The Terracotta Tide Panel is one rectangle of two-color fan stitch. Rows of open cream fans alternate with terracotta rows that rise to a point over each fan and dip between them, so the stripes look like waves.
The palette is warm and earthy: rust-terracotta and soft natural cream. The cream fans are airy, with a small hole at the base and seven dc spokes. The terracotta rows are solid and outline every fan, so the pattern reads clearly from across the room.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The blocked panel measures 9 in (22.9 cm) wide by 8.25 in (21.0 cm) tall. It has 3 fans across and 4 fan rows, and both the top and bottom edges are terracotta.
You work flat in rows from one foundation chain. The panel starts with a terracotta single crochet row. Then a cream fan row and a terracotta peak row repeat four times. You fasten off at the end of every row, so each new row starts fresh at the right-hand edge.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 9 in (22.9 cm) wide x 8.25 in (21.0 cm) tall, blocked
- Skill level: Easy / advanced beginner
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4) cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 5.5 mm (US I-9)
- Number of pieces: 1 (single flat panel)
- Layout: 3 fan repeats across x 4 fan rows tall
- Piece size: 9 in x 8.25 in (22.9 cm x 21.0 cm)
- Size before border: 9 in x 8.25 in (22.9 cm x 21.0 cm). No border is added.
- Border depth: 0 in (0 cm). The terracotta first and last rows are the finished edges.
Materials
Pick a smooth, matte worsted-weight cotton. Cotton holds the fan shapes crisply and blocks flat. Avoid fuzzy or very splitty yarn, because it blurs the open spokes. Both colors should be the same yarn line so the rows have matching heights.
- Color A, Terracotta (rust): 20 g, about 40 m
- Color B, Cream (natural): 25 g, about 50 m
These amounts include roughly a 25% margin for your gauge swatch, tails, and small tension differences.
Tools:
- 5.5 mm (US I-9) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Measuring tape or ruler
- Blocking mat and rust-proof pins
- Spray bottle
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sc – single crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sk – skip
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- tch – turning chain
Special stitches:
- Fan: (dc, ch 1) 6 times in the same st or space, then 1 more dc in it. That makes 7 dc and 6 ch-1 spaces, 13 sts in total.
- Peak: (sc, ch 1, sc) in the same st. This gives 2 sc and 1 ch-1 space, which is 3 sts in total.
- Post dc: One dc between two fans. It makes the small cream link at each valley.
When counting, every ch-1 space is treated as 1 stitch.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 31 sc = 9 in (22.9 cm) in the foundation sc row. One fan repeat (10 sts) = 3 in (7.6 cm) wide. One fan row plus one peak row = 2 in (5.1 cm) tall: the fan row is about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) and the peak row about 0.5 in (1.3 cm).
Because the item is one panel, Rows 1 to 3 are your test piece. Measure before you go on.
Checkpoints:
- After Row 1: The sc row measures 9 in (22.9 cm) wide, slightly stretched.
- After Row 3: About 2.25 in (5.7 cm) tall, and the 3 fans span the full 9 in (22.9 cm).
- After Row 5: About 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall.
- After Row 7: About 6.25 in (15.9 cm) tall.
- After Row 9: About 8.25 in (21.0 cm) tall before blocking. It should still be 9 in (22.9 cm) wide.
If your piece is too big: Change to a 5 mm (US H-8) hook, or shorten the dc by pulling the first loop up less.
If your piece is too small: Change to a 6 mm (US J-10) hook. If the fans cup up and don’t lie flat, your chain spaces are probably too tight. Loosen the ch-1 between dc first.
Pattern
Row 1 (Color A, Terracotta): Foundation
With Terracotta, ch 32.
Row 1: Sc in the 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. Fasten off and leave a 4 in (10.2 cm) tail. (31 sc)
Don’t turn. From here on, every row starts at the right-hand edge with the front of Row 1 facing you. This keeps both faces neat and puts each new color where you need it.
