The Starlight Comet is a light, open ornament: a hollow purple star with three swooping tails behind it. The top and bottom tails are bright magenta and the middle tail is warm gold. Each tail curls into a rounded teardrop, and a small fan of spokes fills each curl.
The style is clean and graphic, almost like a line drawing made of yarn. It looks great on a tree, on gift wrap, or hanging in a window. All instructions use US crochet terms.
The finished ornament measures about 5.75 in (14.6 cm) wide and 2.75 in (7.0 cm) tall, plus a 2.5 in (6.4 cm) hanging loop.
Construction is simple. You make the star as a chain ring covered with one shaping round of single crochet. Each tail is a single crochet cord that you curl into a teardrop and close. You then add the spokes, sew the tails to the star, attach the hanger and stiffen the ornament.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 5.75 in × 2.75 in (14.6 cm × 7.0 cm), excluding hanger
- Skill level: Easy / advanced beginner
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Sport (#2) mercerized cotton
- Hook: 3.0 mm (US C/2–D/3)
- Number of pieces: 1 ornament, built from 1 star + 3 tails + 1 hanger
- Layout: Star on the left; three tails fanning to the right (magenta, gold, magenta from top to bottom)
- Star size: 2.75 in (7.0 cm) from point to point, 2.6 in (6.6 cm) tall
- Size before border: Same as finished size, because the single crochet cord is the edge
- Border depth: No separate border; the cord is about 0.2 in (0.5 cm) wide
Materials
Yarn: Use a smooth, mercerized sport-weight cotton. It shows stitch texture clearly, holds sharp star points and takes stiffener well. Avoid fuzzy or very stretchy yarns because the outline will lose its crisp shape.
- Purple (star): 4 g, about 12 m
- Magenta (top and bottom tails): 6 g, about 18 m
- Gold (middle tail and hanger): 5 g, about 15 m
These quantities include a margin for a gauge swatch, joining tails and weaving in ends.
Tools:
– 3.0 mm crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Stitch markers (at least 6)
– Scissors
– Fabric stiffener, or a 1:1 mix of white glue and water
– Foam blocking board and rust-proof pins
– Small ruler or tape measure
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 together: insert hook in next st, yo, pull up a loop, insert hook in following st, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through all 3 loops on hook
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- sp – space
- yo – yarn over
Special stitch – Spoke: From the hub stitch, ch 5, sl st into the target stitch on the outer curve, then sl st in each of the 5 ch back toward the hub, and sl st into the hub stitch. Working back over the chain gives a firmer bar with visible texture, like the spokes in the photo.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 5 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm) along a single crochet cord worked into a foundation chain.
Before you start, make a test cord: ch 21, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across (20 sc). It should measure 4 in (10.2 cm). Every size in this pattern comes from this cord gauge, so test it first.
Checkpoints:
– Test cord: 20 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm)
– Star after Rnd 1, pinned flat: 2.75 in (7.0 cm) from point to point
– Top and bottom tail cords, straight: 34 sc = 6.8 in (17.3 cm)
– Middle tail cord, straight: 30 sc = 6 in (15.2 cm)
– Assembled ornament: 5.75 in × 2.75 in (14.6 cm × 7.0 cm)
If your cord is too long, go down to a 2.75 mm hook. If it is too short, go up to a 3.25 mm hook. Do not change stitch counts. The shaping depends on them, and the tails need to stay in proportion to the star.
Star (Purple)
Foundation: With purple, ch 50. Join with sl st to the first ch to form a ring, and make sure the chain is not twisted.
The ring is divided into 5 repeats of 10 ch. Each repeat makes one star point and one inner valley.
