The Seashell Lace Fan Bed Runner is a single long rectangle of open fan lace in soft cream cotton. Rows of radiating fans alternate with rows of chain arches, so the fabric looks like overlapping scallop shells laid across the foot of the bed. A firm single crochet border frames the lace, and plump tassels hang from both short ends.
The runner uses one color: a warm cream or natural ecru. The look is calm, textured, and a little vintage, and it suits farmhouse, cottage, and neutral bedrooms. All terms are US crochet terms.
Before tassels, the finished runner measures 23 1/4 in x 70 in (59.1 cm x 177.8 cm). The tassels add 4 in (10.2 cm) at each end, which makes the overall length 78 in (198.1 cm).
You work the runner flat in one piece, in rows, from one short end to the other. It starts with a single crochet foundation row, then a repeated 4-row fan lace pattern, then a single crochet leveling row. A 4-round border goes all the way around, and the tassels go on last.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 23 1/4 in x 70 in (59.1 cm x 177.8 cm), plus 4 in (10.2 cm) tassels at each end
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 5 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 1 (single piece, no joining)
- Layout: One long rectangle worked in rows
- Body size before border: 21 1/4 in x 68 in (54.0 cm x 172.7 cm)
- Border depth: 1 in (2.5 cm) on every side
- Tassels: 12 per short end, 24 total
Materials
Choose a smooth mercerized or combed worsted-weight cotton. Cotton shows the fan stitches crisply and blocks flat. Fuzzy or brushed yarns blur the lace, so avoid them. The amounts below assume about 170 m per 100 g.
- Cream (one color): 900 g, about 1,530 m total
- Body: about 640 g (1,088 m)
- Border: about 110 g (187 m)
- Tassels: about 60 g (102 m)
- Margin: about 90 g (153 m)
These quantities include a margin of roughly 10% for swatching and differences in tension. Buy all skeins from the same dye lot.
Tools:
- 5 mm (H-8) crochet hook
- 4 locking stitch markers
- Yarn needle
- Sharp scissors
- Stiff card, 4 1/2 in (11.4 cm) tall, for tassels
- Tape measure
- Blocking mats and rust-proof pins
- Spray bottle
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sk – skip
- sp(s) – space(s)
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- BLO – back loop only
- RS – right side
- rep – repeat
Special stitches:
- Fan: [dc, (ch 1, dc) 6 times] all in the same stitch. Each Fan has 7 dc and 6 ch-1 sps. The center dc is the 4th dc.
- Half Fan: 4 dc separated by 3 ch-1 sps, all in the same stitch, worked at the row edges as written.
Gauge and Checkpoints
- Single crochet: 16 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm), so 4 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm).
- Fan lace: 1 pattern repeat (12 sts) = 3 in (7.6 cm) wide.
- Row heights: each Fan row = 3/4 in (1.9 cm); each Arch row = 1/2 in (1.3 cm); each sc row = 1/4 in (0.6 cm).
- 4-row repeat: 2 1/2 in (6.4 cm) tall.
Test a swatch first. Ch 38 and work Row 1 (37 sc). Then work Rows 2–9 as written below, but with 3 Fans in each Fan Row A, and 2 Fans plus 2 Half Fans in each Fan Row C. The blocked swatch should measure 9 1/4 in (23.5 cm) wide and 5 1/4 in (13.3 cm) tall.
- Too big: go down to a 4.5 mm hook.
- Too small: go up to a 5.5 mm hook.
- Width right but height off: change how tall you pull up your dc, not the hook size.
Checkpoints for the body (smooth it gently flat to measure):
- After Row 1: 21 1/4 in (54.0 cm) wide
- After Row 5: 2 3/4 in (7.0 cm) tall
- After Row 41: 25 1/4 in (64.1 cm) tall
- After Row 81: 50 1/4 in (127.6 cm) tall
- After Row 110: 68 in (172.7 cm) tall
At each checkpoint, stay within 1/4 in (0.6 cm) on width and 1/2 in (1.3 cm) on length.
Body
Ch 86.
Row 1 (RS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (85 sc)
Row 2 (Fan Row A): Ch 1, sc in first sc, sk 5 sc, Fan in next sc, sk 5 sc, sc in next sc; rep from * 6 more times, turn. (7 Fans, 8 sc)*
Each repeat uses 12 sts. Since 1 + (7 x 12) = 85, the row ends exactly in the last sc.
