This garland is a soft, romantic window treatment: dusty rose bows hanging from cream chain strands. Each bow has two rounded, textured loops with open centers and four leaf-shaped tails that fall from beneath a wrapped knot. With light behind it, the open lacework of each bow glows.
The palette is two colors: a muted rose for the bows and a warm cream for the strands and top band. The bows are evenly spaced and staggered from strand to strand, so the garland reads as a layered, airy curtain.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished garland measures 35.25 in (89.5 cm) wide × about 61 in (154.9 cm) long. Each bow is 4 in (10.2 cm) wide × about 4 in (10.2 cm) tall.
Here is how it comes together. You make 39 bows, each assembled from small pieces. Then you chain 7 vertical cream strands, joining the bows as you go. Finally, you work a cream top band that folds into a rod pocket and catches the top of every strand.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 35.25 in (89.5 cm) wide × about 61 in (154.9 cm) long
- Skill level: Easy, but repetitive
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4)
- Hooks: 4.0 mm (G-6) for bows, 6.0 mm (J-10) for strands, 5.0 mm (H-8) for the top band
- Number of pieces: 39 bows (each made of 2 loops, 4 tails, and 1 knot strip), 7 strands, and 1 top band
- Layout: 7 strands spaced 5 in (12.7 cm) apart. Odd strands carry 6 bows and even strands carry 5 bows, staggered.
- Piece size: each bow is 4 in (10.2 cm) wide × about 4 in (10.2 cm) tall
- Size before border: strand span of 30 in (76.2 cm) from the first strand to the last; strands are 60 in (152.4 cm) long
- Border depth: the folded top band is about 1.1 in (2.8 cm) deep
Materials
Choose a smooth worsted yarn of about 183 m (200 yd) per 100 g. A cotton or cotton-acrylic blend holds the bow loops round and shows stitch texture well. Avoid fuzzy yarns, because fuzz fills the open centers.
- Dusty Rose (bows): 400 g / 732 m (800 yd). Each bow uses about 16 m, so 39 bows use about 624 m.
- Cream (strands and band): 100 g / 183 m (200 yd). The strands and band use about 130 m.
Quantities include a margin of roughly 15–40% for swatching and sewing tails.
Tools:
– 4.0 mm, 5.0 mm, and 6.0 mm hooks
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Stitch markers
– Tape measure
– Blocking mat, pins, and a spray bottle
– Tension rod or dowel up to 0.5 in (1.3 cm) in diameter
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- BLO – back loop only
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- ( ) ×N – repeat the bracketed sequence N times
Special stitch – Join Stitch (JS): Insert the hook from top to bottom under the back of the bow’s knot strip. Yarn over, then draw through the strip and the loop on the hook. A JS counts as 1 chain-length stitch on the strand.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Make and assemble one complete bow before you commit to all 39.
Bow gauge (4.0 mm hook):
– Loop after Round 1: outer diameter of 1.75 in (4.4 cm), with an open center of about 0.75 in (1.9 cm)
– Loop after Round 2: diameter of 2.25 in (5.7 cm)
– Tail: 2.75 in (7.0 cm) long and 0.75 in (1.9 cm) wide at its widest point
– Assembled bow: 4 in (10.2 cm) wide × about 4 in (10.2 cm) tall
Strand gauge (6.0 mm hook, cream held double): 3 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm). Check that 30 ch measure 10 in (25.4 cm) when hanging.
Band gauge (5.0 mm hook, single strand): 16 sc × 18 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) square, which is 4 sc and 4.5 rows per 1 in (2.5 cm).
Adjusting your gauge:
– If a checkpoint measures too big, go down 0.5 mm.
– If it measures too small, go up 0.5 mm.
Fix the gauge at the stage where it first goes off. A loop that is 0.25 in (0.6 cm) too wide makes every bow 0.5 in (1.3 cm) too wide.
Bow Loops (Make 2 per Bow)
With Dusty Rose and the 4.0 mm hook:
Ring: Ch 12. Sl st to the first ch to form a ring.
Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as dc). Work 23 dc into the ring. Sl st to the top of the ch-3. (24 dc)
Round 2: Ch 1. Working in BLO, (sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st) ×8. Sl st to the first sc. (32 sc)
Round 2 is a growth round: 24 sts worked plus 8 increases gives 32 sc. Working in BLO leaves a raised ridge around the dc ring, which gives the loop its textured outline.
Fasten off, leaving an 8 in (20.3 cm) tail. Checkpoint: the loop measures 2.25 in (5.7 cm) across.
Bow Tails (Make 4 per Bow)
Each tail is a leaf shape worked around both sides of a chain. It is pointed at the tip and narrow at the base.
Foundation: Ch 12.
