This curtain is made from six-pointed lace stars in crisp white and deep black, joined tip to tip in a checkerboard. Light comes through the open centers and the gaps between the points, so on a sunny afternoon the panels cast star-shaped shadows across the floor.
Each star has a small center ring, a round of radiating spokes, a ring of puffy clusters, and six sharp, layered points. The stars alternate colors in every row and every column. This gives a bold graphic look that suits modern, Scandinavian, or monochrome rooms. All instructions use US crochet terms.
One finished panel measures about 17.7 in (45.0 cm) wide and 72.2 in (183.4 cm) long including the header. The hanging loops add another 1.5 in (3.8 cm). The pattern makes two matching panels.
You crochet each star in five rounds and join it to its neighbors in the last round, so there is no sewing. Once a panel is fully joined, you add a short white header with hanging loops across the top.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished panel size: 17.7 in (45.0 cm) wide × 72.2 in (183.4 cm) long, plus 1.5 in (3.8 cm) loops
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: DK (weight 3) cotton
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Number of pieces: 56 stars per panel, 112 stars for two panels
- Layout: 4 stars wide × 14 stars tall per panel, in a checkerboard
- Single star size: 5.1 in (13.0 cm) from top tip to bottom tip; 4.4 in (11.2 cm) across the side tips
- Size before border: 17.7 in (45.0 cm) × 71.4 in (181.4 cm)
- Border (header) depth: 0.75 in (1.9 cm) above the top tips, plus 1.5 in (3.8 cm) loops
Materials
Choose a smooth, mercerized or combed DK cotton with about 230 m per 100 g. Cotton holds the pointed tips well, doesn’t stretch much when it hangs, and shows the lace clearly. Avoid fluffy or very soft acrylics, because they make the stars sag over a long drop.
- White: 300 g (690 m), for 56 stars and both headers
- Black: 300 g (690 m), for 56 stars
Each star uses about 9 m (about 4 g) of yarn. The amounts above include a margin of about 20–25% to allow for gauge differences and a test star.
Tools:
- 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Stitch markers
- Blocking mats and rust-proof pins
- Spray bottle
- Tape measure
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- dtr – double treble crochet (yo 3 times, insert hook, pull up a loop, [yo, pull through 2 loops] 4 times)
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- RS – right side
- rep – repeat
Special stitches:
- 3-dc cluster (cl): [Yo, insert hook in sp, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops] 3 times, yo, pull through all 4 loops on hook.
- Beginning cluster (beg cl): Ch 2, then [yo, insert hook in sp, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops] 2 times, yo, pull through all 3 loops on hook. Counts as 1 cl.
- Joining tip: Work this in place of the ch 4 at a star tip. Ch 2, remove hook, and insert it from front to back through the ch-4 tip loop of the neighboring star. Pick up the dropped loop and pull it through (sl st made), then ch 2. The joining sl st is not counted; the tip still counts as a ch-4 loop.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Make and block one complete test star before anything else. Every measurement in this pattern grows from that single star.
- Header gauge: 20 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm), which is 5 sc per inch
- After Round 1: 1.25 in (3.2 cm) across
- After Round 2: 2 in (5.1 cm) across
- After Round 3: 3.25 in (8.3 cm) across
- After Round 4: 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tip to tip
- After Round 5 (blocked): 5.1 in (13.0 cm) from top tip to bottom tip, and 4.4 in (11.2 cm) across the side tips
If your star is too big (over 5.3 in / 13.5 cm), go down to a 3.25 mm hook. If it is too small (under 4.9 in / 12.4 cm), go up to a 3.75 mm hook. Getting this right matters: a difference of 0.2 in (0.5 cm) per star adds up to 2.8 in (7.1 cm) over 14 rows.
Star Motif
Make each star in one color. Leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail at the start and at the end.
Round 1: Ch 6, sl st in first ch to form a ring. Ch 3 (counts as dc), 17 dc in ring, sl st in top of beginning ch-3. (18 dc)
Round 2: Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), dc in next dc, ch 1 17 times, sl st in 3rd ch of beginning ch-4. (18 dc and 18 ch-1 sps; 36 sts)
This round forms the radiating spokes around the open center.
