This bedspread is made of ribbed leaves and slender chain vines, worked in one soft sage green. The open lattice lets your sheets show through, so the leaves stand out like a pressed-botanical print. At the hem, a fringe of overlapping pointed leaves falls over the edge of the mattress.
The style is modern Irish crochet, built in modules so the stitch counts stay predictable. Each block holds four ribbed leaves around a small center ring, with leaf tips pointing to the corners. Chain vines link the leaf tips, and two framing rounds square everything off.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished bedspread measures about 90.5 x 99 in (229.9 x 251.5 cm), border included.
Construction is simple to follow. You make 440 small leaves and use them to build 110 square blocks. You slip-stitch the blocks into a grid of 10 across by 11 down. A two-round border then adds the leaf fringe.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 90.5 x 99 in (229.9 x 251.5 cm)
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4), cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 110 square blocks, each with 4 leaves (440 leaves in total)
- Layout: 10 blocks across x 11 blocks down
- Block size: 8.5 x 8.5 in (21.6 x 21.6 cm)
- Size before border: 85 x 93.5 in (215.9 x 237.5 cm)
- Border depth: 2.75 in (7.0 cm), including the hanging leaves
Materials
Yarn: Use a smooth worsted-weight cotton or cotton/acrylic blend with good stitch definition, because the back-loop ridges on the leaves are the main feature. Fuzzy or very splitty yarns hide the ribbing.
- Sage green: about 2,400 g / 4,800 m (5,249 yd). That is 24 skeins of 100 g / 200 m.
These quantities include roughly a 10% margin. Buy all the yarn from one dye lot. A single-color piece this large shows any shade change.
Tools:
– 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Locking stitch markers
– Measuring tape
– Blocking mats and rust-proof pins
– Spray bottle
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- BLO – back loop only
- sk – skip
- sp(s) – space(s)
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- RS – right side
Special stitch: Border Leaf (worked in 1 st). Sc in the st, then ch 10. Work back along the chain, starting in the 2nd ch from the hook: sl st, sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc, sl st (9 sts, ending at the base). Rotate and work into the free loops on the other side of the same chain: sl st, sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc, sl st (9 sts, ending at the tip). Ch 1. Sl st down the center between the two halves, once into each of the 9 chains, to form a raised vein and return to the base. Sl st into the same border st that holds the sc.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 15.5 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm). One finished block = 8.5 x 8.5 in (21.6 x 21.6 cm).
Make one complete block and block it before you go further. Blocks are the unit everything else depends on, so check the gauge on a real block rather than a plain swatch.
Checkpoints:
– Leaf: 3.25 in (8.3 cm) long and 1.5 in (3.8 cm) wide
– Rnd 1 ring: 0.75 in (1.9 cm) across
– After Rnd 4: 6.5 in (16.5 cm) per side
– After Rnd 5: 7.75 in (19.7 cm) per side
– After Rnd 6: 8.5 in (21.6 cm) per side
Too big? Go down to a 4.5 mm hook. Too small? Go up to a 5.5 mm hook. A difference of 0.25 in (0.6 cm) per block adds up to about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) across the full width, so fix it now.
Leaf (Make 4 per Block)
Ch 12.
Row 1: Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each of the next 9 ch. Work 3 sc in the last ch. Rotate and work along the opposite side of the foundation chain: sc in each of the next 10 ch. (23 sc. The middle sc of the 3-sc group is the tip.)
Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Working in BLO: sc in the next 11 sts, 3 sc in the tip sc, sc in the next 9 sts. Leave the last 2 sts unworked. (23 sc)
Row 3: Ch 1, turn. Working in BLO: sc in the next 10 sts, 3 sc in the tip sc, sc in the next 10 sts. Leave the last 2 sts unworked. (23 sc)
Stem: Do not turn. Ch 6. Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail.
The BLO rows leave raised ridges that slant toward a center line, which gives the ribbed vein look. Because each row stops 2 sts short, the base tapers into a point.
Block (Make 110)
Rnd 1: Make a magic ring. Ch 1 and work 8 sc into the ring. Sl st to the first sc. (8 sc)
Rnd 2 (attach leaves): Ch 1. Work [sc in the next sc, ch 3, sl st into the last ch of a leaf stem, ch 3, sc in the next sc] 4 times. Sl st to the first sc. (8 sc and 4 leaves attached) Arrange the leaves so the RS faces up and the tips point outward like an X.
Rnd 3 (vines): Join the yarn with a sc in the tip sc of any leaf. Ch 18, sc in the tip sc of the next leaf. Repeat from * 2 more times. Ch 18 and sl st to the first sc. (4 sc and 4 ch-18 sps)
Rnd 4: Ch 1. Work (sc, ch 2, sc) in the same sc. Work 18 sc in the next ch-18 sp, then (sc, ch 2, sc) in the next tip sc. Repeat from * 2 more times. Work 18 sc in the last ch-18 sp and sl st to the first sc. (80 sc in total: 20 sc per side, plus 4 ch-2 corner sps)
Rnd 5 (mesh): Sl st into the corner ch-2 sp, then ch 1. Work (sc, ch 3, sc) in the corner sp. Then work [ch 3, sk 2 sc, sc in the next sc] 6 times, ch 3, sk 2 sc. Repeat from * 3 more times and sl st to the first sc. (32 sc, 4 corner ch-3 sps, and 28 side ch-3 sps)
The 6 repeats cover 18 sts and the final “ch 3, sk 2” covers 2 more, so all 20 sts on each side are used.
