This strand curtain turns a plain window into a soft wall of lace. Twelve vertical strands hang from a wooden rod. Each strand alternates small round spoke medallions with long almond-shaped lace ovals, linked by ivory pearl beads, and ends in a full yarn tassel.
The whole curtain is made in one warm taupe (greige) cotton, so the texture is what stands out. Every motif has open spokes and a tiny picot edge, and the pearls shine a little when light comes through the window.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished curtain is about 35.5 in (90.2 cm) wide across the strands and 61 in (154.9 cm) long, from the top of the rod loop to the tip of the tassel.
The construction is simple and modular. You make the round and oval medallions separately and add a picot border to each. Then you link them into strands with short pearl connectors, add a tassel to each strand, and hang the strands on a rod.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 35.5 in (90.2 cm) wide x 61 in (154.9 cm) long
- Skill level: Intermediate (lace rounds, picots, working around a foundation chain)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Sport / fine (#2) mercerized cotton
- Hook: 2.75 mm (C-2)
- Number of pieces: 84 round medallions, 72 oval medallions, 12 tassels, 156 pearl connectors
- Layout: 12 strands. Each strand has 7 rounds and 6 ovals, alternating, starting and ending with a round, plus 1 tassel.
- Piece size: round medallion 2 in (5.1 cm) across; oval medallion 2.5 x 4.5 in (6.4 x 11.4 cm)
- Size before border: round 1.6 in (4.1 cm); oval 2.1 x 4.1 in (5.3 x 10.4 cm)
- Border depth: 0.2 in (0.5 cm) on every edge
Materials
Choose a smooth mercerized cotton in sport weight. It holds the lace shape, shows the picots clearly and does not stretch much while hanging. Avoid fuzzy or very stretchy fibers, because long strands will lengthen under their own weight.
- Taupe / greige (only color): 500 g, about 1,550 m (10 balls of 50 g / 155 m)
- Pearl beads: 165 ivory pearls, 12 mm, with a hole that fits a doubled strand of your yarn (156 needed, plus spares)
- Wooden curtain rod: 40 in (101.6 cm) long, with brackets
Tools:
- 2.75 mm (C-2) crochet hook
- Big-eye beading needle or dental floss threader for stringing pearls
- Tapestry needle
- Stitch markers
- Stiff card 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tall for the tassels
- Scissors, tape measure, rust-proof pins, blocking mat
- Spray bottle with water
The yarn quantity includes a margin of about 15% for gauge differences and swatching. Buy all the yarn from one dye lot.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch = chain
- sl st = slip stitch
- sc = single crochet
- dc = double crochet
- sp = space
- beg = beginning
- rnd = round
- picot = ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook
- hp (hanging picot) = ch 5, sl st in 5th ch from hook. This larger loop is the connection point at the top and bottom of every motif.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Basic gauge: 24 sc and 26 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) with a 2.75 mm hook. The motif checkpoints below matter more than a flat swatch. Make one round medallion and one oval first, and measure them at each stage.
Round medallion checkpoints (diameter):
- After Rnd 1: 0.9 in (2.3 cm)
- After Rnd 2: 1.3 in (3.3 cm)
- After Rnd 3: 1.6 in (4.1 cm)
- After border: 2 in (5.1 cm)
Oval medallion checkpoints (length x width, tip to tip, not counting hanging picots):
- After Rnd 1: 2.4 x 0.5 in (6.1 x 1.3 cm)
- After Rnd 2: 3.2 x 1.3 in (8.1 x 3.3 cm)
- After Rnd 3: 3.5 x 1.6 in (8.9 x 4.1 cm)
- After Rnd 4: 4.1 x 2.1 in (10.4 x 5.3 cm)
- After border: 4.5 x 2.5 in (11.4 x 6.4 cm)
If your motifs are too big, go down to a 2.5 mm hook. If they are too small, go up to a 3 mm hook. Small errors add up: 0.2 in (0.5 cm) extra on each oval means 1.2 in (3.0 cm) extra per strand. Match the checkpoints before you make all the pieces.
Round Medallion
Make 84. Each finished round has 12 open spokes and a picot edge.
Rnd 1: Make a magic ring. Ch 3 (counts as dc), 11 dc in ring, sl st to top of beg ch-3. Pull the ring closed. (12 dc)
Rnd 2: Ch 5 (counts as dc + ch 2), dc in next dc, ch 2; repeat from * 10 more times, sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch-5. (12 dc, 12 ch-2 sps)
These dc posts are the spokes. Keep the ch-2 spaces loose so the round lies flat.