Round 3: Sl st in first ch-1 sp, beg cl in same sp, ch 3, cl in next ch-1 sp, ch 3 17 times, sl st in top of beg cl. (18 clusters and 18 ch-3 sps; 72 sts)
Round 4: Sl st in first ch-3 sp. Ch 1, sc in same sp, ch 2, (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in next ch-3 sp, ch 2, sc in next ch-3 sp, ch 1, sc in next ch-3 sp, ch 2, (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc) in next ch-3 sp, ch 2, sc in next ch-3 sp, ch 1 5 times, sl st in first sc. (6 points; each point is 1 sc + 2 ch + 3 dc + 3 ch + 3 dc + 2 ch + 1 sc + 1 ch = 16 sts; 96 sts total)
Each group of three ch-3 spaces becomes one point. The middle space of the three carries the tip.
Round 5: Ch 1, sc in same sc as join, ch 3, skip ch-2 sp, dc in next 3 dc, (2 dc, ch 4, 2 dc) in ch-3 tip sp, dc in next 3 dc, ch 3, skip ch-2 sp, sc in next sc, skip ch-1 sp, sc in next sc 6 times, ending the last rep at *. Sl st in first sc. Fasten off. (6 points; each point is 1 sc + 3 ch + 10 dc + 4 ch + 3 ch + 1 sc = 22 sts; 132 sts total)*
The two sc that sit side by side form the deep valley between points. The 10 dc fan up to a sharp ch-4 tip loop.
Naming the tips: Hold the star RS up with one tip pointing straight up. Call the tips Top (T), Upper-Left (UL), Lower-Left (LL), Bottom (B), Lower-Right (LR), and Upper-Right (UR).
Make All Pieces
For two panels you need:
- White: 56 stars (28 per panel)
- Black: 56 stars (28 per panel)
Work the first star of each panel completely. Every other star is joined to its neighbors in Round 5: work Rounds 1–4 on their own, then join as you work Round 5. Weave in the Round 1 tail before joining, because it is hard to reach later.
Layout grid (one panel, W = white, B = black):
Row 1: W B W B
Row 2: B W B W
Row 3: W B W B
Row 4: B W B W
Row 5: W B W B
Row 6: B W B W
Row 7: W B W B
Row 8: B W B W
Row 9: W B W B
Row 10: B W B W
Row 11: W B W B
Row 12: B W B W
Row 13: W B W B
Row 14: B W B W
Row 1 is the top of the curtain. Columns are labeled A to D from left to right.
Joining
The stars sit in straight columns and straight rows. Each star touches its neighbors at up to six points:
- T joins to the B tip of the star above.
- UL and LL join to the UR and LR tips of the star to the left.
The side tips sit at 30 degrees above and below horizontal. Two side joins keep each pair of neighbors level, and one top/bottom join keeps each column straight. No star is joined at more than three tips during construction.
Order: Work Row 1 from left to right, then Row 2 from left to right, and so on.
- Star A1: Make the complete star.
- Stars B1, C1, D1: In Round 5, work a joining tip at UL (to the left star’s UR) and at LL (to the left star’s LR).
- Star A2 (and every column A star below it): Join T to the B tip of the star above.
- Stars B2–D2 (and all inner stars): Join T to the star above, then UL and LL to the star to the left.
Plan where you start Round 5 so the tips to be joined come up in the right order. Rotate the unfinished star until the next tip to join is in position, and lay both stars flat, RS up, before each sl st.
Tension: Keep the ch-2 on each side of the join at the same tension as a normal ch-4. A tight join pulls the tips together and buckles the panel. A loose one lets the stars drift.
Size checkpoint: After Row 2, lay the piece flat. It should measure 17.7 in (45.0 cm) across the outer side tips and 10.2 in (25.9 cm) from the top tip of Row 1 to the bottom tip of Row 2. After all 14 rows, the panel should measure 17.7 in (45.0 cm) × 71.4 in (181.4 cm).
Border: Top Header and Hanging Loops
Only the top edge gets a border. The sides and bottom stay as star tips, which gives the curtain its finished look.
Border gauge: 5 sc per inch (20 sc = 4 in / 10.2 cm).
