The Rosewood Lace Bow is a small, delicate ornament made of tiered fan lace. Dusty rose fans fill each piece, and cream chain arches separate the tiers. A cream picot edge outlines every shape, so the bow stands out clearly against tree branches.
The bow has two rounded wings and two pointed tails, gathered at the center under a neat cream wrap. A slip-stitch cord forms the hanging loop. It works on Christmas trees, gift wrap, and wreaths, and it looks vintage without being fussy.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished bow measures 4 in (10.2 cm) wide by 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall, plus a 1.5 in (3.8 cm) hanging loop.
You work each wing and tail flat in rows, switching colors every row, then add a picot border to each piece. Next, you gather the pieces at the center, wrap them tightly, and attach the hanging cord.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 4 in (10.2 cm) wide x 3.5 in (8.9 cm) tall, plus 1.5 in (3.8 cm) loop
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Fingering-weight (Super Fine #1) mercerized cotton or size 3 crochet thread
- Hook: 2.25 mm (US B-1)
- Number of pieces: 4 lace pieces (2 wings, 2 tails), plus 1 hanging cord
- Layout: Wings side by side, with tails hanging below in a V
- Piece size after border: Wing 2 in (5.1 cm) from pinch to outer edge x 2.4 in (6.1 cm) tall; tail 2.4 in (6.1 cm) long x 1.6 in (4.1 cm) wide
- Size before border: Wing 1.8 in (4.6 cm) x 2 in (5.1 cm); tail 2 in (5.1 cm) x 1.2 in (3.0 cm)
- Border depth: 0.2 in (0.5 cm), including picots
Materials
Choose a smooth, mercerized cotton. It gives crisp fans and firm picots, and it holds its shape after blocking. Fuzzy or very soft yarns blur the lace. The amounts below assume about 2.5 m per gram (roughly 125 m per 50 g).
- Color A, dusty rose (fans): 6 g, about 15 m
- Color B, cream (arches, border, wrap, cord): 8 g, about 20 m
These amounts are for one bow and include a safety margin.
Tools:
– 2.25 mm (US B-1) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Rust-proof pins and a blocking mat
– Spray bottle, plus optional light spray starch
– Ruler or tape measure
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet
- sk – skip
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- RS – right side
Special stitch – Picot: Ch 3, then sl st in the 3rd ch from the hook. Picots are not included in the stitch totals.
Row note: Work every row with the RS facing and do not turn. Fasten off at the end of each row, then join the next color at the first stitch of the row you just finished. Crochet over the yarn tails as you go so you have fewer ends to weave in later.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 7 dc = 1 in (2.5 cm). One dc row is about 0.3 in (0.8 cm) tall, and one tr row is about 0.4 in (1.0 cm) tall.
Make one wing first and measure it before you continue. Measure it lying flat and unstretched.
Wing checkpoints (from the ring to the outer edge):
– After Row 1: 0.4 in (1.0 cm)
– After Row 3: 1 in (2.5 cm)
– After Row 6: 1.8 in (4.6 cm) long and 2 in (5.1 cm) tall
Tail checkpoints (from the tip upward):
– After Row 3: 1.2 in (3.0 cm) wide
– After Row 4: 1 in (2.5 cm) long
– After Row 8: 2 in (5.1 cm) long
If the piece is too big, go down to a 2 mm hook. If it’s too small, or the fans cup and won’t lie flat, go up to a 2.5 mm hook. Small differences don’t matter much on an ornament, but all four pieces need to match each other.
Wing (Make 2)
Row 1 (A): Ch 5, then sl st in the first ch to form a ring. Ch 3 (counts as dc), then work 12 dc in the ring. Fasten off. (13 dc)
Row 2 (B): Join B with sc in the top of the beginning ch-3, then [ch 4, sk 2 dc, sc in next dc] 4 times. Fasten off. (5 sc, 4 ch-4 sps)
The sc fall on stitches 1, 4, 7, 10, and 13, so the arches are evenly spaced.
Row 3 (A): Join A with sl st in the first sc. Ch 4 (counts as tr) and work 3 tr in the same sc. Sc in the next sc, 9 tr in the next sc, sc in the next sc, then 4 tr in the last sc. Fasten off. (19 sts: 17 tr, 2 sc)
This row makes one full fan in the center with a half fan at each edge.
