This curtain is made of small crescent moons set in a light, open net. Each moon is a solid little crescent with pointed tips and a ribbed belly, and each one sits inside a cream chain frame. Once the frames are joined, the chains become a soft lattice that lets daylight through and throws moon-shaped shadows across the room.
It uses only two colors: a lavender purple and a butter cream. The moons alternate purple and cream in a checkerboard. Every frame and the edge are cream, so the lattice reads as one continuous web. The style is airy, a little boho, and calm.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. After blocking, the finished panel measures 31 x 73 in (78.7 x 185.4 cm), border included. One panel covers a standard window. Make a second panel if you want a pair.
The construction is simple and repetitive. You crochet a moon in 3 short rows and add a 2-round cream frame. Each new motif is joined to its neighbors during the last frame round (join-as-you-go). When all 216 motifs are joined, you add a 3-round border and block the whole panel.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 31 x 73 in (78.7 x 185.4 cm)
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK (#3) cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4) for motifs; 4 mm (G-6) for the border
- Number of pieces: 216 motifs, joined as you go into one panel
- Layout: 12 motifs across x 18 motifs down
- Motif size: 2.5 x 4 in (6.4 x 10.2 cm), blocked
- Size before border: 30 x 72 in (76.2 x 182.9 cm)
- Border depth: 0.5 in (1.3 cm) on each side
Materials
Choose a smooth, mercerized or combed cotton in DK weight. Cotton holds the crisp crescent shape, blocks well, and won’t sag much while it hangs. Avoid fuzzy yarns, because they blur the lattice.
- Color A, lavender purple: 300 g, about 720 m (108 moons)
- Color B, butter cream: 650 g, about 1,560 m (108 moons, all 216 frames, and the border)
These quantities include a margin of about 10 percent for gauge differences and test pieces.
Tools:
- 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook
- 4 mm (G-6) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Stitch markers
- Rustproof pins and a large blocking surface (foam mats, or a bed covered with towels)
- Spray bottle
- 13 clip curtain rings per panel
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- hdc: half double crochet
- dc: double crochet
- rev sc: reverse single crochet (crab stitch)
- st(s): stitch(es)
- sp: space
- RS: right side
Drop-loop join: Remove the hook from the working loop. Insert the hook from front to back through the matching stitch of the finished neighbor motif. Pick up the dropped loop and pull it through. This join adds no stitches.
Loop join (counts as ch 7): Ch 3, sl st into the 4th (center) ch of the neighbor’s matching ch-7 loop, ch 3. Count these 7 stitches as one ch-7 loop.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Before anything else, make one complete motif. Wet it, pin it to size, and let it dry. This is your gauge piece and your blocking template.
- Moon Row 1: 16 sts = 4 in (10.2 cm) with the 3.5 mm hook
- Finished moon: about 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tip to tip and 1.25 in (3.2 cm) across the belly
- Motif, unblocked: about 2.25 x 3.5 in (5.7 x 8.9 cm)
- Motif, blocked: 2.5 x 4 in (6.4 x 10.2 cm)
If your moon is too big, switch to a 3.25 mm hook. If it’s too small, try a 3.75 mm hook. Being off by just 1/8 in (0.3 cm) per motif adds up to 2.25 in (5.7 cm) over 18 rows, so match the gauge closely.
Moon
Make 108 moons in Color A and 108 in Color B, using the 3.5 mm hook. The turning ch 1 never counts as a stitch.
Row 1 (inner arc): Ch 17. Sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in next 12 ch, hdc in next ch, sc in last ch. (16 sts: 1 sc, 1 hdc, 12 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc)
This foundation row becomes the inner, concave edge of the moon.
Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Sl st in first sc, sc in next hdc, hdc in next dc, [2 dc in next dc, dc in next dc] 5 times, hdc in next dc, sc in next hdc, sl st in last sc. (21 sts: 1 sl st, 1 sc, 1 hdc, 15 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc, 1 sl st)
All the increases are in the middle of the row, so the piece curves and the short stitches at each end begin to form the points.
