Sage Pearl Lace Runner Crochet Pattern

This two-colour lace runner is such a satisfying heirloom make! We will crochet fourteen sage green circular medallions with radiating chain arches and pretty picot edges, and fourteen pearl white filet diamonds, then block everything, join the medallions into a 7 by 2 grid, and layer one diamond on top of each medallion for that distinctive lacy finish.

I love modular projects like this, because you can focus on one small medallion at a time and watch the runner grow piece by piece. The finished runner measures about 112 by 32 cm (44 by 12.5 inches) after blocking, and it looks beautiful on a dining table, sideboard or entryway console.

If you have worked with thread crochet before you will feel right at home, and if this is your first thread project, each piece is small and manageable. Just take your time, keep the right side facing for all motifs, and let the blocking do its magic at the end.

Materials

• 150 g size 3 mercerized crochet cotton in sage green (Colour A), about 250 m per 50 g
• 100 g size 3 mercerized crochet cotton in pearl white (Colour B)
• 2.5mm crochet hook
• Fine tapestry needle
• Rustproof pins
• Blocking mat
• Tape measure

Abbreviations

• ch: chain
• sl st: slip stitch
• sc: single crochet
• hdc: half double crochet
• dc: double crochet
• tr: treble crochet
• st/sts: stitch / stitches
• sp: space
• RS/WS: right side / wrong side
• rep: repeat

Special Stitches

• Filet cell: chain 2 followed by a treble crochet in the next treble. An open cell has two chains between its treble posts. The turning chain 4 counts as the first treble on diamond rows, and chain 6 at an increase edge counts as one treble plus chain 2.
• Picot: chain 3, slip stitch in the first of those three chains, making a small decorative loop.
• Joining bridge: chain 2, slip stitch in the corresponding edge loop of the next medallion, chain 2, slip stitch back into the starting loop.

Gauge & Size

• Finished size: about 112 by 32 cm (44 by 12.5 inches) after blocking
• Gauge: one blocked circular medallion measures 16 cm in diameter; one filet diamond measures about 9 cm wide by 14 cm long after blocking
• Construction: 14 medallions and 14 diamonds made separately, blocked, joined into a grid and layered
• Skill level: Intermediate

Medallion Pattern

Make 14. Join each round to its first counted stitch, and keep the right side facing throughout.

Round 1 (Colour B): Make an adjustable ring. Chain 3 (counts as your first double crochet), work 15 dc into the ring, tighten the ring and join to the top of the starting chain 3. [16 dc]

Round 2 (Colour B): Chain 4 (counts as dc plus chain 1). Dc in the next dc, chain 1, and repeat 15 more times. Join to the third chain of the starting chain 4. [16 dc, 16 ch-1 spaces]

Round 3 (Colour A): Join Colour A in any chain-1 space. Chain 1. Sc in the next chain-1 space, chain 3, and repeat 16 times total. Join to the first sc. [16 sc, 16 ch-3 arches]

Round 4 (Colour A): Slip stitch into the first arch. Chain 1. Sc in the next arch, chain 5, and repeat 16 times total. Join. [16 sc, 16 ch-5 arches]

Round 5 (Colour A): Slip stitch into the first arch. Chain 1. Sc in the next arch, chain 7, and repeat 16 times total. Join. [16 sc, 16 ch-7 arches]

Round 6 (Colour A): Slip stitch into the first arch. Chain 1. Sc in the next arch, chain 9, and repeat 16 times total. Join. [16 sc, 16 ch-9 arches]

Round 7 (Colour A): Slip stitch into the first arch. Chain 1. Sc in the next arch, chain 11, and repeat 16 times total. Join. [16 sc, 16 ch-11 arches]

Round 8 (Colour B): Join Colour B in any outer arch. In each arch around, work 5 sc, picot, 6 sc. Join and fasten off. [176 sc, 16 picots]

Block each medallion by pinning every outer picot evenly around a 16 cm circle on your blocking mat, so each medallion has 16 evenly spaced picot points.

Diamond Pattern

Make 14, all in Colour B.