Rnd 1 (shaping round): Ch 1 (does not count as a st). Sc in each of next 4 ch, (sc, ch 2, sc) in next ch for the point, sc in each of next 3 ch, sc2tog over next 2 ch for the valley. Repeat from * to * 4 more times. Join with sl st to the first sc. (50 sc + 5 ch-2 sps)
Count check per repeat: You use 4 + 1 + 3 + 2 = 10 ch and make 4 + 2 + 3 + 1 = 10 sc. Five repeats use all 50 ch and give 50 sc. The (sc, ch 2, sc) makes a sharp point. The sc2tog pulls each valley inward.
Fasten off and leave a 4 in (10.2 cm) tail. Weave in the ends.
Pin the star flat on the blocking board. Pull each ch-2 point outward and push each sc2tog valley toward the center. Checkpoint: 2.75 in (7.0 cm) from point to point, with each edge about 1 in (2.5 cm) long.
Tails
Each tail is one sc cord that you curl into a teardrop. Stitch 1 is the end that attaches to the star.
Top and Bottom Tails (Magenta – make 2)
Foundation: With magenta, ch 35.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (34 sc) Fasten off and leave an 8 in (20.3 cm) tail for sewing.
Checkpoint: The straight cord measures 6.8 in (17.3 cm).
Mark these stitches:
– Sts 1–16: outer run, 3.2 in (8.1 cm)
– Sts 17–24: rounded end (the arc)
– Sts 25–34: return run
– St 30: the spoke hub
Shape the teardrop: Lay the cord flat. Curve sts 17–24 into a smooth half-circle and bring the return run back alongside the outer run. Sew st 34 to st 8 with the yarn tail. This closes the teardrop.
From st 8 to the start of the arc there are 9 sts on the outer run, and the return run has 10 sts. That small difference makes the return strand curve gently and keeps the loop open instead of flat.
Spokes: Join magenta with sl st in st 30 (the hub). Work 1 Spoke to each of arc sts 17, 19, 21 and 23. (4 spokes) Fasten off.
Each spoke is ch 5, about 0.8 in (2.0 cm) long. It should lie flat with no pull. If a spoke puckers the arc, add 1 ch. If it sags, remove 1 ch.
Checkpoint: The closed teardrop is about 3.5 in (8.9 cm) long and 0.9 in (2.3 cm) across at the rounded end.
Middle Tail (Gold – make 1)
Foundation: With gold, ch 31.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (30 sc) Fasten off and leave an 8 in (20.3 cm) tail.
Checkpoint: The straight cord measures 6 in (15.2 cm).
Mark these stitches:
– Sts 1–14: outer run, 2.8 in (7.1 cm)
– Sts 15–22: arc
– Sts 23–30: return run
– St 26: the spoke hub
Shape the teardrop: Curve sts 15–22 into a half-circle and sew st 30 to st 7. The outer run has 8 sts from st 7 to the start of the arc, and the return run has 8 sts. That makes the gold loop slimmer and more parallel, as shown.
Spokes: Join gold in st 26. Work 1 Spoke to each of arc sts 15, 17, 19 and 21. (4 spokes) Fasten off.
Checkpoint: The teardrop is about 3.1 in (7.9 cm) long.
Border (Edge Finish)
This ornament has no separate border round. The single crochet worked over each foundation chain is the finished edge. It is a rounded, textured cord about 0.2 in (0.5 cm) wide, and it is the same on the star and all three tails.
Border gauge: This is the same as the main gauge: 5 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm).
Edge counts:
– Star: 10 sc per point repeat (50 sc total), plus a ch-2 sp at each of the 5 tips
– Top and bottom tails: 34 sc each
– Middle tail: 30 sc
Why the math works: Each star edge is about 5 sts, or 1 in (2.5 cm). Ten edges give the 50-stitch perimeter needed for a 2.75 in (7.0 cm) star.
The top and bottom tails start on the star’s right side. Their 16-stitch outer runs extend 3.2 in (8.1 cm), less about 0.25 in (0.6 cm) of overlap on the star, and the arc adds about 0.3 in (0.8 cm). That gives 2.75 + 3.2 − 0.25 + 0.3 = 6.0 in (15.2 cm) in theory. Once the tails are angled into a fan, the measured width settles at 5.75 in (14.6 cm). Adding an extra edging round would thicken the cords and blur the line-drawing look, so none is used.