Row 1 (RS): Join white with a standing dtr in the outer UL tip loop of star A1. Ch 9, 3 sc in T tip loop of the same star, ch 9, dtr through the next side tip loop 4 times. For stars A1–C1, that side tip is the joined UR/UL tips of two stars; work through both loops together. For star D1, it is the star’s outer UR tip. Turn. (1 starting dtr + 4 stars × [9 ch + 3 sc + 9 ch + 1 dtr = 22] = 89 sts)
The side tips sit lower than the top tips. The dtr reaches down to them, so the top of the row lies straight.
Row 2: Ch 1 (does not count), sc in each st across, including each ch. Turn. (89 sc)
Row 3: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn. (89 sc)
Row 4 (loops): Ch 1, sc in first 3 sts, ch 16, sl st in top of last sc made (loop made), sc in next 14 sts, ch 16, sl st in top of last sc made 6 times, sc in last 2 sts. Fasten off. (89 sc worked 1 per existing st + 7 ch-16 loops added)
Count check for Row 4: 3 + (6 × 14) + 2 = 89 sc. The loops are 14 sts, or 2.8 in (7.1 cm), apart.
Why the math works: One star measures 4.4 in (11.2 cm) across its side tips. At 5 sc per inch, that is 22 sts, which is exactly one star’s segment in Row 1. Four stars give 88 sts, or 17.6 in (44.7 cm). Add the starting dtr on the outer tip, and you get 89 sts and 17.8 in (45.2 cm). That is within 0.1 in (0.3 cm) of the 17.7 in (45.0 cm) panel width, so the header doesn’t gather or stretch the top row. Nothing extra is added at the joined tips: each gets a single dtr that is already counted in the 22.
The ch-16 loops fit a rod up to 0.75 in (1.9 cm) in diameter. For a thicker rod, add 2 ch for every extra 0.25 in (0.6 cm) of diameter. This doesn’t change the 89-st count.
Repeat the header on the second panel.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all remaining tails along the dc of the points so they don’t show through the lace.
- Lay one panel flat on blocking mats, RS up. Because the panel is long, a clean floor covered with towels also works.
- Pin the outer side tips of each row so the panel is 17.7 in (45.0 cm) wide.
- Pin the bottom tips of Row 14 so the panel measures 71.4 in (181.4 cm) from the Row 1 top tips.
- Pin out each star’s tips, and check a few stars for 5.1 in (13.0 cm) from top to bottom.
- Spray lightly until damp, not soaked.
- Let the panel dry completely, for at least 24 hours, before unpinning.
- If the header curls, steam it lightly and keep the loops even.
- Repeat for the second panel, then compare the two side by side.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Each panel has 56 stars: 28 white and 28 black.
- Colors alternate in every row and column, and no two stars of the same color touch.
- Every star has 6 points with a ch-4 tip loop at each point.
- All T/B and side joins are made, with no loose tips inside the panel.
- The panel measures 17.7 in (45.0 cm) × 71.4 in (181.4 cm) before the header.
- Header Rows 1–3 each have 89 sts; Row 4 has 89 sc and 7 loops.
- Both panels hang at the same length.
- All tails are woven in and trimmed.
Troubleshooting
Star curls into a bowl: The Round 3 clusters are too tight. Loosen the ch-3, or use a larger hook for Round 3 only.
Star ruffles: The chains are too long. Go down a hook size, or work the ch-3 in Round 5 more snugly.
Points look round instead of sharp: Pin each ch-4 tip loop out firmly when blocking, and check that you worked 2 dc on each side of the ch-4.
Columns lean: A side join was made to the wrong tip. Check that UL always joins to UR, and LL to LR.
Header gathers the top row: Your header gauge is tighter than 5 sc per inch. Rework the header with a 3.75 mm hook and keep the 89-st count.
Panel stretches when hung: Cotton relaxes a little over time. Re-block, dry flat, then hang again.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with a mild detergent, roll in a towel to remove water, and dry flat. Don’t hang the curtain while it’s wet, because the weight will stretch the joins.
Final Notes
The whole curtain grows from one measurement: a 5.1 in (13.0 cm) star that is 4.4 in (11.2 cm) across its side tips. Four stars across make a 17.7 in (45.0 cm) panel, and 14 stars down make 71.4 in (181.4 cm). The 89-st header (22 sts per star, plus 1) adds 0.75 in (1.9 cm), for a 72.2 in (183.4 cm) panel. Check your test star and check again after Row 2, and the rest falls into place.
Happy crocheting!