Side 1: Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook (the tip), work as follows:
– sl st
– sc in next ch
– hdc in next ch
– dc in next 6 ch
– hdc in next ch
– sc in last ch (the base)
That gives (11 sts).
Side 2: Rotate the piece and work into the unused loops of the foundation, starting with the base ch:
– sc
– hdc in next ch
– dc in next 6 ch
– hdc in next ch
– sc in next ch
– sl st in the tip ch
That gives (11 sts; 22 sts total).
Tip picot: Ch 2, then sl st into the same tip ch.
Fasten off, leaving an 8 in (20.3 cm) tail at the base. Checkpoint: the tail is 2.75 in (7.0 cm) long.
Knot Strip (Make 1 per Bow)
Row 1: Ch 4. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in the next 2 ch. (3 sc)
Rows 2–8: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (3 sc)
Fasten off, leaving a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail. The strip is about 1.6 in (4.1 cm) long.
Assembling One Bow
- Lay the 2 loops side by side, right side up. Overlap their inner edges by 0.5 in (1.3 cm). The width is now 2.25 + 2.25 − 0.5 = 4 in (10.2 cm).
- Stack the 4 tail bases behind the overlap so the tips point down.
- Fan the tails. Angle the outer 2 tails about 35° outward and the inner 2 tails about 10° outward.
- Tack all the layers together through the center using one tail of yarn.
- Wrap the knot strip around the center from front to back. Sew its short ends together at the back.
- Weave in all the ends.
The tails now hang from beneath the knot. The bow measures 4 in (10.2 cm) wide × about 4 in (10.2 cm) tall.
Make All Pieces
Dusty Rose:
– Loops: 39 bows × 2 = 78
– Tails: 39 bows × 4 = 156
– Knot strips: 39
– Assembled bows: 39
Cream:
– 7 strands
– 1 top band
Layout grid (A = odd strands with 6 bows, B = even strands with 5 bows; distances are measured from the top of the strand):
STRAND: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
A B A B A B A
LEVEL 1 (5 in): BOW --- BOW --- BOW --- BOW
LEVEL 2 (10 in): --- BOW --- BOW --- BOW ---
LEVEL 3 (15 in): BOW --- BOW --- BOW --- BOW
LEVEL 4 (20 in): --- BOW --- BOW --- BOW ---
LEVEL 5 (25 in): BOW --- BOW --- BOW --- BOW
LEVEL 6 (30 in): --- BOW --- BOW --- BOW ---
LEVEL 7 (35 in): BOW --- BOW --- BOW --- BOW
LEVEL 8 (40 in): --- BOW --- BOW --- BOW ---
LEVEL 9 (45 in): BOW --- BOW --- BOW --- BOW
LEVEL 10 (50 in): --- BOW --- BOW --- BOW ---
LEVEL 11 (55 in): BOW --- BOW --- BOW --- BOW
Metric levels:
– A strands (odd levels): 5, 15, 25, 35, 45, and 55 in = 12.7, 38.1, 63.5, 88.9, 114.3, and 139.7 cm
– B strands (even levels): 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 in = 25.4, 50.8, 76.2, 101.6, and 127.0 cm
Total: 4 A strands × 6 bows + 3 B strands × 5 bows = 24 + 15 = 39 bows.
Joining: Bows onto Strands
Method: Hold 2 strands of Cream together and use the 6.0 mm hook. Leave a 12 in (30.5 cm) starting tail. Every strand is 180 sts long, which is 60 in (152.4 cm) at 3 sts per 1 in (2.5 cm).
Strand A (make 4):
1. Ch 14, then JS to Bow 1. The JS is st 15, at 5 in (12.7 cm).
2. (Ch 29, JS to the next bow) ×5. The joins fall at sts 45, 75, 105, 135, and 165.
3. Ch 15. Fasten off.
Count check: 15 + (5 × 30) + 15 = 180 sts.
Strand B (make 3):
1. Ch 29, then JS to Bow 1. The JS is st 30, at 10 in (25.4 cm).
2. (Ch 29, JS to the next bow) ×4. The joins fall at sts 60, 90, 120, and 150.
3. Ch 30. Fasten off.
Count check: 30 + (4 × 30) + 30 = 180 sts.
Stitch-to-stitch logic: Each bow’s knot sits exactly on its JS. Because the spacing is 30 sts between joins, every bow sits 10 in (25.4 cm) below the one above it on the same strand. Strand B starts 15 sts later than Strand A, which creates the 5 in (12.7 cm) stagger.
Tension:
– Keep each chain loose enough that the doubled yarn sits flat.
– Keep the chains even, with no tight spots.
– Always face the bows the same way, right side toward you, so the strand runs behind every bow.
