Lagoon Drift is a small, flat jellyfish ornament that looks great on a tree or in a window. It has a lacy purple dome, a scalloped teal edge and four curly pink tentacles that swing a little when the ornament hangs.
The colors are bright on purpose: violet purple for the dome, turquoise-teal for the scalloped edge and bubblegum pink for the tentacles. The style is open and graphic. The lace comes from simple chain arches and a cluster of treble posts, so the shape reads clearly from across a room.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished ornament is about 4 in (10.2 cm) wide and 2.5 in (6.4 cm) tall at the body. With tentacles it is about 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tall, or about 6.75 in (17.1 cm) with the hanging loop.
You work the dome in five short purple rows from the bottom up: first a straight base, then three arches, then the treble posts and the outer dome edge. Next you add a hanging loop at the top. You finish with two teal rows along the base and four pink tentacles. It is all one piece, with no sewing.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size (body): 4 in (10.2 cm) wide x 2.5 in (6.4 cm) tall
- Finished size (with tentacles and loop): about 6.75 in (17.1 cm) tall
- Skill level: Easy-intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK (light worsted, #3), cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Number of pieces: 1
- Layout: One flat ornament, worked in rows
- Dome width before the teal edge: 3.8 in (9.7 cm) across the base
- Dome height before the teal edge: 2.1 in (5.3 cm)
- Teal edge depth: 0.4 in (1.0 cm) at the deepest point of each scallop
Materials
Yarn: Use a smooth, firmly twisted DK cotton. Cotton holds the arches crisp and shows every stitch clearly. Acrylic also works, but the tentacles may curl less tightly. Avoid fuzzy or brushed yarns, because they blur the open spaces.
- Purple (dome and loop): 6 g, about 14 m
- Teal (scalloped edge): 2 g, about 5 m
- Pink (tentacles): 3 g, about 7 m
These amounts include a margin of roughly 25%, so you have enough for a gauge swatch or one restart.
Tools:
- 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Stitch markers (2–3)
- Ruler or tape measure
- Pins and a foam blocking mat
- Spray bottle with water
- Optional: fabric stiffener for a very crisp ornament
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet (yarn over twice, insert hook, pull up a loop, [yarn over, pull through 2 loops] 3 times)
- sk – skip
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- RS – right side
Special technique – Curl: Work 3 sc into one chain. When you do this in several chains in a row, the extra stitches force the chain into a tight spiral.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 20 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm), so 5 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm), with a 3.5 mm hook.
Make one full ornament first and use it as your gauge piece. Because the ornament is so small, a separate swatch costs nearly as much time as the real thing.
Checkpoints:
- After Row 1: The base measures 3.8 in (9.7 cm) wide.
- After Row 3: Each arch peaks about 1 in (2.5 cm) above the base.
- After Row 5: The dome is 3.8 in (9.7 cm) wide and 2.1 in (5.3 cm) tall.
- After the teal edge: The body is 4 in (10.2 cm) wide and 2.5 in (6.4 cm) tall.
If your piece is too big: Go down to a 3.25 mm (D-3) hook, or crochet a little more firmly.
If your piece is too small: Go up to a 3.75 mm (F-5) hook.
If the arches look flat or cupped: Check your chain tension. Loose chains make floppy arches, and tight chains make the dome cup forward.
Dome (Purple)
Work with the RS facing on Rows 1, 3 and 5. Row 5 should end with the RS facing you.
Foundation: With purple, ch 20.
Row 1 (base): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. Turn. (19 sc)
This straight row becomes the bottom edge of the three round openings. Check: 3.8 in (9.7 cm) wide.
Row 2 (arch chains): Ch 1. Sc in first sc, [ch 7, sk 5 sc, sc in next sc] 3 times. Turn. (4 sc and 3 ch-7 sps)
The 4 anchor sc sit on stitches 1, 7, 13 and 19 of Row 1. Each ch-7 is longer than the 5-stitch gap it crosses, so it bows upward into a half-circle.
Row 3 (cover the arches): Ch 1. Sc in first sc, [9 sc in next ch-7 sp, sc in next sc] 3 times. Turn. (31 sc)
Count check: 4 anchor sc + (3 x 9 sc) = 4 + 27 = 31 sc. Each arch is now a solid purple curve with a round opening underneath. The center arch is made of sts 12–20, and its top stitch is st 16. Place a marker in st 16.
Check: Each arch peaks about 1 in (2.5 cm) above the base.
Row 4 (posts and dome frame): Ch 1. Sc in first sc, ch 10, sk next 11 sc, tr in each of next 7 sc, ch 10, sk next 11 sc, sc in last sc. Turn. (2 sc, 7 tr and 2 ch-10 sps)
Stitch map: sc in st 1, skip sts 2–12, tr in sts 13–19, skip sts 20–30, sc in st 31. The 7 tr are centered on the marked st 16. They stand straight up from the center arch to form the vertical post bundle.
Each ch-10 runs from the outer corner up to the tops of the trebles. It passes over the side arch, which leaves a small open window between the side arch and the dome edge.
Row 5 (dome edge): Ch 1. Sc in first sc, 13 sc in next ch-10 sp, sc in each of next 7 tr, 13 sc in next ch-10 sp, sc in last sc. Do not turn. (35 sc)
Count check: 1 + 13 + 7 + 13 + 1 = 35 sc. Packing 13 sc into a 10-chain space rounds out the outline into a smooth half-circle.
Check: 3.8 in (9.7 cm) wide x 2.1 in (5.3 cm) tall. Fasten off.