Rnd 3: Sl st in next ch-2 sp, ch 1, 3 sc in same sp, 3 sc in each remaining ch-2 sp around, sl st to first sc. (36 sc)
Work the border (below) before you fasten off.
Oval Medallion
Make 72. Each finished oval has a narrow center eye, 24 radiating spokes, a round of lacy loops and a picot edge with a point at each end.
Rnd 1: Ch 12. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each of next 9 ch, 3 sc in last ch. Turn the work and continue along the free loops on the other side of the chain: sc in each of next 9 ch, 2 sc in same ch as first sc. Sl st to first sc. (24 sc)
Place a marker in the 12th sc (center of the first 3-sc group) and in the 24th sc (center of the second 3-sc group). These mark the two tips. Each side has 11 sc between the tip markers.
Rnd 2: Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), dc in next sc, ch 1; repeat from * 22 more times, sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch-4. (24 dc, 24 ch-1 sps)
Move each marker up to the dc worked into the marked sc. The dc posts form the spokes around the center eye.
Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in same st as join. Sc in each ch-1 sp and each dc around, but work (sc, ch 2, sc) in each marked dc. Sl st to first sc. (50 sc, 2 tip ch-2 sps)
Check: the 22 unmarked dc give 22 sc, the 2 marked dc give 4 sc and the 24 ch-1 sps give 24 sc, for 50 sc in total. That is 25 sc on each side between the tip spaces. Move the markers to the tip ch-2 sps.
Rnd 4: Sl st across to the nearest marked tip ch-2 sp. Ch 1, (sc, ch 3, sc) in tip sp. [Ch 3, skip next sc, sc in next sc] 12 times, ch 3, skip last sc of side, (sc, ch 3, sc) in next tip sp; repeat from * to ** once more, sl st to first sc. (28 ch-3 loops: 13 per side + 1 at each tip)*
Each side uses all 25 sc: the 12 repeats use 24 sc, and the last skipped sc is the 25th.
Work the border (below) before you fasten off.
Make All Pieces
Every piece uses the single taupe color:
- Round medallions: 84 (7 per strand x 12 strands), about 4 m each
- Oval medallions: 72 (6 per strand x 12 strands), about 10 m each
- Tassels: 12, about 12 m each
- Pearl connectors: 156 (13 per strand), about 0.4 m each
- Top loops: 12, about 1 m each
Layout of one strand, top to bottom (R = round, O = oval, P = pearl connector, T = tassel):
loop
R - P - O - P - R - P - O - P - R - P - O - P
R - P - O - P - R - P - O - P - R - P - O - P
R - P - T
The full curtain is 12 identical strands side by side:
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12
Joining
The motifs are joined end to end with short pearl connectors, hanging picot to hanging picot.
Pearl connector: Cut a 16 in (40.6 cm) length of yarn and string 1 pearl onto it with the beading needle. Insert the hook in the bottom hp of the upper motif, pull up a loop and ch 1 to secure it. Ch 2, slide the pearl up against the hook, then ch 2 to lock it in place. Sl st in the top hp of the next motif. Fasten off and weave both tails into the motif border.
Each connector plus its two hanging picots makes a 1 in (2.5 cm) gap between motifs. Use the same tension for every connector. A tight connector makes the pearl tilt, and a loose one lets the motifs twist.
Join the 13 motifs of one strand with 12 connectors. Add a 13th connector to the bottom hp of the last round, and sl st it through the top loop of a tassel.
Tassel: Wrap yarn 40 times around the 5.5 in (14.0 cm) card. Slide a 10 in (25.4 cm) tie under the wraps at the top and knot it tightly, leaving the ends to form the top loop. Cut the wraps at the bottom. Wrap the neck 8 times, 0.75 in (1.9 cm) below the top, knot it and hide the ends inside. Trim the tassel to 5 in (12.7 cm).
Top loop: Join yarn to the top hp of the first round, ch 22, sl st in same hp. Fasten off. The loop folds over the rod with about 2 in (5.1 cm) of drop.
Strand checkpoint: 2 in (5.1 cm) loop + 14 in (35.6 cm) of rounds + 27 in (68.6 cm) of ovals + 13 in (33.0 cm) of connectors + 5 in (12.7 cm) tassel = 61 in (154.9 cm).