Row 3 (outer arc): Ch 1, turn. Sl st in first sl st, sc in next sc, hdc in next hdc, dc in next dc, [2 dc in next dc, dc in next 2 dc] 4 times, dc in next 2 dc, hdc in next hdc, sc in next sc, sl st in last sl st. (25 sts: 1 sl st, 1 sc, 1 hdc, 19 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc, 1 sl st)
Fasten off the Color A moons. On the Color B moons you can keep the yarn attached and go straight into the frame.
Checkpoint: Lay the moon flat with the belly on the left and the opening on the right. Both tips should be pointed, and the belly should be about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) wide. Place a marker in the 13th st of Row 3, which is the center of the belly.
Frame
Work with Color B and the 3.5 mm hook, RS facing, belly on the left.
Round 1 (anchor round): Join yarn with sc in the marked 13th st of Row 3 (belly). Working upward, ch 6, sc in the end sl st at the upper tip. Ch 25, sc in the end sl st at the lower tip. Ch 6, sl st in first sc to join. (40 sts: 3 sc, 37 ch)
The ch-25 loop spans the open side of the moon and becomes the base of the frame’s right edge.
Round 2 (shaping round): Ch 1, sc in same sc (left-mid). Ch 7, sc in next ch-6 sp (top-left corner). Ch 4, sc in sc at upper tip (top-mid). Ch 4, sc in 5th ch of the ch-25 loop (top-right corner). Ch 7, sc in 13th ch of the ch-25 loop (right-mid). Ch 7, sc in 21st ch of the ch-25 loop (bottom-right corner). Ch 4, sc in sc at lower tip (bottom-mid). Ch 4, sc in next ch-6 sp (bottom-left corner). Ch 7, sl st in first sc to join. Fasten off. (52 sts: 8 sc, 44 ch)
At each end of the ch-25 loop, the 4 unused ch lie under the ch-4 spans of the top and bottom edges. On the right edge, the 7 ch skipped between anchors match the new ch-7, so the two chains lie together as a doubled line.
Side counts per motif (each side includes its 2 corner sc):
- Left and right sides: sc + 7 ch + sc + 7 ch + sc = 17 sts
- Top and bottom sides: sc + 4 ch + sc + 4 ch + sc = 11 sts
- Check: (2 x 17) + (2 x 11) − 4 shared corners = 52 sts, which matches Round 2.
Join the first motif as written. Every later motif is joined on Round 2, as described in Joining below.
Make All Pieces
- Color A moons: 108
- Color B moons: 108
- Frames (Color B): 216, one on every moon
Every moon is placed with the belly on the left. Layout (A = purple moon, B = cream moon):
Rows 1, 3, 5 ... 17: A B A B A B A B A B A B
Rows 2, 4, 6 ... 18: B A B A B A B A B A B A
Each row has 6 A and 6 B. With 18 rows, that’s 108 of each.
Joining
Join as you go, working left to right along Row 1 and then each following row. Every new motif is joined during its Round 2 to the motif on its left, the motif above it, or both.
Stitch-to-stitch logic:
- The new motif’s left side (17 sts) meets its left neighbor’s right side (17 sts). Join left-mid to right-mid and each corner to the matching corner with a drop-loop join, and replace both ch-7 loops with loop joins.
- The new motif’s top side (11 sts) meets the bottom side (11 sts) of the motif above. Join the top-mid sc to the bottom-mid sc and the corners to the matching corners with drop-loop joins. Work the ch-4 spans normally.
- Where 4 motifs meet, make the drop-loop join through the corner sc that has already been joined, so the 4 corners lock together in one point.
None of the joins changes a stitch count. Each motif still has 52 sts, and each side keeps its 17 or 11.
Tension: Keep the loop-join chains the same tension as your normal chains. If they’re tight, the lattice puckers. If they’re loose, the moons tilt. Join with the RS of both motifs facing you, and keep every belly on the left.