Row 2 (Color B, Cream): First Fan Row
With the front facing, join Cream with a sl st in the first sc at the right-hand edge.
Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as post dc). Sk 4 sc, fan in the next sc, sk 4 sc, dc in the next sc (post dc). Repeat from * to * 2 more times. Fasten off.
Stitch placement on the 31 sc: post dc in sc 1, fan in sc 6, post dc in sc 11, fan in sc 16, post dc in sc 21, fan in sc 26, post dc in sc 31.
Count: 4 post dc (including the ch-3) + 3 fans of 13 sts = 4 + 39 = 43 sts. That is 25 dc and 18 ch-1 spaces.
Row 3 (Color A, Terracotta): Peak Row
The fan row widens to 43 sts, and this row brings the count back to 31. On each fan you work into the 6 ch-1 spaces and the center dc, and you skip the other 6 fan dc. That loss of 3 sts on each fan is what pulls the terracotta down into a valley between fans and pushes it up into a point over each fan center.
The fan sts, in order, are: dc 1, sp 1, dc 2, sp 2, dc 3, sp 3, dc 4 (center), sp 4, dc 5, sp 5, dc 6, sp 6, dc 7.
With the front facing, join Terracotta with a sl st in the top of the ch-3 at the right-hand edge.
Row 3: Ch 1, sc in the same st (the post dc). Sk dc 1, sc in sp 1, sk dc 2, sc in sp 2, sk dc 3, sc in sp 3, peak in the center dc, sc in sp 4, sk dc 5, sc in sp 5, sk dc 6, sc in sp 6, sk dc 7, sc in the next post dc. Repeat from * to * 2 more times. The last sc goes in the final post dc. Fasten off.
Count per repeat: 3 sc + peak (3 sts) + 3 sc + 1 post sc = 10 sts.
Row count: 1 edge sc + (3 x 10) = 31 sts. That is 28 sc and 3 ch-1 peak spaces.
Each 10-st repeat now sits in this order: 3 sc, peak sc, ch-1 sp, peak sc, 3 sc, post sc. So the fans in the next row land exactly on these peaks.
Row 4 (Color B, Cream): Fan Row
With the front facing, join Cream with a sl st in the first sc at the right-hand edge.
Row 4: Ch 3 (counts as post dc). Sk the next 4 sts (3 sc and the first peak sc), fan in the ch-1 peak sp, sk the next 4 sts (the second peak sc and 3 sc), dc in the next sc (post dc). Repeat from * to * 2 more times. Fasten off. (43 sts: 4 post dc + 3 fans)
The fans stack directly over the fans below, and the post dc sit in the valleys.
Row 5 (Color A, Terracotta): Peak Row
Work the same as Row 3. (31 sts: 28 sc + 3 ch-1 peak sps)
Rows 6 to 9
- Row 6 (Cream): Work the same as Row 4. (43 sts)
- Row 7 (Terracotta): Work the same as Row 3. (31 sts)
- Row 8 (Cream): Work the same as Row 4. (43 sts)
- Row 9 (Terracotta): Work the same as Row 3. (31 sts)
After Row 9 the panel has 4 cream fan rows and 5 terracotta rows (1 foundation sc row + 4 peak rows). Both the top and bottom edges are terracotta.
Scaling note: To make the same stitch wider (for example, a curtain panel), chain any multiple of 10 + 2. Each extra 10 sts adds one fan and 3 in (7.6 cm). To add height, repeat Rows 4 and 5; each pair adds 2 in (5.1 cm). Buy extra yarn to match. The rest of this pattern describes the single 9 in x 8.25 in (22.9 cm x 21.0 cm) panel.
Edge Finishing (No Added Border)
There is no separate border on this panel. The terracotta rows at the top and bottom do the job of a border, so the border depth is 0 in (0 cm). You don’t add any stitches, but check each edge:
- Bottom edge: The foundation chain under Row 1. 31 sc across, one per chain.
