This lacy letter T ornament mixes soft lilac thread with a bright red poinsettia. The body is open and airy, with rows of mesh, small fans and solid double crochet. A picot edge outlines every side of the letter, and a sc-covered loop at the top makes it ready to hang.
The palette is lavender for the letter, red for the poinsettia petals, green for three small leaves, and gold beads plus red beads for the flower center and berries. It looks like vintage thread lace with a Christmas twist, and it makes a good monogram gift tag, tree ornament or package topper.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished ornament measures 4.0 in (10.2 cm) wide and 4.6 in (11.7 cm) tall, not counting the 1 in (2.5 cm) hanging loop.
Construction is simple. You work the crossbar first in rows from the top edge down. Then you join at the center of the crossbar’s last row and work the stem downward, adding width near the bottom for the flared base. Two border rounds go around the whole letter, then you add the loop. Finally, you crochet the poinsettia and leaves and sew them on with the beads.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 4.0 in (10.2 cm) wide × 4.6 in (11.7 cm) tall, plus a 1 in (2.5 cm) loop
- Skill level: Intermediate (thread crochet)
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Size 10 cotton crochet thread (Lace, weight 0)
- Hook: 1.75 mm steel hook
- Number of pieces: 1 lace body, plus a small appliqué (1 poinsettia and 3 leaves) sewn on top
- Layout: Capital T, with the stem centered under the crossbar
- Crossbar before border: 3.6 × 1.2 in (9.1 × 3.0 cm)
- Stem before border: 1.6 in (4.1 cm) wide, flaring to 2.6 in (6.6 cm) at the base, and 3.0 in (7.6 cm) long
- Size before border: 3.6 × 4.2 in (9.1 × 10.7 cm)
- Border depth: 0.2 in (0.5 cm) on every edge
Materials
Use mercerized cotton thread in size 10. It gives crisp stitch definition and holds its shape well after blocking. Avoid fuzzy or very soft threads, because the mesh will blur.
- Lavender (body, border, loop): 5 g, about 44 m
- Red (poinsettia): 2 g, about 18 m
- Green (leaves): 1 g, about 9 m
Tools and notions:
– 1.75 mm steel crochet hook
– Fine tapestry needle and a beading needle
– 7 gold seed beads, 2–3 mm (flower center)
– 3 red round beads, 4 mm (berries)
– Sewing thread in red or lavender
– Blocking board, rustproof pins and spray starch or fabric stiffener
All quantities include a margin for a gauge swatch and weaving in ends.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- RS – right side
Special stitches:
– Fan: 5 dc in the same stitch.
– Picot: ch 3, sl st in the 3rd ch from the hook.
– Mesh: dc, ch 2. Each mesh counts as 3 stitches (1 dc + 2 ch).
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 12 dc and 5 dc rows = 1 in (2.5 cm), before blocking.
You don’t need a separate swatch. The crossbar works as your test piece.
- After crossbar Row 1: 43 dc, 3.6 in (9.1 cm) wide
- After crossbar Row 6: 3.6 × 1.2 in (9.1 × 3.0 cm)
- After stem Row S9: stem 1.6 in (4.1 cm) wide; total height 3.0 in (7.6 cm)
- After stem Row S15: base 2.6 in (6.6 cm) wide; total height 4.2 in (10.7 cm)
- After border: 4.0 × 4.6 in (10.2 × 11.7 cm)
If Row 1 is wider than 3.6 in (9.1 cm), go down to a 1.5 mm hook. If it is narrower, go up to a 2.0 mm hook. A difference of 0.25 in (0.6 cm) or more across Row 1 is worth fixing. It will add up to a misshapen letter.
Crossbar
Use lavender thread. The turning ch-3 counts as a dc throughout. The ch-5 at the start of a mesh row counts as dc + ch 2.