Hang the strands 3 in (7.6 cm) apart, center to center. Eleven spaces of 3 in (7.6 cm) make 33 in (83.8 cm). Add half an oval width, 1.25 in (3.2 cm), at each outer edge for a total width of 35.5 in (90.2 cm).
Border
The picot border is the last round of every motif. It adds 0.2 in (0.5 cm) to every edge. A 1.6 in (4.1 cm) round becomes 2 in (5.1 cm), and a 2.1 x 4.1 in (5.3 x 10.4 cm) oval becomes 2.5 x 4.5 in (6.4 x 11.4 cm).
Border gauge: One picot repeat is about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) along the edge.
Round medallion border (Rnd 4): Ch 1, sc in next 2 sc, picot, sc in next sc; repeat from * 11 more times, working hp instead of picot in the 1st and 7th repeats. Sl st to first sc. Fasten off. (36 sc, 10 picots, 2 hp)
The 1st and 7th repeats are 6 repeats apart, so they sit exactly opposite each other and the round hangs straight.
Oval medallion border (Rnd 5): Sl st in tip ch-3 loop, ch 1, (2 sc, hp, 2 sc) in same loop. (2 sc, picot, 2 sc) in each of next 13 loops, (2 sc, hp, 2 sc) in next tip loop; repeat from * to * once more, sl st to first sc. Fasten off. (112 sc, 26 picots, 2 hp)
Each side has 13 loops x 4 sc = 52 sc and 13 picots. The 2 tip loops have 4 sc each, so they add 8 sc and 2 hp. Total: 52 + 52 + 8 = 112 sc.
Why the math works: On the round, the 36 sc split into 12 repeats of 3 sc, one for each spoke, so each picot sits between two spokes. On the oval, both sides have exactly 13 loops and both tips are identical. The shape stays symmetrical, and the hanging picots fall at the true points. Four sc in each ch-3 loop gives a gentle scallop without ruffling.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all the ends on each motif before blocking.
- Soak the motifs in cool water for 10 minutes, then press the water out in a towel. Do not wring them.
- Pin each round to a 2 in (5.1 cm) circle, with a pin in each picot.
- Pin each oval to 2.5 x 4.5 in (6.4 x 11.4 cm). Pin the hp at each tip first, then the side picots.
- Open the center eye and spokes with your fingers so the lace is even.
- Let the motifs dry completely before joining.
- After joining, hang each strand and mist it lightly. Leave it overnight so gravity straightens it.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Every round measures 2 in (5.1 cm) and every oval measures 2.5 x 4.5 in (6.4 x 11.4 cm).
- Every motif has 2 hanging picots exactly opposite each other.
- Each strand has 7 rounds, 6 ovals, 13 pearls and 1 tassel.
- Every gap measures 1 in (2.5 cm).
- Every strand is 61 in (154.9 cm) long, within 0.5 in (1.3 cm).
- Every tassel is trimmed to 5 in (12.7 cm).
- No ends show on the front.
- The strands are evenly spaced 3 in (7.6 cm) apart.
Troubleshooting
- The round cups: The ch-2 spaces in Rnd 2 are too tight. Loosen them or use ch 3.
- The round ruffles: Work Rnd 3 with tighter tension or a smaller hook.
- The oval is lopsided: Recount Rnd 3. Each side must have 25 sc.
- The tips are blunt: Make sure the (sc, ch 2, sc) in Rnd 3 is worked in the marked dc.
- A strand twists: The hanging picots are off center. Check the 1st and 7th repeats on the rounds.
- The strands are different lengths: Adjust the connector tension, or re-block and measure again.
- A pearl will not slide: Use a floss threader or choose pearls with a larger hole.
Care
Dust gently, or hand wash in cool water with mild soap. Lay flat to dry, re-block if needed and hang again.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is simple. A 1.6 in (4.1 cm) round becomes 2 in (5.1 cm) with its border. A 2.1 x 4.1 in (5.3 x 10.4 cm) oval becomes 2.5 x 4.5 in (6.4 x 11.4 cm) with its border. Seven rounds, six ovals, thirteen 1 in (2.5 cm) gaps, a 2 in (5.1 cm) loop and a 5 in (12.7 cm) tassel make a 61 in (154.9 cm) strand. Twelve strands spaced 3 in (7.6 cm) apart make a 35.5 in (90.2 cm) curtain.
Check your first round and your first oval against the checkpoints, and the rest of the curtain will follow.
Happy crocheting!