This curtain is a single panel that looks like a lemon orchard climbing down your window. An ivory header with lacy fan scallops holds a row of sage-green vines. Each vine carries yellow lemons, pairs of leaves and small white daisies. Ivory chain cords and light ladder rungs between the vines keep everything evenly spaced and still let in plenty of light.
There are four colors: ivory, sage green, lemon yellow and white. The style is cottage and vintage-kitchen, and it works well in a breakfast nook, a sunny doorway or a bathroom window. All terms are US crochet terms.
The finished panel is about 36¼ in (92.1 cm) wide and 70 in (177.8 cm) long, measured from the top of the tab loops to the hem. The ivory cords hang on 2 in (5.1 cm) centers.
Construction has four stages. First you work the header in rows with its scalloped edge and tabs. Then you make 19 slip-stitch chain cords and sew them to the scallops. Next you work 8 ivory chain rungs across the cords. Last, you make the lemons, leaves and daisies and sew them onto the green vines.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 36¼ in (92.1 cm) wide x 70 in (177.8 cm) long
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) cotton
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 1 header, 10 ivory cords, 9 green vine cords, 72 lemons, 144 leaves, 72 daisies
- Layout: 19 cords across in the order ivory–green–ivory, with ivory cords at both side edges
- Piece size: Lemon 1¾ x 2¾ in (4.4 x 7.0 cm); leaf 2 x 1 in (5.1 x 2.5 cm); daisy 1½ in (3.8 cm)
- Header size before border: 36¼ x 2½ in (92.1 x 6.4 cm)
- Border depth: 1¾ in (4.4 cm) at the scallop center
Materials
Use a smooth, mercerized or combed worsted-weight cotton. Cotton holds its shape when hung and doesn’t stretch as much as acrylic over a long drop. All the amounts below assume about 190 m per 100 g.
- Ivory (header, cords, rungs): 200 g / 380 m
- Sage green (vines, leaves): 300 g / 570 m
- Lemon yellow (lemons, daisy centers): 200 g / 380 m
- White (daisy petals): 100 g / 190 m
These amounts include roughly a 30% margin, so you won’t run short partway through the last vine.
Tools:
– 5.0 mm (H-8) hook
– Tapestry needle
– About 40 locking stitch markers
– Tape measure
– Rust-proof pins
– Blocking mats or a large towel
– Scissors
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet
- sk – skip
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- rep – repeat
Special stitch – Back-bump slip-stitch cord: Make the stated number of chains. Then work 1 sl st into the back bump (the ridge on the back) of the 2nd ch from the hook and into each ch across. The result is a firm, round cord about ¼ in (0.6 cm) thick that doesn’t twist or stretch much.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Header gauge: 14 dc and 8 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm).
Cord gauge: 16 sl sts of back-bump cord = 4 in (10.2 cm), measured with the cord hanging under its own weight.
Make one lemon, one leaf, one daisy and a 4 in (10.2 cm) cord sample before you start the header. Then check these measurements:
- Lemon after Rnd 2: 1½ in (3.8 cm) across
- Finished lemon: 1¾ x 2¾ in (4.4 x 7.0 cm)
- Leaf: 2 in (5.1 cm) long
- Daisy: 1½ in (3.8 cm) across
- Header after Row 1: 36¼ in (92.1 cm) wide
- Header after Row 5: 2½ in (6.4 cm) deep
If your pieces come out too big, go down 0.5 mm. If they come out too small, go up 0.5 mm.
The cord gauge matters most. Over 256 stitches, an error of just 1 stitch per inch changes the drop by about 13 in (33.0 cm).
Header
The header is worked in ivory. Row 1 sits along the top edge, and the scallops will form along the bottom.
Row 1: Ch 129, dc in 4th ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (127 dc; the skipped ch-3 counts as 1 dc)
Rows 2–3: Ch 3 (counts as dc throughout), dc in each st across, turn. (127 dc)
Row 4 (mesh row): Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), sk next st, dc in next st, *ch 1, sk next st, dc in next st; rep from * across, turn. (64 dc + 63 ch-1 sps = 127 sts)
Row 5: Ch 3, dc in each ch-1 sp and each dc across, turn. (127 dc)
Checkpoint: The header should now measure 36¼ x 2½ in (92.1 x 6.4 cm). The stitch count is 127 = 9 x 14 + 1, which gives you nine 14-stitch scallop repeats and one closing stitch.
Keep the yarn attached and continue straight into the Border.
Make All Pieces
Vine and Edge Cords
Ivory cords (make 10): Using the back-bump slip-stitch cord, ch 263 and work 262 sl sts. Each cord should hang 65½ in (166.4 cm) long. Leave a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail for sewing.
Green vine cords (make 9): Ch 257 and work 256 sl sts. Each cord should hang 64 in (162.6 cm) long. Leave a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail for sewing.
The ivory cords are 6 sts (1½ in / 3.8 cm) longer than the green ones. They hang from the scallop points, which sit 1½ in (3.8 cm) higher than the scallop centers where the green vines hang. That extra length makes every cord end on the same hem line.