- Top edge: Row 9. 31 sts across: 1 edge sc + 3 x (3 sc, peak, 3 sc, post sc).
- Right side edge: 9 row-ends: 5 terracotta sc ends and 4 cream ch-3 ends.
- Left side edge: 9 row-ends: 5 terracotta sc ends and 4 cream dc ends.
Why the math works: Every peak row has 31 sts, the same as Row 1. Each 10-st repeat goes with one fan, and each fan sits between two post sts that are shared with the next repeat. That gives 3 repeats x 10 sts + 1 closing post st = 31. The fan rows always grow to 43 sts (3 extra sts per fan) and the peak rows always return to 31 (3 skipped sts per fan). Because of this, the width stays at 9 in (22.9 cm) from bottom to top, and the side edges stay straight instead of flaring.
Weaving in: You will have 18 tails, two per row. Weave each tail vertically into the row-ends of its own color for about 1.5 in (3.8 cm). Then go back the other way for 0.5 in (1.3 cm) so the tail won’t work loose. Don’t let cream tails cross into terracotta stitches, because they will show.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends before blocking. Leave tails about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) long and trim them after the piece is dry.
- Lay the panel face up on a blocking mat.
- Pin the four corners to a 9 in x 8.25 in (22.9 cm x 21.0 cm) rectangle.
- Pin the bottom edge straight. Pin the top edge at each peak and each valley so the wave shape stays even.
- Spread each fan gently with your fingertips so the 7 spokes fan out evenly and the small center hole opens.
- Mist the piece well with water until it is damp, not soaked.
- Let it dry completely, at least 12 hours, before you remove the pins.
- Measure again. You should get 9 in (22.9 cm) wide and 8.25 in (21.0 cm) tall.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- [ ] Row 1 has 31 sc and measures 9 in (22.9 cm).
- [ ] Every fan row has 43 sts: 4 post dc and 3 fans of 7 dc.
- [ ] Every peak row has 31 sts: 28 sc and 3 ch-1 peak spaces.
- [ ] All fans stack in straight columns, 3 across.
- [ ] Every terracotta peak is centered over a fan’s center dc.
- [ ] Every valley sits on a post dc.
- [ ] Side edges are straight and the same height, 8.25 in (21.0 cm).
- [ ] All 18 tails are woven into the matching color and trimmed.
- [ ] The blocked panel measures 9 in x 8.25 in (22.9 cm x 21.0 cm).
Troubleshooting
Fans ruffle or cup. The ch-1 spaces are too short for the dc. Loosen your chains, or go up half a hook size for the fan rows only.
Fans look cramped and narrow. Make sure you skip exactly 4 sts on each side of the fan. If you skip only 3, the fans crowd together.
Peaks are flat. Check that you worked the peak (sc, ch 1, sc) into the center dc and skipped dc 1–3 and 5–7. If you sc in every fan st, the row widens to 43 and the waves flatten.
Peak row count is off. Count 10 sts per repeat. The usual mistake is missing the final sc in the last post dc, which is the ch-3 at the edge.
Edges slant. The first ch-3 or the last dc may be too loose or too tight. Keep the edge sts the same height as the post dc in the middle of the row.
Cream shows through the terracotta. Work the terracotta sc a little firmer, and pull every tail into stitches of its own color.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press out the water in a towel, and dry flat, reshaping the fans. Most cotton can take a cool iron through a pressing cloth if needed.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is simple. A 31-sc foundation row gives 9 in (22.9 cm), which is three 3 in (7.6 cm) fan repeats. Each fan row grows to 43 sts and each peak row goes back to 31, so the width stays at 9 in (22.9 cm) all the way up. The 0.25 in (0.6 cm) foundation row plus four 2 in (5.1 cm) fan-and-peak pairs gives 8.25 in (21.0 cm) of height. There is no added border, so the blocked size is 9 in x 8.25 in (22.9 cm x 21.0 cm).
Measure after Rows 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. If each checkpoint matches, the finished panel will too.
Happy crocheting!