The Sage Frost Lace Leaf Motif is one pointed-oval piece with a soft sage green center and a cream lace border. Long cluster petals spread out from a tiny center hole, and a green outline frames them. Two rounds of cream chain loops finish with a picot edge. The motif has a point at the top and bottom, like a leaf or a stretched diamond.
The palette is quiet and seasonal: muted sage green and warm cream. Use the motif as a small accent on a holiday table, tuck it into a gift or hang it as a flat ornament. The style is classic lace in a modern, calm pair of colors.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. After blocking, the motif measures 6 in (15.2 cm) tall and 4.75 in (12.1 cm) wide.
You work the motif in the round from a magic ring. Round 2 sets the oval shape with clusters of different heights: tall at the points and short at the sides. Rounds 3 and 4 build a solid green outline with two sharp points. Rounds 5 to 7 add the cream lace border. There’s no joining and no sewing; you only weave in ends.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 6 in (15.2 cm) tall x 4.75 in (12.1 cm) wide
- Skill level: Intermediate (clusters of mixed heights, chain-loop lace)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: DK (light worsted, category 3), cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 4 mm (US G-6)
- Number of pieces: 1
- Layout: single motif, long axis vertical, points at top and bottom
- Piece size (green center, after Round 4): 4 in (10.2 cm) tall x 2.75 in (7.0 cm) wide
- Size before border: same as above, 4 in x 2.75 in (10.2 cm x 7.0 cm)
- Border depth: 1 in (2.5 cm) on every side, cream, 3 rounds
Materials
Choose a smooth, tightly plied DK cotton or cotton blend. Cotton shows the cluster texture and lace loops clearly, and it blocks crisply. Avoid fuzzy or heavily textured yarn, which hides the picots and the center hole.
- Color A, sage green: 8 g, about 18 m
- Color B, cream: 10 g, about 22 m
These amounts assume a DK cotton of about 112 m per 50 g. They include a margin of about 20 percent for your test motif, tails and small differences in tension.
Tools:
- 4 mm (US G-6) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Stitch marker
- Blocking mat and rust-proof pins
- Spray bottle with clean water
- Ruler or measuring tape
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet
- dtr – double treble crochet
- sk – skip
- sp(s) – space(s)
- st(s) – stitch(es)
Special stitches
- Cluster (cl): Work 3 partial stitches of the stated height in the same stitch, leaving the last loop of each on the hook. Then yarn over and pull through all 4 loops. For example, a partial dc is: yo, insert hook, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2. Use the same method for dc-cl, tr-cl and dtr-cl. For hdc-cl, each partial stitch is yo, insert hook, pull up a loop. At the end, yo and pull through all 7 loops.
- Beginning cluster: Chain to the stated height (ch 2 for hdc, ch 3 for dc, ch 4 for tr, ch 5 for dtr). Then work a 2-stitch cluster of that height in the same stitch. It counts as 1 cluster.
- Picot: Ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook.
- Large picot: Ch 5, sl st in 5th ch from hook.
Gauge and Checkpoints
You check gauge on the motif itself. Make one test motif before you commit to your yarn and hook. Measure it flat without stretching. A difference of up to 0.25 in (0.6 cm) is fine.
- After Round 1: 1 in (2.5 cm) across.
- After Round 2: 3.25 in (8.3 cm) tall x 2.25 in (5.7 cm) wide, measured from the tip of the top cluster to the tip of the bottom cluster.
- After Round 4: 4 in (10.2 cm) tall x 2.75 in (7.0 cm) wide.
- After Round 5: 5 in (12.7 cm) tall x 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide.
- After Round 6: 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tall x 4.25 in (10.8 cm) wide.
- After Round 7 and blocking: 6 in (15.2 cm) tall x 4.75 in (12.1 cm) wide.
If your motif is too big: go down to a 3.75 mm hook. If only the green center is too big, check that the tops of your clusters aren’t loose.
If your motif is too small: go up to a 4.5 mm hook. If only the border is small, loosen your chain loops. Tight chains are the most common cause.
Pattern: Green Center
Use Color A and the 4 mm hook.
Round 1: Make a magic ring. Ch 3 (counts as dc), 11 dc in ring. Pull the ring closed. Sl st to top of beg ch-3. (12 dc)
Number the stitches 1 to 12, with the beginning ch-3 as stitch 1. Stitch 1 is the top point and stitch 7 is the bottom point. Stitches 4 and 10 are the sides. Place a marker in stitch 7 if it helps.
