This curtain brings a sunny kitchen-garden look to a doorway. A cream scalloped header hangs from a wooden rod. Below it, 19 sage-green cords hang almost to the floor, trimmed with plump yellow lemons, pairs of leaves and small white flowers.
The palette is cream, sage green, lemon yellow and white. The style is cottage and farmhouse, and the open spacing lets light and people pass through easily.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished curtain is 35.25 in (89.5 cm) wide and about 70 in (177.8 cm) long, measured from the top of the rod to the leaf tips.
You crochet the header flat in rows and finish it with a scallop edge. Then you work each strand as a chain cord straight off the header. The lemons, leaves and flowers are made separately and sewn on. The last step is a tab edge along the top.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 35.25 in (89.5 cm) wide × about 70 in (177.8 cm) long
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) cotton
- Hooks: 5.0 mm (H-8) for the header and strands; 3.75 mm (F-5) for the appliqués
- Number of pieces: 1 header, 19 strands, 50 lemons, 119 leaves, 54 flowers
- Layout: 10 lemon strands and 9 flower strands, alternating every 1.75 in (4.4 cm)
- Header size: 35.25 × 2.25 in (89.5 × 5.7 cm)
- Size before border: header body 1 in (2.5 cm) deep, plus 1.25 in (3.2 cm) of scallops
- Border depth: the tabs rise about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) above the header when hung
Materials
Use a smooth cotton, either mercerized or soft. It holds its shape and keeps the lemons crisp. Stretchy yarns will slowly lengthen under the weight of the lemons.
- Cream (A): 100 g / 150 m
- Sage green (B): 300 g / 450 m
- Lemon yellow (C): 350 g / 525 m (includes the flower centers)
- White (D): 50 g / 75 m
Tools:
- 5.0 mm (H-8) and 3.75 mm (F-5) hooks
- Polyester fiberfill, about 150 g (5.3 oz)
- Tapestry needle
- Stitch markers
- Rust-proof pins and a blocking mat
- Measuring tape
- Curtain rod up to 1.5 in (3.8 cm) in diameter
The quantities include a margin of about 15% for swatching and sewing tails.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet
- inc – 2 sc in the same stitch
- dec – sc2tog (an invisible decrease is recommended)
- sk – skip
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- RS – right side
Special stitch – back-bump slip stitch cord: Chain the stated number. Then sl st into the back bump of the 2nd ch from the hook and of each ch back to the start. This doubles the cord so it doesn’t stretch.
Gauge and Checkpoints
- Header (5.0 mm): 16 sc and 18 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm)
- Cord (5.0 mm): 4 sl st = 1 in (2.5 cm)
- Amigurumi (3.75 mm): 22 sc and 26 rounds = 4 in (10.2 cm)
Before you start production, make one lemon, one leaf, one flower and a 40-chain cord as tests.
Checkpoints:
- Lemon: 2.25 in (5.7 cm) tall × 1.5 in (3.8 cm) wide after stuffing
- Leaf: 1.75 in (4.4 cm) long × 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide
- Flower: 1.25 in (3.2 cm) across
- Test cord: 39 sl st = 9.75 in (24.8 cm)
- Header: 35.25 in (89.5 cm) wide after Row 1, 1 in (2.5 cm) deep after Row 3, and 2.25 in (5.7 cm) deep after Row 5
If your pieces are too big, go down half a hook size. If they are too small, go up half a size. For the cords, length matters most. If your test cord is off by more than 0.5 in (1.3 cm), change hooks rather than the counts so the placement numbers below stay correct.
Header
With A and the 5.0 mm hook, ch 142.
Row 1: Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. Turn. (141 sc)
Row 2: Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), sk the next sc, dc in the next sc. Ch 1, sk the next sc, dc in the next sc. Repeat from * 69 more times. Turn. (71 dc and 70 ch-1 sps = 141 sts)
Row 3: Ch 1. Sc in the first dc, then sc in the next ch-1 sp, sc in the next dc. Repeat from * across. The last sc goes into the 3rd ch of the turning ch. Turn. (141 sc)
Checkpoint: the body is now 1 in (2.5 cm) deep.