Rnd 6 (frame): Sl st into the corner ch-3 sp, then ch 1. Work 3 sc in the corner sp, then sc in the next sc. Then work [3 sc in the next ch-3 sp, sc in the next sc] 7 times. Repeat from * 3 more times and sl st to the first sc. Fasten off. (128 sc)
Each side now has 29 sts between the corner groups. That is 1 sc, then 7 x 3 sc, then 6 sc, then 1 sc. The middle sc of each 3-sc corner group is the corner stitch. So each side has 33 sts, counting both corner sts: 29 + 2 from the corner groups + 2 corner sts. Check the total: 4 x 32 = 128.
Make All Pieces
- Leaves: 440 (4 per block)
- Blocks: 110
Layout (10 across x 11 down; each B is one block):
B B B B B B B B B B row 1
B B B B B B B B B B row 2
... rows 3–10
B B B B B B B B B B row 11
All the blocks are the same. Turn every block the same way so the leaf tips line up at the corners. Diagonal leaf patterns then appear across the seams.
Joining
Method: Join with slip stitch, through the BLO of both blocks.
Hold two blocks with RS together and the edges matched. Start in the corner st. Sl st through the back loops of both blocks in each st across: 33 sl sts per side, corner to corner. Matching stitch to stitch keeps every seam the same length.
First join the blocks into 11 rows of 10 blocks. Then join the rows together along the long seams. Where four corners meet, work through the corner sts and keep going. Do not add chains.
Tension: Keep the slip stitches as loose as the stitches in your Rnd 6. A tight seam puckers the lattice.
Checkpoint: Two joined blocks should measure 17 in (43.2 cm). A finished row should be 85 in (215.9 cm), and the joined body should be 85 x 93.5 in (215.9 x 237.5 cm).
Border
Border gauge: The border uses the same gauge as the frame round, 33 sts per block edge.
Starting counts:
– Short sides: 10 blocks x 33 = 330 sts
– Long sides: 11 blocks x 33 = 363 sts
No stitches are added at seams. The corner sts from neighboring blocks are both worked.
Rnd 1: With the RS facing, join the yarn in any st. Sc in each st around, working 3 sc in each of the 4 outer corner sts. Sl st to the first sc. The middle sc of each 3-sc group is the new corner.
- Short sides: 332 sts including both corners (330 between corners)
- Long sides: 365 sts including both corners (363 between corners)
- Total: 2 x 332 + 2 x 365 − 4 = 1,390 sc
Rnd 2 (leaf fringe): Sl st to a corner sc. Work a Border Leaf in the corner st. Then [sc in the next st, Border Leaf in the next st, sc in the next st] across to the next corner. Work a Border Leaf in that corner st and continue around. Sl st to join and fasten off.
- Short sides: 110 leaves (330 ÷ 3)
- Long sides: 121 leaves (363 ÷ 3)
- Corners: 4 leaves
- Total: 466 leaves
Why the math works: Each block edge has 33 sts, and 33 divides evenly by the 3-st repeat. That gives exactly 11 leaves per block edge, so the fringe lines up with the blocks on every side. The 3 sc worked into each corner in Rnd 1 add 2 sts per corner. Those sts give the corner leaves room to fan out without the corners cupping.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all the tails along the vines or through the back of the leaves.
- Lay the bedspread flat on mats or a clean sheet over carpet. Work in sections if you need to.
- Pin out to 85 x 93.5 in (215.9 x 237.5 cm) at the block edges, checking against your measuring tape.
- Pin each block’s corners square.
- Spritz until damp, but don’t soak it.
- Shape each leaf to a point and smooth the ridges in one direction.
- Pin each border leaf straight out from the edge so the fringe adds 2.75 in (7.0 cm).
- Leave it pinned until completely dry, usually 24–48 hours.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- [ ] All 110 blocks measure 8.5 in (21.6 cm) square
- [ ] Every frame side has 33 sts, corner to corner
- [ ] All leaves point toward the block corners
- [ ] Seams are flat, with 33 sl sts per side
- [ ] Border Rnd 1 has 1,390 sc
- [ ] There are 466 border leaves: 110, 121, 110, 121, plus 4 corners
- [ ] The finished size is about 90.5 x 99 in (229.9 x 251.5 cm)
- [ ] All tails are woven in securely
Troubleshooting
- Leaves curl: Your tension is too tight on the BLO rows. Loosen up, or steam-block the leaves flat before you attach them.
- Rnd 3 pulls the leaves inward: Your chains are too tight. Chain loosely or add 1 ch per sp, then check that Rnd 4 still lies flat with its 18 sc.
- Block is wavy: The Rnd 6 sc are too loose for the mesh. Try a hook 0.5 mm smaller for Rnd 6 only.
- Seams are uneven: Recount the sts and make sure you have 33 sl sts per side, corner to corner.
- Fringe ruffles: Check that you are working 1 Border Leaf every 3 sts, not every 2.
Care
Hand wash in cool water, or machine wash on a gentle cycle inside a large mesh bag. Lay flat to dry and reshape the leaves while damp.
Final Notes
The measurements chain together like this:
- Leaves are 3.25 in (8.3 cm) long.
- Each block is 33 sts per side and 8.5 in (21.6 cm) square.
- 10 x 11 joined blocks make 85 x 93.5 in (215.9 x 237.5 cm).
- The border starts at 330 and 363 sts per side.
- 466 leaves add 2.75 in (7.0 cm) all around, for a finished size of 90.5 x 99 in (229.9 x 251.5 cm).
Keep checking your blocks against these numbers and the finished bedspread will come out the right size.
Happy crocheting!