Round 2 (shaping round): Work one cluster in each stitch, with ch 2 between clusters. The heights change to build the oval.
- St 1: beginning dtr-cl, ch 2
- St 2: tr-cl, ch 2
- St 3: dc-cl, ch 2
- St 4: hdc-cl, ch 2
- St 5: dc-cl, ch 2
- St 6: tr-cl, ch 2
- St 7: dtr-cl, ch 2
- St 8: tr-cl, ch 2
- St 9: dc-cl, ch 2
- St 10: hdc-cl, ch 2
- St 11: dc-cl, ch 2
- St 12: tr-cl, ch 2
Sl st to top of beginning cluster. (12 clusters, 12 ch-2 sps)
The two dtr clusters make the long top and bottom petals. The hdc clusters keep the sides short. The center ring stays open as a small hole, as on the finished piece.
Round 3 (points and outline): Ch 1. In top of same cluster (cluster 1), work (sc, ch 3, sc) for the top point. Ch 4, sc in top of next cluster 5 times (clusters 2 to 6). Ch 4, (sc, ch 3, sc) in top of cluster 7 for the bottom point. Ch 4, sc in top of next cluster 5 times (clusters 8 to 12). Ch 4, sl st to first sc. (14 sc, 12 ch-4 sps, 2 ch-3 point sps)
Round 4 (solid outline): Sl st into the top point ch-3 sp. Ch 1, (sc, ch 2, sc) in same sp. Sc in next sc. 5 sc in next ch-4 sp, sc in next sc 6 times. The last sc lands on the first sc of the bottom point. (Sc, ch 2, sc) in bottom point ch-3 sp. Sc in next sc. Repeat from * to * 6 times, ending on the first sc of the top point. Sl st to first sc. Fasten off Color A.
Count: 78 sc and 2 ch-2 point sps.
Per side: 39 sc. Count from the sc just after one point ch-2 sp to the sc just before the other point ch-2 sp. Each side has:
- 1 sc from the point sp
- 1 sc in the point sc
- 30 sc in the six ch-4 sps
- 5 sc in the cluster tops
- 1 sc in the opposite point sc
- 1 sc from the opposite point sp
That gives 1 + 1 + 30 + 5 + 1 + 1 = 39.
Checkpoint: 4 in (10.2 cm) tall x 2.75 in (7.0 cm) wide. Lay the piece flat. Both points should be sharp and the long sides gently curved.
Border
Work the border in Color B. It adds 1 in (2.5 cm) on every side. Round 5 adds about 0.5 in (1.3 cm), and Rounds 6 and 7 together add another 0.5 in (1.3 cm).
Border gauge: Each ch-5 loop that spans 3 sc of Round 4 should lie flat, without cupping or ruffling. Along each 39-st side, that gives 14 loops.
Round 5 (first lace mesh): Join Color B with a sc in the top point ch-2 sp. Ch 5, sc in same sp (point loop). Number the 39 side stitches 1 to 39.
- Ch 5, sk 1 sc, sc in next sc (st 2).
- Ch 5, sk 2 sc, sc in next sc 12 times (anchors at sts 5, 8, 11 … 38).
- Ch 5, sk 1 sc (st 39).
- (Sc, ch 5, sc) in bottom point ch-2 sp.
Repeat the side sequence along the second side. End with ch 5, sk 1 sc, sl st to first sc.
Count: 14 loops per side x 2 sides = 28 side loops, plus 2 point loops = 30 ch-5 loops.
Why the math works: The anchors sit at sts 2, 5, 8 … 38: 13 anchors, 3 sts apart. The first loop skips 1 st (st 1) and the last loop skips 1 st (st 39), so each side is symmetric. Thirteen anchors make 12 loops between them, plus 1 loop at each end: 12 + 2 = 14 loops per side.
Checkpoint: 5 in (12.7 cm) tall x 3.75 in (9.5 cm) wide.
Round 6 (second lace mesh, growth round): Sl st in each of first 3 ch of top point loop. Ch 1, (sc, ch 5, sc) in same loop. Ch 5, sc in next loop 14 times (across the 14 side loops). Ch 5, (sc, ch 5, sc) in bottom point loop. Repeat from * to * 14 times. Ch 5, sl st to first sc.
Count: Each side has 14 sc anchors. That makes 13 loops between them, plus 1 loop at each end, for 15 loops per side. Total: 15 x 2 + 2 point loops = 32 ch-5 loops.
