sits 2.25 in (5.7 cm) from the header edge, and its links stay 0.75 in (1.9 cm) inside the edge.
Tension advice: Work the ch-10 spacers at the same tension as your gauge chain. Tight spacers pull the strands together and loose spacers make the header wavy. Lay the work flat after every three strands and check it.
Size checkpoint: Row 1 should measure 40.5 in (102.9 cm) wide, because 162 sts ÷ 4 sts per in = 40.5 in.
Border (Header Rows 2–10)
Border gauge: 4 sc and 4.5 rows = 1 in (2.5 cm)
Rows 2–9: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across, working into the sc and into each ch of the spacers and margins. (162 sc per row)
Row 10 (RS): Ch 1, do not turn. Rev sc in each st across. (162 rev sc)
Side edges: Without fastening off, sl st evenly down the short side, working 1 sl st in the end of each row. (10 sl sts) Fasten off. Join Color C at the top of the opposite short side and work 10 sl sts the same way. Fasten off.
Counts per side:
- Top edge: 162 sts (Row 10)
- Bottom edge: 162 sts (Row 1, with the strands hanging below)
- Each short side: 10 sl sts
Why the math works: Every header row keeps the same 162 stitches set by Row 1, so the band stays exactly 40.5 in (102.9 cm) wide with no flaring or pulling in. Rows 2–9 add 8 rows (about 1.75 in / 4.4 cm), and the rev sc row adds about 0.25 in (0.6 cm). That gives a 2 in (5.1 cm) border. With Row 1 (about 0.25 in), the full header is 2.25 in (5.7 cm). The side edges use 1 sl st per row, so the 10 header rows give 10 sl sts per side.
Total length: 2.25 in header + 59.25 in strand = 61.5 in (156.2 cm)
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends, running each tail through 2–3 in (5.1–7.6 cm) of sc cord before trimming.
- Lightly mist the header band and the strands with cool water until damp but not soaked.
- Pin the header band flat at 40.5 in × 2.25 in (102.9 cm × 5.7 cm).
- Lay each strand straight below its tab. Pin the outer cords of each link to 3 in (7.6 cm) wide and each link to 6.5 in (16.5 cm), pinch to pinch.
- Ease the inner arcs into even curves on either side of the straight center chain.
- Comb the tassels straight with your fingers and trim them to 5 in (12.7 cm).
- Let everything dry completely before unpinning.
- Hang the curtain on the ring clips, spacing the clips evenly across the 40.5 in (102.9 cm) header.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Strand colors run G, C, G, C, G, C, G, C, G from one edge to the other.
- Every strand has exactly 8 links.
- Each link has two sc-covered outer cords, two thin inner arcs and one straight center chain.
- Every pinch ring is filled with 6 sc and sits tight.
- The header band counts 162 sts and measures 40.5 in (102.9 cm).
- The ch-10 spacers are all equal, 2.5 in (6.4 cm) each.
- The curtain measures 61.5 in (156.2 cm) from the top of the header to the tassel ends.
- All tassels are 5 in (12.7 cm) long with neat neck wraps.
- No ends are visible on the RS.
Troubleshooting
The links twist. Check that all the arcs in Steps 1–5 were made without twisting the chain. After blocking, hang the strand and let it rest.
The outer cord ruffles. You probably worked more than 28 sc over an arc. Work exactly 1 sc per ch, into the back bumps.
The ovals look flat or too narrow. Your chain is tighter than gauge. Change to a larger hook, or chain over the shaft of the hook instead of the tip.
The center line sags. Your chain is too loose. Change to a smaller hook for Step 3 only.
The header waves between the strands. The ch-10 spacers are looser than your sc. Redo Row 1 with firmer chains.
The strands are different lengths. Pin and steam-block the short strand. If it is still more than 1 in (2.5 cm) off, check its link count.
The tassels are thin. Use 50 wraps instead of 40.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, roll in a towel to remove excess water, and dry flat, reshaping the links. Don’t put the curtain in the dryer, and don’t hang it while it is wet.
Final Notes
Every measurement in this curtain builds on the one before it:
- The 4 ch/in gauge sets the 6 in (15.2 cm) center chain.
- The center chain sets each 6.5 in (16.5 cm) link.
- Eight links plus the tab and top ring give a 54.25 in (137.8 cm) strand, or 59.25 in (150.5 cm) with the tassel.
- Nine tabs of 8 sts, eight ch-10 spacers and two ch-5 margins give a 162-st header that is 40.5 in (102.9 cm) wide.
- The 2.25 in (5.7 cm) header brings the curtain to 61.5 in (156.2 cm) long.
Check your gauge early, keep your chains even, and the ovals will take care of themselves. Happy crocheting!