This leaf strand is one long, continuous vine. Almond-shaped leaves with pointed tips are linked end to end by short chain stems. Hang a few side by side in a window and you get a light, airy leaf curtain that lets the sun through every gap.
The sample uses a single bright turquoise. Each leaf has three features:
- a raised center vein made by the foundation chain
- tall stitches that fan out from the vein, so the leaf is widest in the middle
- a smooth single crochet rim that ends in a neat point at both tips
The pattern uses US crochet terms. One finished leaf is 4 in (10.2 cm) long and 2.25 in (5.7 cm) wide. The full strand of 12 leaves is 73 in (185.4 cm) long, including the hanging loop.
The whole strand is worked in one go. You chain a hanging loop, chain a stem, and chain the leaf foundation. Then you work Round 1 up one side of that chain and down the other, and Round 2 as a single crochet edging. From the bottom tip you chain the next stem and repeat. There is no sewing and there are no separate pieces.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished strand length: 73 in (185.4 cm) with 12 leaves
- Skill level: Easy
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (medium, #4)
- Hook: 5 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 1 continuous strand
- Layout: 1 hanging loop, then 12 repeats of (stem + leaf) in one vertical line
- Leaf size: 4 in (10.2 cm) long x 2.25 in (5.7 cm) wide
- Leaf size before border: 3.5 in (8.9 cm) long x 1.75 in (4.4 cm) wide
- Border depth: 0.25 in (0.6 cm) on every edge
- Stem length: 2 in (5.1 cm) between leaves
Materials
Choose a smooth cotton or cotton-blend worsted yarn. Cotton shows each stitch clearly, so the vein and the tall stitches stay easy to see. It also hangs straight without stretching much. Avoid fuzzy yarns, because they blur the leaf outline. A saturated turquoise or teal looks closest to the sample.
- Turquoise, worsted weight: 40 g, about 80 m (87 yd)
These amounts are for one strand of 12 leaves. They include a margin of about 15 percent for your test leaf and for weaving in ends. Each extra leaf with its stem uses about 3 g, or 6 m (6.6 yd).
Tools:
- 5 mm (H-8) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Stitch markers (2)
- Tape measure
- Rust-proof pins and a blocking mat or folded towel
- Spray bottle with water
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet: yarn over twice, insert hook, pull up a loop, then [yarn over, pull through 2 loops] 3 times
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
Special technique – working the free loops: After you work Side A of Round 1 into the chain, turn the piece so the unused bottom loops of the same chain face up. Work Side B into those free loops. Both halves of the leaf share one foundation chain, and that shared chain becomes the visible center vein.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Stitch gauge: 14 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm).
Chain gauge: 5 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm).
Don’t start the full strand straight away. Make one test leaf first: ch 13, work Rounds 1 and 2 below, then measure.
Checkpoint 1 – after Side A: The 12 stitches of Side A should span about 3.4 in (8.6 cm). Working stitches into a chain spreads it wider than it measured before you worked into it.
Checkpoint 2 – after Round 1: The leaf should be 3.5 in (8.9 cm) long and 1.75 in (4.4 cm) wide at its widest point.
Checkpoint 3 – after Round 2: The leaf should be 4 in (10.2 cm) long and 2.25 in (5.7 cm) wide, within 0.25 in (0.6 cm) either way.
Checkpoint 4 – stem: 10 ch should measure 2 in (5.1 cm).
If your leaf is too big: Go down to a 4.5 mm (G-7) hook. If only the stems are too long, keep the hook and chain more tightly, or drop to 9 ch per stem.
If your leaf is too small: Go up to a 5.5 mm (I-9) hook. If the length is right but the leaf is too narrow, check that your tr stitches are pulled up to full height. Tight tr stitches are the usual cause.
Pattern
You work the strand from the top down. Never fasten off until the last leaf is finished. Chain stems at the same relaxed tension each time so they all match.
Hanging Loop
Ch 10, then sl st into the first ch to form a ring. The loop hangs about 1 in (2.5 cm) tall and fits over a curtain hook or a narrow rod.
Stem
Ch 10. This makes a 2 in (5.1 cm) stem.
Leaf Foundation
Ch 13.
- The first ch from the hook is the bottom tip ch.
- The other 12 ch form the leaf vein.
Place a marker in the 13th ch from the hook, the ch closest to the stem. This marks the top of the leaf.
Leaf Round 1
Side A: Work back along the chain toward the stem, starting in the 2nd ch from the hook:
- sc in next ch
- hdc in next ch
- dc in each of next 2 ch
- tr in each of next 4 ch
- dc in each of next 2 ch
- hdc in next ch
- sc in the last (marked) ch
(12 sts)
Top tip: Ch 1. This ch-1 sp is the top tip. Move the marker into it.
Side B: Rotate the piece so the free loops of the foundation chain face up. Work in those free loops back toward the bottom:
- sc in the same ch as the last sc of Side A
- hdc in next ch
- dc in each of next 2 ch
- tr in each of next 4 ch
- dc in each of next 2 ch
- hdc in next ch
- sc in the last ch
(12 sts)
Bottom tip: Sl st into the skipped tip ch at the bottom of the leaf.
Round 1 count: 24 sts (12 per side), plus 1 top ch-1 sp and 1 bottom tip ch.
The stitches rise from sc at each end to tr in the middle, which creates the almond shape. Because the two sides mirror each other, the vein runs straight down the center.
Border
The border is Round 2, a single round of sc around the leaf. It firms up the edge, sharpens both tips, and adds 0.25 in (0.6 cm) all the way around.