Assembly
- Lay the star flat with one point straight up.
- Top magenta tail: Sew st 1 to the upper-right edge of the star, halfway between the top point and the right point. Sew it to the back loops so the join is hidden.
- Gold tail: Sew st 1 just below the right point.
- Bottom magenta tail: Sew st 1 to the lower-right edge, just above the lower-right valley.
- Fan the tails so they curve up and to the right. Leave a gap of about 0.2 in (0.5 cm) between neighboring tails.
- Tack the tails together lightly where they touch near the star. Use 2–3 small stitches with matching yarn so the fan holds its spacing.
Hanger (Gold)
Ch 30, which is about 5 in (12.7 cm). Fold the chain in half and sew both ends to the back of the star’s upper-right edge, where the top tail meets the star. Checkpoint: The loop hangs 2.5 in (6.4 cm).
Final Blocking
- Weave in all remaining ends along the back of the cords. Trim close.
- Dilute the stiffener as the manufacturer recommends, or mix glue and water 1:1.
- Soak the ornament fully, then press out the excess in a towel. Do not wring it.
- Lay the ornament on the blocking board, right side up.
- Pin each of the 5 star points with one pin in the ch-2 sp. Then pin each valley inward.
- Shape each teardrop arc into a smooth curve, pinning every 2–3 sts.
- Straighten every spoke so it radiates evenly from its hub.
- Measure: 5.75 in × 2.75 in (14.6 cm × 7.0 cm). Adjust the tail angles if needed.
- Leave the hanger unpinned and let it dry soft.
- Dry for 12–24 hours before unpinning.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Star Rnd 1 has 50 sc plus 5 ch-2 points, and all 5 points are equally sharp
- The top and bottom tails each have 34 sc, and the middle tail has 30 sc
- Each teardrop is closed at the correct stitch (st 8 for magenta, st 7 for gold)
- Each tail has exactly 4 spokes, evenly spaced on alternate arc sts
- Tail order from top to bottom is magenta, gold, magenta
- The ornament measures 5.75 in × 2.75 in (14.6 cm × 7.0 cm)
- The hanger loop is 2.5 in (6.4 cm) and securely sewn
- No ends show on the front, and the ornament is fully dry and rigid
Troubleshooting
The star points are rounded. Make sure you worked (sc, ch 2, sc) into a single ch. When blocking, pin firmly through the ch-2 sp.
The star looks like a pentagon. The valleys were not pulled in. Check that each sc2tog is there, then pin the valleys inward during blocking.
The ring twisted. Undo the join and lay the chain flat before joining again. A twist will spiral the whole outline.
A teardrop is lopsided. Check where you closed it. Sewing one stitch too far along changes the loop’s shape a lot.
Spokes pucker the arc. Add 1 ch to each spoke, or sl st more loosely on the way back.
The tails droop when hanging. Use more stiffener, or tack the tails together at a second point.
The ornament is too big overall. Your gauge is loose. Remake the pieces with a smaller hook rather than cutting stitches.
Care
Spot clean with a damp cloth only. Store flat in tissue so the stiffened points and curls keep their shape.
Final Notes
Everything in this pattern comes from one measurement: 5 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm). That gauge gives a 50-stitch star of 2.75 in (7.0 cm). It also gives tail cords of 6.8 in (17.3 cm) and 6 in (15.2 cm), which curl into teardrops of 3.5 in (8.9 cm) and 3.1 in (7.9 cm). Fanned behind the star, they give a finished ornament of 5.75 in × 2.75 in (14.6 cm × 7.0 cm), with a 2.5 in (6.4 cm) hanger. Check each stage before moving on and your comet will come out crisp and balanced.
Happy crocheting!