Row 3 (Arch Row B): Ch 5 (counts as dc and ch 2), sc in 2nd ch-1 sp of next Fan, ch 3, sc in 5th ch-1 sp of same Fan, ch 2, dc in next sc; rep from * 6 more times, leaving out the final ch 2 so the last dc lands in the last sc, turn. (8 dc including turning ch, 14 sc, 7 ch-3 arches)*
Each ch-3 arch sits over the center of a Fan. Each dc sits over the sc between Fans.
Row 4 (Fan Row C, offset): Ch 3 (counts as dc), (ch 1, dc) 3 times in first dc (Half Fan made), sc in next ch-3 arch, Fan in next dc; rep from * 5 more times, sc in last ch-3 arch, [dc, (ch 1, dc) 3 times] in 3rd ch of turning ch-5 (Half Fan made), turn. (6 Fans, 2 Half Fans, 7 sc)*
The new Fans sit over the old sc points, so the scallops shift by half a repeat.
Row 5 (Arch Row D): Ch 1, sc in first dc, ch 1, sc in 2nd ch-1 sp of Half Fan, ch 2, dc in next sc, ch 2, sc in 2nd ch-1 sp of next Fan, ch 3, sc in 5th ch-1 sp of same Fan, ch 2, dc in next sc; rep from * 5 more times, ch 2, sc in 2nd ch-1 sp of Half Fan, ch 1, sc in 3rd ch of turning ch-3, turn. (7 dc, 16 sc, 6 ch-3 arches)*
Row 6 (Fan Row A over arches): Ch 1, sc in first sc, Fan in next dc, sc in next ch-3 arch; rep from * 5 more times, Fan in next dc, sc in last sc, turn. Skip all ch-1 sps, all ch-2 sps, and the sc beside each dc. (7 Fans, 8 sc)*
Row 6 has the same layout as Row 2, so its Fans line up above the Fans of Row 2.
Rows 7–109: Rep Rows 3–6 twenty-five more times, then work Rows 3–5 once more. You now have 27 complete 4-row repeats (Rows 2–109). Row 109 is an Arch Row D.
Row 110 (leveling row): Ch 1, sc in first sc, sc in ch-1 sp, sc in next sc, 3 sc in ch-2 sp, sc in dc, 3 sc in ch-2 sp, sc in sc, 3 sc in ch-3 arch, sc in sc, 3 sc in ch-2 sp, sc in dc; rep from * 5 more times, 3 sc in ch-2 sp, sc in sc, sc in ch-1 sp, sc in last sc. Fasten off. (85 sc)*
Count check: the opening section has 7 sc, the 6 repeats have 12 sc each (72), and the closing section has 6 sc. 7 + 72 + 6 = 85.
Body measurement: 21 1/4 in x 68 in (54.0 cm x 172.7 cm). Rows 1 and 110 add 1/2 in (1.3 cm), and 27 repeats x 2 1/2 in add 67 1/2 in (171.5 cm), for a total of 68 in (172.7 cm).
Border
Border gauge: 4 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm), and each sc round adds 1/4 in (0.6 cm) of depth. Put a marker in each corner center sc and move it up every round.
Row-end rule for long edges: work 3 sc into the end of each Fan row and 2 sc into the end of each Arch row. That gives 3 + 2 + 3 + 2 = 10 sc per 4-row repeat. At border gauge, 10 sc measure 2 1/2 in (6.4 cm), which is exactly the height of one repeat.
Rnd 1: With RS facing, join yarn in first sc of Row 110. Ch 1, 3 sc in first st (corner), sc in next 83 sts, 3 sc in last st (corner). Working down the long edge, sc into the row ends of Rows 109 to 2 using the row-end rule (270 sc). Working across the foundation chain, 3 sc in first ch (corner), sc in next 83 ch, 3 sc in last ch (corner). Work up the second long edge the same way (270 sc). Join with sl st to first sc. (718 sts)
Stitches per side, counted from corner center to corner center inclusive:
- Short sides: 1 + 1 + 83 + 1 + 1 = 87 sts
- Long sides: 1 + 1 + 270 + 1 + 1 = 274 sts
The corner groups cover the row ends of Rows 1 and 110, so those row ends get no extra stitches.