Row 1 (Colour B): Chain 7. Work a treble crochet in the seventh chain from the hook. The initial six chains count as the first treble plus chain 2. [2 tr posts, 1 open cell]

Row 2: Chain 6, turn. Treble crochet in the first treble to create a new cell. Chain 2, treble crochet in the last treble. Chain 2, treble crochet in the same last treble. [4 tr posts, 3 cells]

Row 3: Chain 6, turn. Treble crochet in the first treble. Chain 2, treble crochet in the next treble, repeat 3 times total. Chain 2, treble crochet in the same last treble. [6 tr posts, 5 cells]

Row 4: Chain 6, turn. Treble crochet in the first treble. Chain 2, treble crochet in the next treble, repeat 5 times total. Chain 2, treble crochet in the same last treble. [8 tr posts, 7 cells]

Row 5: Chain 6, turn. Treble crochet in the first treble. Chain 2, treble crochet in the next treble, repeat 7 times total. Chain 2, treble crochet in the same last treble. [10 tr posts, 9 cells]

Row 6: Turn. Slip stitch across the first chain-2 space into the second treble. Chain 4 (counts as the first treble). Chain 2, treble crochet in the next treble, repeat 7 times total. Leave the last cell unworked. [8 tr posts, 7 cells]

Row 7: Turn. Slip stitch across the first chain-2 space into the second treble. Chain 4. Chain 2, treble crochet in the next treble, repeat 5 times total. Leave the last cell unworked. [6 tr posts, 5 cells]

Row 8: Turn. Slip stitch across the first chain-2 space into the second treble. Chain 4. Chain 2, treble crochet in the next treble, repeat 3 times total. Leave the last cell unworked. [4 tr posts, 3 cells]

Row 9: Turn. Slip stitch across the first chain-2 space into the second treble. Chain 4, chain 2, treble crochet in the next treble. Leave the last cell unworked. Fasten off. [2 tr posts, 1 cell]

Block each diamond in an elongated shape so the widest 9-cell centre row measures about 9 cm wide, and the finished diamond measures about 9 cm wide by 14 cm long.

Finishing & Assembly

Lay all 14 medallions right side up in 7 rows by 2 columns, with loop 1 of every medallion pointing toward the same end of the runner. Number the outer loops 1 to 16 clockwise, with loop 1 at the top, loop 5 to the right, loop 9 at the bottom and loop 13 to the left, and keep the four cardinal loops accessible for joining.

Join Pass 1 (lengthwise): along each lane of 7 medallions, bridge loop 9 of one circle to loop 1 of the next. Add stabilising bridges connecting loop 8 to loop 2 and loop 10 to loop 16, giving 3 bridges per connection and 12 connections in each lane.

Join Pass 2 (side by side): join loop 5 of each left-column circle to loop 13 of its right-column neighbour, and add stabilising joins connecting loop 4 to loop 14 and loop 6 to loop 12, giving 7 joins with 3 bridges each. Your grid should now have 14 medallions connected by 19 motif-to-motif joins, with no circles twisted.

Centre one diamond lengthwise on each medallion. With a fine tapestry needle and Colour B thread, tack the upper tip, lower tip and both widest corner points with two small stitches per point (56 tack points in total), then tack the centre of each diamond to the medallion central ring (14 central tacks), taking care not to collapse the open filet cells.

At joined loops, fold the picots inward and secure them under the join with one small tack stitch, and check that every exposed picot has exactly 3 chains and a proper closing slip stitch. Weave in each tail through dense single crochet stitches in two directions for at least 2 cm, but do not trim tails until after the final blocking.

For the final wet block, soak the runner briefly in cool water, roll it in a clean towel to remove the water, and pin it to your blocking mat, stretching gently to about 112 by 32 cm. Check that all medallions measure 16 cm across and let the runner dry completely before removing the pins.

Tips

Crochet one medallion and one diamond first, wash and block them, and measure when completely dry. If a medallion cups inward, loosen your chain arches a little; if it ruffles, double-check that you have exactly 16 repeats.

Use colourfast cotton from one dye lot for each colour. Smooth, mercerised thread gives the crispest arches and the cleanest stitch definition, while fuzzy yarns will hide the delicate lace.

Hand wash the finished runner in cool water with a mild detergent, roll it in a towel, and reblock it flat to dry. It is decorative rather than heat-resistant, so always use a protective mat under hot dishes.