The Starlit Crescent is a lacy thread ornament: a slim crescent moon with fan-stitch windows, an openwork lattice, and a small six-point snowflake hanging inside the curve. The lower horn ends in a tiny three-loop trefoil, and a chain loop at the top lets it hang from a branch.
The whole ornament is made in one color, a soft cream size 10 cotton thread. The edge is finished with reverse single crochet, which gives a crisp corded outline even though most of the piece is open. The look is vintage and quiet, and it suits a natural or white-and-gold tree.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished crescent is 4.5 in (11.4 cm) tall and 3.25 in (8.3 cm) wide. The snowflake is 2 in (5.1 cm) across, and the hanging loop adds 1.5 in (3.8 cm).
You work the crescent flat in three rows: a single crochet spine for the inner arc, a row of graduated fans, and a joining row that becomes the outer arc. Two border rounds go all the way around it. You then add the trefoil and the hanging loop. The snowflake is worked separately in the round and hung from the inner arc on a chain.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: crescent 4.5 in (11.4 cm) tall x 3.25 in (8.3 cm) wide. The band is 0.8 in (2.0 cm) wide at the middle and tapers to 0.5 in (1.3 cm) at the horns.
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: size 10 crochet cotton thread (lace)
- Hook: 1.75 mm steel hook
- Number of pieces: 2 (1 crescent and 1 snowflake), joined into one ornament
- Layout: the snowflake hangs inside the curve, from the inner arc near the upper horn
- Piece size: crescent 4.5 in (11.4 cm) tall; snowflake 2 in (5.1 cm) point to point
- Size before border: crescent 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall x 3 in (7.6 cm) wide
- Border depth: 0.125 in (0.3 cm) on every edge
Materials
Use mercerized size 10 cotton thread. It has a slight sheen, shows the fans clearly, and holds its shape after stiffening. Avoid fuzzy or acrylic threads, because they won’t block crisply.
- Cream size 10 cotton thread: 8 g, about 32 m (35 yd)
Tools:
- 1.75 mm steel crochet hook
- Fine tapestry needle
- Small sharp scissors
- Fabric stiffener, or a starch or sugar solution
- Foam blocking board, plastic wrap, and rustproof pins
- Ruler
The thread amount includes a margin of about 25 percent for a test piece and for weaving in ends.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- hdc: half double crochet
- dc: double crochet
- tr: treble crochet
- rev sc: reverse single crochet (crab stitch). Working from left to right, insert hook in the next st to the right, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through both loops.
- sk: skip
- sp: space
- st(s): stitch(es)
Special stitches:
- Fan: the stated number of hdc, dc, or tr, all worked into the same st.
- Picot: ch 3, sl st in the same st or ch you started from.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 9 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm).
Make the snowflake first as your test piece. It’s quick, and it shows whether the crescent will come out at the right size.
- Snowflake after Round 1: 0.5 in (1.3 cm) across
- Snowflake after Round 2: 0.75 in (1.9 cm) across
- Snowflake, blocked: 2 in (5.1 cm) point to point
- Crescent Row 1, laid straight: 6.75 in (17.1 cm)
- Crescent before border, curved: 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall
- Finished crescent: 4.5 in (11.4 cm) tall
If your snowflake is larger than 2.25 in (5.7 cm), switch to a 1.5 mm hook. If it’s smaller than 1.75 in (4.4 cm), switch to a 2.0 mm hook. Change only the hook, never the stitch counts.
Snowflake
Work in joined rounds without turning.
Round 1: Make a magic ring. Ch 3 (this counts as the first dc), then work 11 dc in the ring. Sl st to the top of the beginning ch-3 and pull the ring tight. (12 dc)
Round 2: Ch 1, sc in the same st, ch 4, sk the next dc. Sc in the next dc, ch 4, sk the next dc. Repeat from * 4 more times, then sl st to the first sc. (6 sc, 6 ch-4 sps)
Round 3 (points): Sl st into the first ch-4 sp. Then work the following into the ch-4 sp:
2 sc. Ch 8, then sl st in the 4th ch from the hook (tip ring made). Sl st in the next ch of the stem. Ch 3, sl st in the same ch (first side picot). Ch 3, sl st in the same ch (second side picot). Sl st in each of the next 3 ch down the stem. 2 sc in the same ch-4 sp. Sl st in the next sc.
Repeat from * 5 more times, working the last sl st into the first sl st. Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail.
Round 3 count: 24 sc and 6 points, with 18 loops in total (6 tip rings and 12 side picots).
Each stem uses all 8 of its chains: 4 make the tip ring, and you sl st back down the other 4. All six points should be the same length.
Crescent
Row 1 (inner arc spine): Ch 62. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. Turn. (61 sc)
Check: Row 1 is 6.75 in (17.1 cm) long when laid straight.
Row 2 (fan row): Ch 1, sc in the first 3 sc. Then work this repeat 7 times:
Ch 3, sk 3 sc, fan in the next sc, ch 3, sk 3 sc, sc in the next sc.
The fans change size along the row:
- Fans 1 and 7: 5 hdc each
- Fans 2 and 6: 7 dc each
- Fans 3, 4, and 5: 7 tr each
Finish with sc in the last 2 sc. Turn.
Row 2 count: 12 sc, 7 fans with 59 fan sts in total (10 hdc, 14 dc, and 21 tr), and 14 ch-3 sps.
The math: each repeat uses 8 sc of Row 1, so 3 + (7 x 8) + 2 = 61. The tall tr fans widen the band at its center, and the short hdc fans narrow it toward the horns.
Row 3 (outer arc and lattice): Ch 1, sc in the first 3 sc, ch 2, then sc in each st of the first fan (5 sc). Then work:
Ch 3, post st in the Row 2 sc between fans, ch 3, sc in each st of the next fan.