Size checkpoint: Hang each strand from its top for 10 minutes. It should measure 60 in (152.4 cm). If it is more than 1 in (2.5 cm) off, adjust the final chain at the bottom, not the spacing between bows.
Border: Top Header Band
The band is worked in single Cream on the 5.0 mm hook.
Band gauge: 4 sc and 4.5 rows per 1 in (2.5 cm). The band’s stitch count comes from this gauge and the strand spacing. It is not built from bow stitch counts, because each strand attaches at one single stitch.
Row 1: Ch 142. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. (141 sc)
Rows 2–10: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. (141 sc)
Checkpoint: The band measures 35.25 in (89.5 cm) × 2.2 in (5.6 cm).
Mark the strand positions: On Row 1, place markers at sts 11, 31, 51, 71, 91, 111, and 131.
Row 11 (closing row):
1. Fold the band lengthwise so Row 10 meets the foundation edge.
2. Working through both layers, sl st in each st across. (141 sl st)
3. At each marker, slide the top ch of a strand between the layers, in the order 1 to 7. Catch it in that sl st.
4. Thread each strand’s 12 in (30.5 cm) starting tail inside the pocket and weave it in.
Counts per side after folding:
– Bottom seam edge: 141 sl st
– Top fold edge: 141 sc
– Each short end: 10 rows (5 per layer), left open for the rod
Why the math works:
– 141 = 10 margin + 1 (Strand 1) + (6 × 20) + 10 margin.
– 20 sc ÷ 4 sc/in = 5 in (12.7 cm) between strands.
– 6 gaps × 5 in = a 30 in (76.2 cm) strand span.
– 10 sc ÷ 4 = a 2.5 in (6.4 cm) margin at each end.
– 141 ÷ 4 = 35.25 in (89.5 cm) wide.
– 10 rows ÷ 4.5 = 2.2 in (5.6 cm), which folds to a 1.1 in (2.8 cm) pocket for a rod up to 0.5 in (1.3 cm) in diameter.
Final Blocking
- Lay the garland flat on a clean floor or a set of blocking mats, with the strands straight and parallel.
- Spray each bow until it is damp, not soaked.
- Pin the loops round at 2.25 in (5.7 cm) across, with the open centers clear.
- Pin the tails flat in their fan, with the picot tips pointed.
- Check that the bows are 4 in (10.2 cm) wide.
- Steam the band lightly from above without touching it. Pat it flat at 35.25 in (89.5 cm).
- Let everything dry completely, then hang the garland so the strands settle under their own weight.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- [ ] There are 39 bows: 6 on each A strand and 5 on each B strand.
- [ ] Every loop has 32 sc in Round 2 and an open center.
- [ ] Every bow has 4 tails fanned below a wrapped knot.
- [ ] All bows face the same direction.
- [ ] Each strand is 180 sts and 60 in (152.4 cm) long.
- [ ] Bows sit 10 in (25.4 cm) apart on each strand, staggered 5 in (12.7 cm).
- [ ] The band is 141 sts wide and 35.25 in (89.5 cm) long.
- [ ] Strands are caught at sts 11 through 131, 5 in (12.7 cm) apart.
- [ ] The rod pocket is open at both ends.
- [ ] All ends are woven in.
Troubleshooting
Loop cups or ruffles:
– A cupped loop has too few stitches; a ruffled loop has too many. Recount Round 1 (24) and Round 2 (32).
– If a loop still cups with the correct counts, go up 0.5 mm.
Center hole closes up: Your ring chain is too tight. Chain more loosely, or use a 4.5 mm hook for the ring only.
Tails curl: Block them flat and pinned. Check that the base ch received both an sc on Side 1 and an sc on Side 2.
Bows spin on the strand: Work the JS under the knot strip only, not through a single loop. Add a second tack stitch with the cream tail if needed.
Strands are uneven lengths: Recount the 180 sts. Adjust the bottom chain only.
Band is wavy: Your foundation chain is too tight. Redo it with a 5.5 mm hook for the chain only.
Care
Hand-wash cool and lay flat to dry, reshaping the bows while damp. Do not wring the garland or hang it while it is wet.
Final Notes
Your measurement chain starts small:
– Loop Round 1 at 1.75 in (4.4 cm)
– Loop Round 2 at 2.25 in (5.7 cm)
– Tail at 2.75 in (7.0 cm)
– Assembled bow at 4 in (10.2 cm) wide
– Strand: 30 sts per 10 in (25.4 cm), 180 sts per 60 in (152.4 cm)
– Band: 141 sc at 35.25 in (89.5 cm)
Check each link in that chain and the garland will hang straight, evenly spaced, and staggered.
Optional: for a wider window, add strands in 20-sc steps on the band, keeping the A/B alternation.
Happy crocheting!