Lemon (make 72, yellow)
Rnd 1: Make a magic ring, ch 2 (doesn’t count as a stitch), work 12 hdc in the ring, sl st to the first hdc. (12 hdc)
Rnd 2: Ch 2, work 2 hdc in each st around, sl st to the first hdc. (24 hdc) Lemon measures 1½ in (3.8 cm).
Rnd 3 (shaping): Ch 1. Then work this sequence twice: sc in next 2 sts, hdc in next st, dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, tr in next st, (tr, ch 3, tr) in next st for the tip, tr in next st, 2 dc in next st, dc in next st, hdc in next st, sc in next st. Sl st to the first sc. (30 sts + 2 ch-3 tips, 15 sts per half)
The short sc on the sides and the tall tr at the ends stretch the circle into the lemon’s oval shape.
Rnd 4: Ch 1, sc in each st around, working (2 sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in each ch-3 tip. Sl st to the first sc. (38 sc + 2 ch-2 points)
Fasten off and leave an 8 in (20.3 cm) tail. The lemon measures 1¾ x 2¾ in (4.4 x 7.0 cm).
Leaf (make 144, sage green)
Ch 8. Work in the 2nd ch from the hook in this order: sc, hdc in next ch, dc in next 2 ch, hdc in next ch, sc in next ch, 3 sc in the last ch.
Rotate the piece and work along the other side of the foundation chain: sc in next ch, hdc in next ch, dc in next 2 ch, hdc in next ch, sc in next ch. Ch 2 for the tip, then sl st in the first sc. (15 sts + ch-2 tip)
Fasten off and leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail at the rounded base. The leaf measures 2 x 1 in (5.1 x 2.5 cm), and the foundation chain forms a center vein.
Daisy (make 72)
Rnd 1 (yellow): Make a magic ring, ch 1, work 10 sc in the ring, sl st to the first sc. (10 sc) Fasten off.
Rnd 2 (white): Join white in any st. *(hdc, dc, tr, dc, hdc) all in the next st, sl st in the next st; rep from * 4 more times. (5 petals: 25 petal sts + 5 sl sts)
Fasten off. The daisy measures 1½ in (3.8 cm) across.
Layout Grid
The 19 cords hang in this order across the panel, read left to right. I = ivory, G = green vine.
I G I G I G I G I G I G I G I G I G I
1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10
Cords hang on 2 in (5.1 cm) centers, so the total width is 18 gaps x 2 in = 36 in (91.4 cm) center to center.
Motif placement on the vines: Measure down from the top of each green vine.
| Vines | Lemons at | Daisies at |
|---|---|---|
| Odd-numbered (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) | 2, 10, 18, 26, 34, 42, 50, 58 in | 6, 14, 22, 30, 38, 46, 54, 62 in |
| Even-numbered (2, 4, 6, 8) | 6, 14 … 62 in | 2, 10 … 58 in |
In cm, those positions are 5.1, 15.2, 25.4, 35.6, 45.7, 55.9, 66.0, 76.2, 86.4, 96.5, 106.7, 116.8, 127.0, 137.2, 147.3 and 157.5 cm.
Sew one pair of leaves directly above every lemon. This gives each vine 8 lemons, 8 daisies and 16 leaves. Because neighboring vines are offset, the lemons form a staggered diagonal pattern across the curtain.
Border
The border is the lacy scalloped edge along the bottom of the header, plus the tabs along the top. Use the same gauge as the header. With the header still on the hook after Row 5, continue as follows.
Row 6 (fan base): Ch 1, sc in the first st. *Ch 2, sk 2, dc in next st, ch 2, sk 3, (dc, ch 3, dc) in next st, ch 2, sk 3, dc in next st, ch 2, sk 2, sc in next st; rep from * 8 more times, turn.
This gives 9 repeats and 10 sc. Each repeat uses exactly 14 sts (2 + 1 + 3 + 1 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 1 = 14), and 9 x 14 + 1 = 127. The sc land on sts 1, 15, 29 … 127. The V-stitch centers land on sts 8, 22, 36 … 120.
Row 7 (fans): Ch 1, sc in the first sc. *Work 2 dc in ch-2 sp, dc in dc, 2 dc in ch-2 sp, dc in dc, 7 dc in ch-3 sp, dc in dc, 2 dc in ch-2 sp, dc in dc, 2 dc in ch-2 sp, sc in sc; rep from * across, turn.
Each fan has 19 dc. The row total is 9 x 19 + 10 sc = 181 sts. Each fan grows from 14 stitches to 19, and that extra fullness makes the scallops curve down.
Row 8 (lace edge): Ch 1, sl st in the first sc. *[Ch 3, sk 1 dc, sc in next dc] 9 times, ch 3, sk last dc, sl st in next sc; rep from * across.
Each fan gets 9 sc and 10 ch-3 loops. The full row is 90 loops, 81 sc and 10 sl sts. The 5th sc in each fan lands on dc 10, the exact center of the 7-dc group, which is the lowest point of the scallop. Fasten off.