Row 1 (top edge): Ch 45. Dc in the 4th ch from the hook (the skipped ch count as 1 dc), then dc in each ch across. Turn. (43 dc)
Row 2 (mesh): Ch 5, skip the next 2 dc, dc in the next dc. Ch 2, skip the next 2 dc, dc in the next dc. Repeat from * across, ending in the top of the turning ch. Turn. (15 dc and 14 ch-2 sps = 43 sts)
Row 3 (fans): Ch 1, sc in the first dc. Skip the ch-2 sp, fan in the next dc, skip the ch-2 sp, sc in the next dc. Repeat from * 6 more times. Turn. (7 fans and 8 sc = 35 dc + 8 sc = 43 sts)
Row 4 (mesh): Ch 5, dc in the center dc of the next fan, ch 2, dc in the next sc. Ch 2, dc in the center dc of the next fan, ch 2, dc in the next sc. Repeat from * across. Turn. (15 dc and 14 ch-2 sps = 43 sts)
Row 5 (fans): Repeat Row 3. (43 sts)
Row 6 (solid): Ch 3, 2 dc in the first ch-2 sp… If you prefer, do the next mesh row this way: work Row 4 again, turn, then ch 3 and work 2 dc in each ch-2 sp and 1 dc in each dc across. Fasten off. (15 dc + 28 dc = 43 dc)
To keep it simple, here is the full set of crossbar rows used in this pattern: Row 1 solid, Row 2 mesh, Row 3 fans, Row 4 mesh, Row 5 fans, Row 6 solid. To make Row 6, work 1 dc in each sc and in the center dc of each fan, and 2 dc into each pair of fan side stitches. Count carefully as you go: the row must total exactly 43 dc.
Checkpoint: 3.6 × 1.2 in (9.1 × 3.0 cm). Six rows at 5 rows per inch is 1.2 in.
Stem
The stem hangs from the 19 center stitches of Row 6. Skip 12 sts at each side: 12 + 19 + 12 = 43.
Row S1: With the last row of the crossbar facing, skip the first 12 dc and join lavender in the 13th dc. Ch 3, then dc in each of the next 18 dc. Turn. (19 dc)
Row S2 (mesh): Ch 5, skip 2, dc in the next dc. Ch 2, skip 2, dc in the next dc. Repeat from * across. Turn. (7 dc and 6 sps = 19 sts)
Row S3 (fans): Ch 1, sc in the first dc. Fan in the next dc, sc in the next dc. Repeat from * 2 more times. Turn. (3 fans and 4 sc = 19 sts)
Row S4 (mesh): Ch 5, dc in the center of the fan, ch 2, dc in the sc. Repeat across. Turn. (19 sts)
Row S5 (solid): Ch 3, 2 dc in each ch-2 sp, dc in each dc. Turn. (19 dc)
Rows S6–S9: Repeat Rows S2–S5. (19 sts in each row)
Checkpoint: stem 1.6 in (4.1 cm) wide; total height 3.0 in (7.6 cm).
Flared base. Each increase row adds 1 mesh (3 sts) at each end, so each one is a growth row of +6 sts.
Row S10 (increase mesh): Ch 3 (counts as dc), ch 2, dc in the same first st. Ch 2, skip 2, dc in the next st. Repeat from * to the end. In the last st, work ch 2, dc (the last st now holds 2 dc). Turn. (9 dc and 8 sps = 25 sts)
Row S11 (fans): Ch 1, sc in the first dc. Fan in the next dc, sc in the next dc. Repeat from * 3 more times. Turn. (4 fans and 5 sc = 25 sts)
Row S12 (increase mesh): Ch 3, ch 2, dc in the same sc. Ch 2, dc in the center of the fan, ch 2, dc in the next sc. Repeat from * across. In the last sc, work ch 2, dc. Turn. (11 dc and 10 sps = 31 sts)
Row S13 (fans): Ch 1, sc in the first dc. Fan in the next dc, sc in the next dc. Repeat from * 4 more times. Turn. (5 fans and 6 sc = 31 sts)
Row S14 (mesh): Work as Row S4. (11 dc and 10 sps = 31 sts)
Row S15 (solid): Work as Row S5. Do not fasten off. (31 dc)
Checkpoint: base 2.6 in (6.6 cm) wide; stem 15 rows = 3.0 in (7.6 cm) long; total height 1.2 + 3.0 = 4.2 in (10.7 cm). The five fans in Row S13 make the sun-like fan pattern at the base.
Border
Border gauge: each border round adds about 0.1 in (0.3 cm), so both rounds together add 0.2 in (0.5 cm) on every edge.
Round 1 (sc): Ch 1 and work sc around the whole letter, going counterclockwise along the outline. Work 2 sc in each dc row end, 1 sc in each stitch along the edges, and 3 sc in each outer corner stitch. At the two inside corners where the stem meets the crossbar, don’t add any stitches; just turn the corner.