Border gauge: 14 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm), the same as the main gauge. Keep your tension even and slightly relaxed so the edge doesn’t cup.
Count definition: The “per side” counts below include only the sc along the curved edge. The tip stitches are counted separately.
Leaf Round 2
Ch 1. This ch does not count as a stitch.
Bottom tip: (sc, ch 2, sc) in the same bottom tip ch.
Side A:
- sc in the first sc
- sc in the hdc
- sc in the next dc
- 2 sc in the next dc
- sc in each of the 4 tr
- 2 sc in the next dc
- sc in the next dc
- sc in the hdc
- sc in the last sc
(14 sc: 12 worked one into each stitch + 2 extra)
Top tip: (sc, ch 2, sc) in the marked top ch-1 sp. Work loosely here, because the stem sits right beside it.
Side B: Work exactly as Side A. (14 sc: 12 worked one into each stitch + 2 extra)
Sl st into the first sc of the round, then sl st into the bottom ch-2 sp.
Round 2 count: 28 side sc (14 + 14) + 4 tip sc (2 at each tip) = 32 sc, plus 2 ch-2 points.
Why the math works: Each side of Round 1 has 12 sts. Its outer edge is a curve, and a curve is longer than the 3.5 in (8.9 cm) straight line it spans. With the leaf 1.75 in (4.4 cm) wide, each curved edge measures close to 4 in (10.2 cm). At 14 sc per 4 in (10.2 cm), that edge needs 14 sc. The 2 extra sc go into the dc stitches, which sit at the shoulders where the curve bends most. Fewer stitches would pull the leaf into a cup, and more would make the edge ruffle.
Continue the Strand
Start from the bottom ch-2 sp of the leaf you just finished:
- Ch 10 for the next stem.
- Ch 13 for the next leaf foundation.
- Work Leaf Round 1 and Leaf Round 2 exactly as above.
Repeat steps 1–3 until you have 12 leaves. After the final leaf, finish with the sl st into its bottom ch-2 sp. Fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail.
Strand checkpoint: The full strand adds up like this:
- 1 in (2.5 cm) hanging loop
- 12 stems x 2 in (5.1 cm)
- 12 leaves x 4 in (10.2 cm)
That totals 73 in (185.4 cm). Measure after leaf 4: you should have 25 in (63.5 cm) from the top of the loop to the bottom tip of leaf 4. If you are off by more than 1 in (2.5 cm), correct your stem chain count now, before the error repeats down the strand.
Changing the length: Each stem plus leaf adds 6 in (15.2 cm). For a window like the one shown, make several identical strands. Hang each one separately, about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) apart, so the leaves overlap slightly.
Final Blocking
- Weave the starting tail into the hanging loop. Weave the ending tail up through the back of the last leaf’s vein.
- Lay the strand flat and straight on a blocking mat or towel. If your surface is short, block in sections.
- Mist each leaf with water until damp, not soaked.
- Pin each leaf at both ch-2 tips so it measures 4 in (10.2 cm) long.
- Pin at the widest point on each side so the leaf measures 2.25 in (5.7 cm) across.
- Run a finger down each vein to straighten it.
- Straighten each stem to 2 in (5.1 cm) without stretching it.
- Leave the strand until it is completely dry, then unpin.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Every leaf has 12 sts per side in Round 1 and 14 sc per side in Round 2.
- Each leaf has 2 clear ch-2 points, one at each tip.
- Every leaf is 4 in (10.2 cm) x 2.25 in (5.7 cm), within 0.25 in (0.6 cm).
- Every stem is 2 in (5.1 cm), and all stems match.
- The vein runs straight through the center of each leaf.
- The hanging loop is securely closed.
- The strand hangs at 73 in (185.4 cm), within 1 in (2.5 cm).
- No loose ends show on the front.
Troubleshooting
Leaf cups or curls: Round 2 is too tight, or the extra stitches are missing. Recount the 2 extra sc per side and loosen your tension.
Leaf edge ruffles: Round 2 has too many sc, usually a stray extra sc in the tr section. Count 14 per side.
Vein twists: The chain twisted before you started Side B. Turn the piece flat so the free loops face straight up before you begin.
One side is wider: Side A and Side B must mirror each other exactly. Check that both sides have 4 tr in the middle.
Top tip crowds the stem: Work the top (sc, ch 2, sc) more loosely, or make the ch-2 a ch-3.
Strand spirals when hung: This is normal for cotton before blocking. Block the strand, then hang it with a small weight on the bottom leaf for a day.
Stems are uneven: Count your chains every time. A marker on every 10th chain helps.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap. Roll the strand in a towel to remove water, then dry it flat, pinning the leaves back into shape if needed. Don’t hang it while wet, because the weight of the water stretches the stems.
Final Notes
All the measurements build on each other:
- A gauge of 14 sc = 4 in (10.2 cm) means the 12 stitches along the vein span 3.4 in (8.6 cm).
- Round 1 builds that vein into a leaf 3.5 in (8.9 cm) long and 1.75 in (4.4 cm) wide.
- Round 2 adds 0.25 in (0.6 cm) all around, for a leaf 4 in (10.2 cm) long and 2.25 in (5.7 cm) wide.
- A 2 in (5.1 cm) stem plus one leaf repeats every 6 in (15.2 cm).
- 12 repeats plus the 1 in (2.5 cm) loop give 73 in (185.4 cm).
Check your test leaf, check again at leaf 4, and the rest will follow.
Happy crocheting!