Tabs (make 10): With the top edge (Row 1) facing you, join ivory and work 5 sc. Place the end tabs over sts 1–5 and 123–127. Center the other 8 tabs over sts 15, 29, 43, 57, 71, 85, 99 and 113, so each tab sits directly above a scallop point.
Ch 1, turn, and work 5 sc. Repeat until the tab has 16 rows, about 4 in (10.2 cm). Fold the tab to the back and whipstitch its end to the back of Row 2.
The folded loop stands about 1¾ in (4.4 cm) tall and fits a rod up to 1⅛ in (2.9 cm) thick.
Why the math works: The 14-stitch scallop repeat equals two 7-stitch cord spacings. At 14 dc per 4 in, 7 sts is exactly 2 in (5.1 cm). That puts an ivory cord under every scallop point and a green vine under every scallop center, and the 19 cords match the 2 in grid exactly.
Joining
Attach the cords: Sew the top of each ivory cord to one of the 10 sl sts in Row 8, in the order shown in the layout grid. Sew each green vine to the center sc of a fan (the 5th sc). Use the cord’s own tail and work 4–5 tight stitches through both strands so the cord hangs straight down.
Mark the rung heights: Lay the panel flat. On each green cord, place markers at sl sts 32, 64, 96, 128, 160, 192, 224 and 256. These are every 8 in (20.3 cm). On each ivory cord, place markers at sl sts 38, 70, 102, 134, 166, 198, 230 and 262. These are 6 sts lower, because the ivory cords start 1½ in (3.8 cm) higher.
Rungs (work 8): Join ivory with a sl st around the left edge cord at its first marker. *Ch 7, sl st around the next cord at its marker; rep from * 17 more times. (18 ch-7 spans, 19 attachments) Fasten off.
The last rung sits on the final stitch of every cord, so it also works as the hem.
Tension: Each ch-7 plus the ¼ in (0.6 cm) cord should span 2 in (5.1 cm) exactly. Keep the chains relaxed, and don’t pull the rung tight before working the sl st.
Checkpoint: Every rung should measure 36 in (91.4 cm) from the outer edge of one side cord to the other. If a rung comes out short, it will pull the curtain into an hourglass shape, so take it out and rework it.
Attach the motifs: Sew the motifs onto the front of the green vines at the positions in the table. Center each lemon on its vine, with the points running vertically. Angle each leaf pair up and out, just above the lemon. Sew each daisy through its yellow center only, so the petals lie flat. Rungs pass behind the motifs, and they never land on the same spot because the motifs sit at 2 + 4n in and the rungs at 8n in.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all the ends, burying them along the cords.
- Spritz the header and all motifs with water until they’re damp, not soaked.
- Pin the header flat at 36¼ in (92.1 cm) wide. Pin each scallop point and each scallop center separately.
- Lay the body flat on mats or a towel, and pin each rung straight at its 8 in (20.3 cm) spacing.
- Flatten each lemon and pin its two points to bring out the oval shape.
- Leave everything to dry completely, which takes 24 hours.
- Hang the curtain for 1 day, then check the hem line again.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Header is 127 sts wide with 9 even scallops
- 10 tabs, each sitting above a scallop point
- 19 cords in the order I–G across, with no twists
- All cords end level at the bottom rung
- 8 rungs, each with 18 spans and measuring 36 in (91.4 cm)
- 72 lemons, 72 daisies and 144 leaves in the staggered layout
- No motif covers a rung
- All ends secured
Troubleshooting
- Cords hang at different lengths: Count the cord stitches again. Re-sew the top of a cord rather than adding chains at the bottom.
- Scallops are flat: Check that you have 7 dc in each ch-3 sp in Row 7.
- Lemons are round, not oval: The tr stitches at the tips are too short. Yarn over fully, or go up one hook size for Rnd 3 only.
- Leaves curl: Steam-block them flat, or work the 3 sc at the base more loosely.
- Panel narrows toward the hem: One or more rungs are too tight. Rework them with a larger hook.
- Header ripples: Your dc gauge is loose. Rework Row 1 with a smaller hook.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, roll the curtain in a towel to remove water, and dry it flat in the blocked shape. Don’t tumble dry, because the long cords will tangle.
Final Notes
Everything in this pattern follows one measurement chain. The gauge of 14 dc per 4 in gives 127 header sts and a width of 36¼ in (92.1 cm). The 14-st scallops give a 2 in (5.1 cm) cord spacing, so the 19 cords sit 36 in (91.4 cm) apart center to center. At 4 sl sts per inch, the 256-st vines hang 64 in (162.6 cm) and meet the bottom rung level with the 262-st ivory cords. Together with the 4¼ in (10.8 cm) header and 1¾ in (4.4 cm) tabs, that adds up to the 70 in (177.8 cm) curtain. Check each measurement as you go, and the lemons will land where they belong.
Happy crocheting!