Row 4 (shells): Ch 1, sc in the first sc. Sk 6 sc. Work (tr, ch 1) 6 times, then 1 more tr, all in the next sc. Sk 6 sc, sc in the next sc. Repeat from * 9 more times. Turn. (10 shells of 7 tr and 6 ch-1 sps each; 11 sc)
Each repeat uses 14 sts (6 + 1 + 6 + 1). With the first sc, that gives 1 + (10 × 14) = 141, so the row ends exactly on the last stitch.
Row 5 (scallop edge): Ch 1, sc in the first sc. Ch 2, sc in the first ch-1 sp of the shell. (Ch 3, sc in the next ch-1 sp) 5 times. Ch 2, sc in the next sc between shells. Repeat from * 9 more times. Fasten off. (71 sc, 50 ch-3 loops, 20 ch-2 sps)
This side is the RS. On each scallop, the 3rd of the 5 ch-3 loops is the tip loop. The 9 sc between scallops, not counting the 2 end sc, are the valley sc.
Lemon (make 50)
Use C and the 3.75 mm hook. Work in continuous rounds and mark the first stitch of each round.
- Rnd 1: 4 sc in a magic ring. (4)
- Rnd 2: (Sc, inc) twice. (6)
- Rnd 3: Inc in each st around. (12)
- Rnd 4: (Sc, inc) 6 times. (18)
- Rnd 5: (2 sc, inc) 6 times. (24)
- Rnds 6–11: Sc in each st around. (24 in each round)
- Rnd 12: (2 sc, dec) 6 times. (18) Stuff firmly.
- Rnd 13: (Sc, dec) 6 times. (12) Top up the stuffing.
- Rnd 14: Dec 6 times. (6)
- Rnd 15: (Sc, dec) twice. (4)
Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail for sewing, and close the hole. Because the lemon starts and ends on only 4 stitches, it gets a point at each end.
Leaf (make 119)
With B and the 3.75 mm hook, ch 9.
Rnd 1:
- Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook, hdc in the next ch, dc in each of the next 3 ch, hdc in the next ch, sc in the next ch.
- For the tip, work (sc, ch 2, sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc) all in the last ch.
- Rotate and work along the other side of the foundation chain: sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc.
- Sl st to the first sc. (16 sts plus a picot tip)
Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail. The foundation chain stays raised down the middle and forms the center vein. You need 100 leaves for the sprigs and 19 for the strand ends.
Flower (make 54)
Rnd 1: With C and the 3.75 mm hook, work 5 sc in a magic ring. Sl st to the first sc, pull the ring tight, and fasten off. (5 sc)
Rnd 2: Join D in any sc. Work (sl st, ch 2, 3 dc, ch 2, sl st) in each sc around. (5 petals)
Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail. Each center stitch carries one rounded petal around the yellow center.
Make All Pieces
| Piece | Color | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Header | A | 1 |
| Lemons | C | 50 (5 per lemon strand) |
| Leaves | B | 119 (100 sprig + 19 end) |
| Flowers | C + D | 54 (6 per flower strand) |
| Strands | B | 19 (worked during joining) |
Layout, left to right: T = tab, L = lemon strand at a tip loop, F = flower strand at a valley sc.
T T T T T T T T T T T
L F L F L F L F L F L F L F L F L F L
Joining
Strands: With the RS facing, join B with a sl st into the attachment point and work the cord. Then sl st into the same point again and fasten off.
- Lemon strands (10): Attach at each tip loop. Ch 260 and work the back-bump sl st back up. (259 sl st = 64.75 in / 164.5 cm)
- Flower strands (9): Attach at each valley sc. Ch 265 and work the back-bump sl st back up. (264 sl st = 66 in / 167.6 cm)
The tip loops sit 1.25 in (3.2 cm) lower than the valleys. That equals 5 cord stitches, which is why the lemon strands are 5 sts shorter. With that offset, all the strands end level.
Appliqués: Count cord stitches down from the header, starting at the attachment point.