Repeat from * 5 more times. Finish with ch 2 and sc in the last 3 sc. Do not turn.
For the post stitches, use a dc next to each hdc fan and a tr everywhere else. Each post is a vertical bar that splits the space between two fans into two windows.
Row 3 count: 6 end sc, 45 fan sc (2 x 5 + 5 x 7), 6 posts, 12 ch-3 sps, and 2 ch-2 sps.
The end where Row 3 finishes is the upper horn. The other end is the lower horn.
Check: when curved, the crescent is 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall x 3 in (7.6 cm) wide.
Make All Pieces
Make 1 crescent and 1 snowflake, both in cream. This is how they fit together:
[hanging loop]
upper horn ___
/ \
crescent | --chain-- [snowflake]
\___/
lower horn --- [trefoil]
Border
Border gauge: 9 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm), the same as the body.
Round 4 (sc): Continue from the end of Row 3 at the upper horn. Ch 1, then work around the whole crescent:
- Upper horn: 3 sc, 1 in each row end
- Inner arc: 61 sc, 1 in each foundation ch of Row 1
- Lower horn: 3 sc, 1 in each row end
- Outer arc: 97 sc. Work 1 sc in each of the 6 end sc, the 45 fan sc, and the 6 posts. Work 3 sc in each of the 12 ch-3 sps (36 sc) and 2 sc in each of the 2 ch-2 sps (4 sc).
Sl st to the first sc. (164 sc)
Round 5 (corded edge): Ch 1, rev sc in each sc around, then sl st to the first st. Fasten off. (164 rev sc)
Why the math works: the inner arc takes exactly 1 sc for each of Row 1’s 61 sts. On the outer arc, every stitch and chain gets its own sc: 6 + 45 + 6 + 36 + 4 = 97. At 9 sc per inch, the outer arc is about 10.75 in (27.3 cm) and the inner arc is 6.75 in (17.1 cm). That difference in length is what curves the band into a crescent. The full round is 3 + 61 + 3 + 97 = 164 sts.
Trefoil: Join with a sl st in the middle st of the lower horn tip. Ch 3 for the stem. Ch 5, sl st in the top ch of the stem. Repeat from * 2 more times for 3 loops in total. Sl st in each of the 3 stem ch, then fasten off.
Hanging loop: Counting from the upper horn, find the post between the 2nd and 3rd fans. Join with a sl st in the border st directly above it, which is the highest point of the outer arc. Ch 2, then ch 6 and sl st in the 6th ch from the hook to make a small ring. Ch 30, sl st into the small ring, then sl st in each of the 2 stem ch. Fasten off. The folded loop is about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) long.
Joining
The snowflake hangs from a chain so it can turn freely.
- Starting at the upper horn, count 12 sts along the bordered inner arc. Join with a sl st in the 12th st.
- Ch 5. Ch 5 more and sl st in the 5th ch from the hook to make a small ring. Ch 5.
- Sl st into the tip ring of any snowflake point. Fasten off.
This drop chain is about 1.25 in (3.2 cm) long. Keep your tension even and slightly firm, because loose chains stretch under the snowflake’s weight.
Size check: hold the ornament up by its loop. The snowflake should sit centered in the hollow, with at least 0.25 in (0.6 cm) of clearance. If it touches the crescent, work 1 fewer ch in each ch-5 section.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends.
- Dip the ornament in stiffener, squeeze out the excess, and blot it in a towel.
- Cover the blocking board with plastic wrap.
- Pin the crescent to 4.5 in (11.4 cm) x 3.25 in (8.3 cm). Put a pin in each window so the posts stand straight.
- Open each fan into an even wedge.
- Pin the snowflake to 2 in (5.1 cm), with a pin in every tip ring and side picot.
- Pin the trefoil loops open, and lay both chains out straight.
- Let it dry for 12 to 24 hours before you unpin it.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Row 1 has 61 sc.
- Row 2 has fans in this order: hdc, dc, tr, tr, tr, dc, hdc.
- Row 3 has 6 posts and 45 fan sc.
- Rounds 4 and 5 each have 164 sts.
- The crescent is 4.5 in (11.4 cm) x 3.25 in (8.3 cm).
- The snowflake has 6 matching points and is 2 in (5.1 cm) across.
- The snowflake hangs centered and doesn’t touch the crescent.
- The trefoil loops are even, and the hanging loop is at the highest point.
- The ornament is fully dry and stiff.
Troubleshooting
- The crescent won’t curve: the outer arc is too short. Make sure you worked 3 sc, not 2, in each ch-3 sp.
- The outer edge ruffles: the border is looser than the body. Use a smaller hook for Rounds 4 and 5.
- The fans lean to one side: check that you skipped exactly 3 sc on each side of every fan.
- The horns look blunt: work only 1 sc per row end.
- The snowflake points are uneven: count all 8 stem chains for each point.
- The ornament droops: your stiffener was too diluted. Dip it again and re-block.
Care
Dust the ornament gently with a soft dry brush. If it gets wet or loses its shape, re-stiffen it and pin it to the blocking measurements again.
Final Notes
Here is the measurement chain from start to finish:
- A gauge of 9 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm) gives a 61-sc spine that is 6.75 in (17.1 cm) long.
- The fans and lattice build a 97-st outer arc that is 10.75 in (27.3 cm) long. This curves the band into a crescent that is 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall before the border.
- Two 164-st border rounds add 0.125 in (0.3 cm) on every edge, for a finished height of 4.5 in (11.4 cm).
- The 2 in (5.1 cm) snowflake hangs inside on a 1.25 in (3.2 cm) chain.
Check your gauge on the snowflake and count at each checkpoint, and the finished ornament will come out at the right size.
Happy crocheting!