Hanging loop: With the RS facing, find the center stitch of Row 5. That is the 18th sc, which sits above the 4th tr. Join purple with a sl st in that stitch, ch 16, then sl st in the same stitch. Fasten off.
The loop hangs about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) above the dome.
Border: Teal Scalloped Edge
This edge is worked along the bottom of the dome, into the free loops on the underside of the foundation chain. It covers the straight base and shapes the scallops under the openings.
Border gauge: The same as the body, 5 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm). The scallops spread a little, so the base grows from 3.8 in (9.7 cm) to 4 in (10.2 cm).
Teal Row 1: With the RS facing and the dome upside down, join teal in the free loop at the right-hand end of the foundation chain. Ch 1, then work 1 sc in each free loop across. Turn. (19 sc)
This matches Row 1 stitch for stitch, so the anchor sc again sit on sts 1, 7, 13 and 19, directly below the purple arch anchors.
Teal Row 2 (scallops): Ch 1. Sc in first sc, hdc in next sc, dc in next sc, 3 dc in next sc, dc in next sc, hdc in next sc, sc in next sc; repeat from * to * 2 more times. Fasten off. (25 sts)
Count check: 4 anchor sc + (3 scallops x 7 sts) = 4 + 21 = 25 sts.
Why the math works: Row 1 has 19 stitches, which split into 4 anchors plus 3 gaps of 5 stitches each. Each 5-stitch gap becomes one 7-stitch scallop. The tallest stitches (3 dc) sit in the center stitch of each gap, so every scallop dips deepest right below the middle of its round opening. The scallop depth is 0.4 in (1.0 cm).
Tentacles (Pink, Make 4 on the Piece)
The tentacles hang from the 4 anchor sc of Teal Row 2. Those are sts 1, 9, 17 and 25, the narrow points between and beside the scallops. Work them in any order.
Each tentacle:
- Join pink with a sl st in an anchor sc.
- Ch 22.
- Curl: Work 3 sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and 3 sc in each of the next 5 ch. (18 sc in the curl)
- Cord: Sl st in each of the remaining 15 ch.
- Sl st in the anchor sc again. Fasten off.
Count check: 6 ch with 3 sc each + 15 ch with 1 sl st each = 21 worked chains. Ch 22 minus the 1 skipped chain also equals 21.
Each tentacle hangs about 3 in (7.6 cm), and the curl winds into a spiral about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) across. Turn the outer two curls outward and the inner two curls toward the center, as shown in the photo.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends along the matching color. Hide the pink tails inside the tentacle cords.
- Lightly mist the ornament with water until damp. Don’t soak it.
- Lay it RS up on the blocking mat.
- Pin the base so it measures 4 in (10.2 cm) across the teal edge.
- Pin the top of the dome edge so the dome measures 2.5 in (6.4 cm) tall from the scallop tips to the apex.
- Push a pin into each of the three round openings and each of the two side windows to open them evenly.
- Lay each tentacle straight, then wrap its tip into a spiral and pin it in place.
- Optional: Brush on diluted fabric stiffener for a firm ornament.
- Let it dry completely, at least 6 hours, before you unpin it.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Body measures 4 in (10.2 cm) wide x 2.5 in (6.4 cm) tall.
- Row 5 has 35 sc, and the dome outline is a smooth curve.
- All 7 tr stand straight, centered over the middle arch.
- Three round openings sit at even spacing above the base.
- Both side windows are open and the same size.
- Teal Row 2 has 25 sts, with 3 even scallops.
- Each scallop dips under the center of its opening.
- Four tentacles hang from sts 1, 9, 17 and 25.
- Every tentacle is about 3 in (7.6 cm) long, with a tight curl.
- The hanging loop is centered over the post bundle.
- All ends are woven in securely.
Troubleshooting
Arches collapse or look pointed: Your chains are too tight. Loosen your chain tension or use a hook 0.25 mm larger for the ch-7 sections only.
Dome edge ruffles: Your sc are loose inside the ch-10 spaces. Work 12 sc instead of 13 in each space, which gives 33 sc in Row 5.
Dome edge pulls flat or the corners lift: Work 14 sc in each ch-10 space, which gives 37 sc in Row 5.
Trebles lean to one side: Make sure you worked them in sts 13–19 of Row 3 and that the marker was in st 16.
Tentacles don’t curl: Check that you worked 3 sc in each curl chain. If you are using acrylic, add a 7th curl chain by starting with ch 23.
Tentacles twist like corkscrews: This is normal for slip-stitched cords. Mist them and pin them straight while they dry.
Ornament hangs crooked: Move the loop to the true center, the 18th sc of Row 5.
Care
Spot clean with cool water and mild soap, then reshape and pin the ornament flat to dry. If you used fabric stiffener, don’t soak it, because the stiffener will wash out.
Final Notes
Here is the measurement chain in short. The 19-stitch base sets the width at 3.8 in (9.7 cm). Three ch-7 arches, covered with 31 sc, make the openings. The 7 treble posts and the 35-stitch dome edge bring the height to 2.1 in (5.3 cm). The 25-stitch teal scallop row widens the body to 4 in (10.2 cm) and adds 0.4 in (1.0 cm), for a body of 2.5 in (6.4 cm). The four 3 in (7.6 cm) curly tentacles and the 1.25 in (3.2 cm) loop finish the ornament at about 6.75 in (17.1 cm) tall.
Once you’ve made one, the rest go quickly. Try other color mixes for a whole bloom of jellyfish on your tree.
Happy crocheting!