Row 4 (B): Join B with sc in the top of the beginning ch-4, then [ch 4, sk 2 sts, sc in next st] 6 times. Fasten off. (7 sc, 6 ch-4 sps)
Row 5 (A): Join A with sl st in the first sc. Ch 4 and work 3 tr in the same sc. [Sc in the next sc, 9 tr in the next sc] 2 times. Sc in the next sc, then 4 tr in the last sc. Fasten off. (29 sts: 26 tr, 3 sc)
This row makes two full fans and two half fans.
Row 6 (B): Join B with sc in the top of the beginning ch-4, then [ch 5, sk 3 sts, sc in next st] 7 times. Do not fasten off. (8 sc, 7 ch-5 sps)
Go straight on to the wing border (see Picot Border below).
Tail (Make 2)
Row 1 (A): Ch 4, then sl st in the first ch to form a ring. Ch 3 (counts as dc), then work 8 dc in the ring. Fasten off. (9 dc)
This small fan becomes the pointed tip.
Row 2 (B): Join B with sc in the top of the beginning ch-3, then [ch 4, sk 3 dc, sc in next dc] 2 times. Fasten off. (3 sc, 2 ch-4 sps)
Row 3 (A): Join A with sl st in the first sc. Ch 3 (counts as dc), 2 dc in the same sc, 9 dc in the next sc, then 3 dc in the last sc. Fasten off. (15 dc)
Row 4 (B): Join B with sc in the top of the beginning ch-3, then [ch 6, sk 6 dc, sc in next dc] 2 times. Fasten off. (3 sc, 2 ch-6 sps)
Rows 5–8: Repeat Rows 3–4 twice more. After Row 8, do not fasten off. (Row 8: 3 sc, 2 ch-6 sps)
Each tail has four fan tiers: the tip fan plus three tiers above it. Go straight on to the tail border.
Make All Pieces
Add the picot border to each piece before you put the bow together.
- Wings: 2. Rows 1, 3, and 5 in A; Rows 2, 4, and 6 plus the border in B.
- Tails: 2. Rows 1, 3, 5, and 7 in A; Rows 2, 4, 6, and 8 plus the border in B.
- Hanging cord: 1, in B.
Hanging cord: With B, ch 31. Sl st in the back bump of the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. (30 sl st, 3 in / 7.6 cm) Leave an 8 in (20.3 cm) yarn tail.
Layout:
[ cord ]
[ Wing ] [ wrap ] [ Wing ]
[ Tail ] [ Tail ]
Joining (Assembly)
Put the bow together only after all four pieces are bordered and pin-blocked (see Final Blocking, steps 1–4).
- Gather the tails. Thread the long B yarn tail of one tail piece onto a needle. Weave it through the 10 sc along the top edge and pull until the top measures 0.4 in (1.0 cm). Secure it. Repeat for the second tail.
- Join the wings. Lay both wings RS up with their base edges touching. Use B to whipstitch the 2 base sc of the left wing to the 2 base sc of the right wing. Match stitch to stitch, with the first base sc of one wing against the second base sc of the other. Pull firmly so the joined base measures 0.4 in (1.0 cm) tall.
- Add the tails. Place the gathered tails behind the wing join so their tops overlap by 0.2 in (0.5 cm), then spread the points into a V. Tack them through all layers.
- Wrap the center. Cut 24 in (61.0 cm) of B. Wrap it 18 times around the center, keeping the wraps side by side so they form a band 0.4 in (1.0 cm) wide. Knot the yarn at the back and weave in the ends under the wraps.
- Attach the cord. Fold the cord in half and sew both ends to the back of the wrap at the top. (Loop: 1.5 in / 3.8 cm)
Tension: The wraps should be snug enough to pinch the wings into a bow shape. They shouldn’t be so tight that they distort the fans or cut into the stitches.
Size checkpoint: Two wings of 2 in (5.1 cm) each give a total width of 4 in (10.2 cm). Each wing extends 1.2 in (3.0 cm) above the center, and the angled tails drop about 2.3 in (5.8 cm) below it, for a total height of 3.5 in (8.9 cm).
Picot Border
Work the border in B, continuing from Row 6 (wing) or Row 8 (tail). The pieces don’t share a border. Each one is edged separately, so no stitches are added at any seam.
Border gauge: About 6–7 sc per 1 in (2.5 cm) along every edge.