Round 6 has 2 more loops than Round 5 because each side gains a new loop at its end. This small increase lets the border turn the curves without cupping.
Checkpoint: 5.5 in (14.0 cm) tall x 4.25 in (10.8 cm) wide.
Round 7 (picot edge): Sl st into top point loop. Ch 1. In top point loop, work (3 sc, large picot, 3 sc). In each of next 15 loops, work (3 sc, picot, 3 sc). In bottom point loop, work (3 sc, large picot, 3 sc). In each of next 15 loops, work (3 sc, picot, 3 sc). Sl st to first sc. Fasten off.
Count: 32 loops x 6 sc = 192 sc, 30 picots and 2 large picots.
The large picots at the top and bottom keep the points sharp. The small picots make the bumpy, scalloped cream edge.
Checkpoint before blocking: about 5.75 in (14.6 cm) tall x 4.5 in (11.4 cm) wide. Blocking opens the lace to the final size.
Weave in all ends on the wrong side, through stitches of the same color.
Final Blocking
- Fill a spray bottle with clean water at room temperature.
- Lay the motif right side up on a blocking mat.
- Pin the two large picots first, 6 in (15.2 cm) apart, in a straight vertical line.
- Pin the widest point of each side so the sides are 4.75 in (12.1 cm) apart, centered between the points.
- Pin each small picot outward so the ch-5 loops open evenly. Work from the middle of each side toward the points.
- Check that the green outline is symmetric and the center hole sits in the middle.
- Mist the whole piece until it’s damp but not soaked.
- Gently pat each green cluster so the petals lie flat and straight.
- Let it dry completely, for at least 12 hours.
- Unpin and measure again: 6 in (15.2 cm) x 4.75 in (12.1 cm).
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Round 1 has 12 dc, and the center ring is pulled closed to a small hole.
- Round 2 has 12 clusters in the correct height order, with 12 ch-2 sps.
- Round 3 has 14 sc, 12 ch-4 sps and 2 ch-3 point sps.
- Round 4 has 78 sc (39 per side) and 2 ch-2 point sps.
- Round 5 has 30 ch-5 loops: 14 per side plus 2 point loops.
- Round 6 has 32 ch-5 loops: 15 per side plus 2 point loops.
- Round 7 has 192 sc, 30 picots and 2 large picots.
- Both points are sharp and line up on one vertical line.
- The green center measures 4 in x 2.75 in (10.2 cm x 7.0 cm).
- The finished motif measures 6 in x 4.75 in (15.2 cm x 12.1 cm).
- All ends are woven in and can’t be seen from the right side.
Troubleshooting
The motif is round, not oval. Check Round 2. The dtr clusters must be at stitches 1 and 7, and the hdc clusters at stitches 4 and 10. If you use one height all around, you get a circle.
The points are blunt. Make sure you worked (sc, ch 3, sc) in the point clusters in Round 3 and (sc, ch 2, sc) in Round 4. Pin the large picots firmly when blocking.
The green center cups. The ch-4 sps in Round 3 may be too short or too tight. Chain loosely, or try ch 5 only for the side spaces next to the hdc clusters. Keep 5 sc in each space in Round 4 so the count stays at 78.
The green center ruffles. Your chains are too loose. Go down one hook size for Round 3 only.
The border cups. Loosen the ch-5 loops in Rounds 5 and 6. Tight chains pull the edge inward.
The border ruffles. Your loops are too long. Make each ch-5 more firmly, or try a 3.75 mm hook for the cream rounds.
The loop counts don’t match. First recount the 39 sts on each side of Round 4. Most border errors come from an extra or missing sc at the points.
The center hole is too large. Pull the magic ring tighter before you join Round 1, and secure the tail firmly when you weave it in.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap. Press the water out in a towel and dry flat, reshaping and pinning if needed. Don’t tumble dry, because heat can distort the lace loops.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is short and easy to check. Round 1 is 1 in (2.5 cm) across. Round 2 sets the oval at 3.25 in x 2.25 in (8.3 cm x 5.7 cm). Round 4 completes the green center at 4 in x 2.75 in (10.2 cm x 7.0 cm), with 39 sc per side. The cream border adds 1 in (2.5 cm) on every side, so the blocked motif measures 6 in x 4.75 in (15.2 cm x 12.1 cm).
If each checkpoint matches, the next round will fit. Count at the end of every round, keep your chains even and pin the points first when you block.
Happy crocheting!