- Lemons: Sew the top point of a lemon to sl st 31, 79, 127, 175 and 223. These are 12 in (30.5 cm) apart and land at 10, 22, 34, 46 and 58 in (25.4, 55.9, 86.4, 116.8 and 147.3 cm) below the top of the header. Sew 2 leaves just above each lemon, with the tips pointing up and out in a V.
- Flowers: Sew to sl st 12, 60, 108, 156, 204 and 252. These land at 4, 16, 28, 40, 52 and 64 in (10.2, 40.6, 71.1, 101.6, 132.1 and 162.6 cm) below the top of the header, halfway between the lemon levels.
- End leaves: Sew one to the bottom of every strand, tip pointing down.
Tension: Sew through the center of the cord with 3 or 4 small stitches. Don’t pull hard enough to pucker the cord.
Size checkpoint: Lay the curtain flat. Every leaf tip should measure 68.75 in (174.6 cm) from the top of the header, give or take 0.5 in (1.3 cm).
Border
Border gauge: 4 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm) along the foundation chain, which matches the header gauge.
Use A and the 5.0 mm hook. Hold the header with the RS facing and the foundation chain at the top. Join at the left end of Row 3.
Left end: Work 4 sc evenly up the row ends of Rows 1–3. These go into row ends only, not into the corner stitch. (4 sc)
Top edge: Work into the free loops of the foundation chain.
- To make a tab, work (sc, ch 20, sl st) in one st, then work 26 sc around the ch-20 loop and sl st in the same st.
- Make a tab in the corner st.
- Sc in each of the next 13 sts, then make a tab in the next st. Repeat from * 9 more times.
(141 sts: 11 tab sts + 130 sc, with 11 tabs)
Right end: Work 4 sc evenly down the row ends of Rows 3–1 and fasten off. (4 sc)
The bottom edge is the scallop edge and gets no border. The border base is 4 + 141 + 4 = 149 sts.
Why the math works: 141 = 10 × 14 + 1. That puts the tabs on sts 1, 15, 29 and so on through 141, which is directly above each valley sc and at both corners. Each scallop hangs between two tabs, so the header stays level. Each ch-20 loop is 5 in (12.7 cm) around, which fits a rod up to 1.5 in (3.8 cm) in diameter.
Final Blocking
- Wet only the header, then press out the water in a towel.
- Pin it to 35.25 × 2.25 in (89.5 × 5.7 cm), opening every ch-3 loop.
- Steam the leaves and flowers lightly from 1 in (2.5 cm) away.
- Don’t wet or steam the lemons.
- When the header is dry, hang the curtain and leave it for 24 hours so the strands settle straight.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- [ ] Header is 35.25 in (89.5 cm) wide with 10 even scallops
- [ ] 11 tabs, each above a valley sc or at a corner
- [ ] 19 strands alternating L and F, all ending level
- [ ] 5 lemons with leaf pairs on each lemon strand; 6 flowers on each flower strand
- [ ] A downward-pointing leaf on every strand
- [ ] All tails woven in
Troubleshooting
- Header ripples: Remake the foundation chain with a larger hook.
- Scallops cup: Make sure you skipped exactly 6 sc on each side of every shell, then block firmly.
- Strands stretch: Check that you worked into the back bumps. Re-measure after hanging.
- Lemons look round: Check that Rnd 1 has 4 sc, and stuff the tips more lightly.
- Leaves curl: Steam them and pin them flat to dry.
Care
Spot-clean when you can. If needed, hand wash in cool water, roll in a towel and dry flat, reshaping the lemons by hand.
Final Notes
Here is how the measurements connect:
- A gauge of 16 sc per 4 in gives a 141-st header that is 35.25 in (89.5 cm) wide.
- 14-st repeats give 10 scallops and 11 tabs.
- At 4 sl st per inch, the 259-st and 264-st cords end level at 68.75 in (174.6 cm).
- Fixed stitch positions keep every lemon and flower lined up across the curtain.
Check each of these and the curtain will hang straight.
Happy crocheting!