Size checkpoint: Row 1 of motifs should measure about 27 in (68.6 cm) unblocked and 30 in (76.2 cm) when pinned. After 9 rows, the panel should pin out to 36 in (91.4 cm) long.
Border
Use Color B and the 4 mm hook. The larger hook keeps the solid sc edge from pulling in against the open lace.
Border gauge: 17 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm) along the long sides, and 11 sc = 2.5 in (6.4 cm) along the short sides. This is the same stitch density as the motif edges.
Round 1: RS facing, join with sc in the top-left corner sc of the panel. Working around, make 1 sc in each sc and each ch along every outer edge, and 3 sc in each of the 4 panel-corner sts. Sl st to first sc.
- Stitches worked one per existing stitch: top and bottom, 12 x 11 = 132 each; left and right, 18 x 17 = 306 each. Shared panel corners are counted once, for a total of (2 x 132) + (2 x 306) − 4 = 872.
- Extra stitches added: 2 at each corner = 8.
- Round 1 total: 872 + 8 = 880 sts. Counting the corner-center sc at both ends, each side has 134 sts on the top and bottom and 308 sts on the left and right.
Round 2: Ch 1, sc in each st around, with 3 sc in each corner-center sc. Sl st to first sc.
- 880 worked one per stitch + 8 extra = 888 sts. Each side now has 136 sts on the top and bottom and 310 sts on the left and right.
Round 3: Ch 1, rev sc in each st around. Sl st to first st and fasten off. (888 sts)
Why the math works: Round 1 uses exactly one sc per motif edge stitch, so the border is exactly as long as the motifs it runs along. No stitches are added at the seams between motifs, because each motif’s corner sc is already part of its 17 or 11. The only increases are at the 4 panel corners, so they stay square. The 3 rounds add 0.5 in (1.3 cm) on every side: 30 + 1 = 31 in (78.7 cm) wide and 72 + 1 = 73 in (185.4 cm) long.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends along the frame chains, never through the moons.
- Soak the panel in cool water for 15 minutes, then press out the water in a towel. Don’t wring it.
- Lay it flat with RS up. Pin the 4 corners to 31 x 73 in (78.7 x 185.4 cm).
- Pin along the border every 2.5 in (6.4 cm), at each motif seam.
- Pin the interior corner points so that every motif is 2.5 x 4 in (6.4 x 10.2 cm) and the chains are straight.
- Smooth each moon with your fingers so the tips point cleanly up and down.
- Let it dry completely, then remove the pins.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Every moon has 25 sts in Row 3, and the tips are pointed.
- All bellies face left, and the colors alternate in a checkerboard.
- Every frame has 52 sts, with 17 on the long sides and 11 on the short sides.
- All 4-way corners are locked together.
- The border has 888 sts, and the corners are square.
- The panel measures 31 x 73 in (78.7 x 185.4 cm).
- All ends are woven in securely.
Troubleshooting
- Moon curls into a cup: Your Row 2 or Row 3 tension is too tight. Go up a hook size for the moons only.
- Moon tips are blunt: Check that both ends of Rows 2 and 3 are sl st and sc, not hdc.
- Frame twists: You probably skipped the wrong ch in the ch-25 loop. Count 5, 13, and 21.
- Border ruffles: Use the 3.5 mm hook for the border instead.
- Border pulls in: Make sure you’re working into every ch, not into the ch spaces.
- Panel sags lengthwise: Cotton relaxes when it hangs. Block it a little firmer, or space the rings closer together.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with a mild detergent and dry flat, pinned to size. Lightly steam-press the border if it starts to wave.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is short and simple. Row 1 of the moon is 16 sts = 4 in (10.2 cm). Each blocked motif is 2.5 x 4 in (6.4 x 10.2 cm), with 11 and 17 sts per side. Twelve across and 18 down give 30 x 72 in (76.2 x 182.9 cm), and the 0.5 in (1.3 cm) border brings the panel to 31 x 73 in (78.7 x 185.4 cm). To hang it, clip 13 rings along the top border, one at each motif seam and one at each corner, 2.5 in (6.4 cm) apart.
Happy crocheting!