- Stem bottom (Row S15): 3 sc in the first st, 1 sc in each of the next 29 sts, 3 sc in the last st = 35
- Stem side: 15 row ends × 2 = 30
- Crossbar underside: 1 sc in each of the 11 skipped Row 6 sts nearest the stem, then 3 sc in the outer corner st = 14
- Crossbar end: 6 row ends × 2 = 12
- Top edge (foundation ch): 3 sc in the corner ch, 1 sc in each of the next 41 ch, 3 sc in the last ch = 47
- Other crossbar end: 12
- Other underside: 3 sc in the corner st, then 1 sc in each of the 11 sts toward the stem = 14
- Other stem side: 30
Join with a sl st to the first sc. Total: 35 + 30 + 14 + 12 + 47 + 12 + 14 + 30 = 194 sc.
Round 2 (picot): Ch 1. Sc in each of the next 2 sc, picot. Repeat from * around. Join. (194 sc and 97 picots)
Why the math works: 194 is even, so the 2-sc picot repeat goes around exactly 97 times with no partial repeat at the join. The 3-sc corner groups add 2 sts at each of the 6 outer corners so the edge lies flat. The inside corners take no extras so the border doesn’t ruffle there.
Checkpoint: 4.0 × 4.6 in (10.2 × 11.7 cm).
Hanging loop: Fasten off, then rejoin lavender in the center sc of the top edge (the 24th sc of the 47-sc top section). Ch 30, which is about 2 in (5.1 cm), and sl st in the same sc. Work 40 sc over the chain loop, then sl st in the base. Fasten off. The folded loop stands 1 in (2.5 cm) tall.
Poinsettia Appliqué
Flower (red): Make a magic ring. Ch 1 and work 12 sc in the ring. Join. (12 sc)
Petals: Ch 7, then working back along the chain, sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, sc, hdc, dc, dc, tr. Skip 1 sc and sl st in the next sc. Repeat from * 5 more times. (6 petals) The flower measures about 1.1 in (2.8 cm) across. Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail.
Leaves (green, make 3): Ch 9. Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, work sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc, sl st along the chain (8 sts). For the tip, ch 2 and sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook. Working along the other side of the foundation chain, mirror the first side: sl st, sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc (8 sts). Fasten off. Each leaf is about 0.75 in (1.9 cm) long.
Assembly: Place the flower at the upper right of the crossbar so a petal tip just overlaps the outer corner. Tuck the leaves behind it pointing left, right and down, and sew them through the lace. Sew the flower on top. Stitch the 7 gold beads into the center ring and the 3 red beads in a small cluster just below the flower.
Final Blocking
- Wash the ornament gently in cool water and roll it in a towel.
- Pin it face up on a blocking board to 4.0 × 4.6 in (10.2 × 11.7 cm). Pin the 6 outer corners first.
- Pin the stem straight at 2.0 in (5.1 cm) wide and the base at 3.0 in (7.6 cm).
- Open each picot with a pin tip.
- Mist with spray starch or stiffener and let it dry completely.
- Unpin and steam the appliqué lightly from a distance so it doesn’t flatten.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Crossbar Rows 1–6 each total 43 sts.
- The stem is centered with 12 sts free on each side.
- Stem counts are 19, then 25, then 31 sts.
- Border Round 1 has 194 sc and Round 2 has 97 picots.
- Size is 4.0 × 4.6 in (10.2 × 11.7 cm).
- The loop is centered and 1 in (2.5 cm) tall.
- The appliqué is secure, all beads are firmly stitched, and all ends are woven in.
Troubleshooting
- Fans are cupping: Your tension is too tight. Loosen your dc or go up a hook size for the fan rows only.
- Stem leans to one side: Your join was off-center. Count again: there should be 12 free sts on each side.
- Border ruffles: Check that you didn’t add stitches at the inside corners.
- Border pulls in: Make sure you worked 2 sc per row end, not 1.
- The base doesn’t flare: Recheck the increase at both ends of Rows S10 and S12.
- The ornament is limp: Block again with a stronger starch.
Care
Hand wash in cool water, then reshape and pin flat to dry. Store it flat or hanging, away from crushing weight.
Final Notes
Here is the measurement chain to follow: Row 1 is 43 dc at 3.6 in (9.1 cm), and the crossbar is 1.2 in (3.0 cm) deep. The stem is 19 sts at 1.6 in (4.1 cm), flaring to 31 sts at 2.6 in (6.6 cm). The body before the border is 3.6 × 4.2 in (9.1 × 10.7 cm). The 194-st border adds 0.2 in (0.5 cm) per edge, for a finished size of 4.0 × 4.6 in (10.2 × 11.7 cm). If you hit each checkpoint, your letter will block out crisp and true.
Happy crocheting!