Wing border (1 round): Ch 1 and turn the piece so you can work along the row ends.
- Side 1 (11 sc): 1 sc in the end of Row 6, 3 sc in Row 5, 1 sc in Row 4, 3 sc in Row 3, 1 sc in Row 2, and 2 sc in Row 1. Work a picot after the 4th and 8th sc.
- Base (2 sc): 2 sc in the ring.
- Side 2 (11 sc): 2 sc in Row 1, 1 sc in Row 2, 3 sc in Row 3, 1 sc in Row 4, 3 sc in Row 5, and 1 sc in Row 6. Work a picot after the 3rd and 7th sc.
- Outer arc (28 sc): [2 sc, picot, 2 sc] in each of the 7 ch-5 sps.
Sl st in the first sc and fasten off. (52 sc, 11 picots)
Tail border (1 round): Ch 1 and turn the piece so you can work along the row ends.
- Side 1 (12 sc): 1 sc in the end of each sc row and 2 sc in the end of each dc row, working from Row 8 down to Row 1. Work a picot after the 3rd, 6th, and 9th sc.
- Tip (2 sc): (Sc, picot, sc) in the ring.
- Side 2 (12 sc): Work the same way from Row 1 up to Row 8, with a picot after the 3rd, 6th, and 9th sc.
- Top (10 sc): 5 sc in each of the 2 ch-6 sps.
Sl st in the first sc. Fasten off, leaving a 10 in (25.4 cm) yarn tail for gathering. (36 sc, 7 picots)
Why the math works: A dc row is 0.3 in (0.8 cm) tall and gets 2 sc, and a tr row is 0.4 in (1.0 cm) tall and gets 3 sc. Both match the border gauge. Each ch-5 arch on the wing spans 4 stitches of Row 5, so working 4 sc per arch keeps the arc flat. The picots on the two sides mirror each other. On the wing, the picots after sc 4 and 8 on Side 1 fall in the same rows as those after sc 3 and 7 on Side 2 (11 − 8 = 3, and 11 − 4 = 7). On the tails, 12 − 9 = 3 and 12 − 6 = 6, so both sides match.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all remaining ends before blocking.
- Spritz each piece until it is damp, but not dripping.
- Pin the wings and tails flat on the mat to their after-border sizes. Pin out every picot and the tip of each tail.
- Mist with starch if you like, then let them dry completely.
- Put the bow together (see Joining).
- Hold a steamer just above the finished bow without touching it to settle the wrap. Shape the wings with your fingers and let it cool flat.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Wing: 13 / 5 sc / 19 / 7 sc / 29 / 8 sc, then 52 border sc and 11 picots
- Tail: 9 / 3 sc / 15 / 3 sc, repeated, then 36 border sc and 7 picots
- Both wings match within 0.1 in (0.3 cm)
- Both tails match within 0.1 in (0.3 cm)
- Fans lie flat and the picots are evenly spaced
- The wrap is 0.4 in (1.0 cm) wide and neat on the front
- The bow measures 4 in (10.2 cm) x 3.5 in (8.9 cm)
- The hanging loop is centered and secure
Troubleshooting
- Fans cup or ruffle: Your tr are too tight or too loose for the arches. Go up or down 0.25 mm in hook size and remake the piece.
- Outer arc ripples: You worked more than 4 sc per arch. Recount.
- Wing edges pull in: Check that you worked 3 sc into the end of each tr row, not 2.
- Picots lopsided: Make sure every picot is ch 3 with the sl st in the 3rd ch from the hook, and keep your tension even.
- Bow tilts: The tails or cord are off-center. Re-tack them at the middle of the wrap.
- Wrap slips: Add 2–3 more wraps and stitch through them once at the back.
Care
Hand wash in cool water, press out the water in a towel, and reshape the bow flat to dry. Store it flat or hanging so the wings keep their shape.
Final Notes
The measurements build on each other in a few simple steps. A gauge of 7 dc per 1 in (2.5 cm) gives a wing of 1.8 in (4.6 cm) before the border and 2 in (5.1 cm) after it. Two wings make the 4 in (10.2 cm) width. Tails of 2 in (5.1 cm) grow to 2.4 in (6.1 cm) with the border, and they set the 3.5 in (8.9 cm) height. Check one wing first, and the rest will fall into place.
Happy crocheting!