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in each st around, working 3 sc in each corner center sc. Join. (726 sts; 89 per short side, 276 per long side)
Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in BLO of each st around, working 3 sc (BLO) in each corner center. Join. (734 sts; 91 per short side, 278 per long side)
This round makes the fine ridge line along the edge.
Rnd 4: Ch 1, sc in both loops of each st around, working 3 sc in each corner center. Join. Fasten off and weave in the ends. (742 sts; 93 per short side, 280 per long side)
Why the math works: each side gains 2 sts per round, one at each corner, which adds 1/2 in (1.3 cm) of length to that side. That is the same as the 1/4 in (0.6 cm) of border depth each round adds at both ends of the side. Over four rounds, each side gains 8 sts, or 2 in (5.1 cm).
- Short side: 93 sts / 4 = 23 1/4 in (59.1 cm) = 21 1/4 in + 2 in
- Long side: 280 sts / 4 = 70 in (177.8 cm) = 68 in + 2 in
The round total also checks out: (2 x 93) + (2 x 280) − 4 shared corners = 742.
Tassels
Make 24. Wrap the yarn 12 times around the 4 1/2 in (11.4 cm) card. Slide a 12 in (30.5 cm) length of yarn under the loops at the top and tie it tightly. Cut the loops at the bottom. Wrap a second 12 in (30.5 cm) length around the tassel 1/2 in (1.3 cm) below the top, knot it, and bury the ends inside.
Placement: each short side has 93 sts, corner to corner. Attach a tassel at st 3 and every 8th st after that: sts 3, 11, 19, 27, 35, 43, 51, 59, 67, 75, 83, and 91. That gives 12 tassels spaced 2 in (5.1 cm) apart, with the first and last each 2 sts in from a corner. Knot each tassel through its stitch with the top ties, then hide the tails.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends before you block.
- Soak the runner in cool water for 15 minutes. Press the water out without wringing.
- Roll the runner in a towel and press to remove extra moisture.
- Lay it flat on the mats. Pin the long sides straight to 70 in (177.8 cm) and the short sides to 23 1/4 in (59.1 cm).
- Open each Fan with your fingers so the ch-1 sps spread evenly and the arches sit round.
- Spray the tassels and comb them straight. Let everything dry completely.
- Unpin and trim the tassels level at 4 in (10.2 cm).
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- The body has 85 sts across and 110 rows.
- Every Fan Row A has 7 Fans, and every Fan Row C has 6 Fans and 2 Half Fans.
- Each Fan row is offset from the last by half a repeat.
- The long edges are straight, not wavy or pulled in.
- The border has 93 sts per short side and 280 per long side.
- The corners are square and lie flat.
- The finished size is 23 1/4 in x 70 in (59.1 cm x 177.8 cm).
- There are 12 tassels per end, evenly spaced and the same length.
- All ends are woven in securely.
Troubleshooting
- Fans cup or ruffle: the ch-1 sps are too loose. Tighten them.
- Fans look crowded: check that you skipped exactly 5 sts on each side of each Fan in Row 2.
- Arch row count is off: work into the 2nd and 5th ch-1 sps, not the 1st and 6th.
- Long edges wave: you worked too many row-end sc. Recheck: 3 per Fan row and 2 per Arch row.
- Long edges pull in: too few row-end sc, or the border is too tight. Use a hook 0.5 mm larger for the border only.
- Corners curl: a 3-sc corner was missed. Count the stitches on each side.
- Tassels are uneven: trim them after blocking, not before.
Care
Hand wash, or machine wash cold on a gentle cycle in a mesh bag. Lay flat to dry and reshape the Fans while the runner is still damp.
Final Notes
Here is the full measurement chain:
- 4 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm), so 85 sts give a body width of 21 1/4 in (54.0 cm).
- Each 4-row repeat is 2 1/2 in (6.4 cm) tall, so 27 repeats plus two sc rows give a body length of 68 in (172.7 cm).
- The row-end rule turns that length into exactly 270 border stitches per long edge.
- The four border rounds add 2 in (5.1 cm) each way, for a finished runner of 23 1/4 in x 70 in (59.1 cm x 177.8 cm).
If your swatch and each checkpoint match, the final numbers will too.
Happy crocheting!