I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love when a single crochet project can make an entire table feel elegant. There’s no complicated sewing, no fussy assembly, just gorgeous stitches radiating outward into something that looks like it belongs in a magazine.
This Amethyst Fan Lace Placemat delivers all that beauty with a construction method that’s more approachable than it appears. Those stunning ribbed fans? They’re built on simple front post double crochets. The delicate silver outlines? Just relaxed slip stitches tracing the curves you’ve already made.
If you’ve been wanting to try something beyond basic doilies but felt intimidated by intricate lace patterns, this is your perfect next step. The 12 repeat symmetry keeps you oriented, the color changes break the work into satisfying chunks, and the finished piece is genuinely stunning.
About This Pattern
This placemat is constructed as a dense floral medallion surrounded by four staggered rings of ribbed shell fans. Each fan layer anchors to the previous round at two points, which creates those beautiful oval windows you see beneath each shell. A fine silver metallic outline emphasizes every curve, and a chain mesh edging with violet picots keeps the perimeter airy and flat.
Skill level: Intermediate to advanced
Finished size: Approximately 38 to 42 cm (15 to 16.5 inches) after blocking
Center medallion: About 21 to 23 cm (8.25 to 9 inches)
Main repeats: 12 around
Construction: Worked in joined rounds from the center outward
The visual rhythm comes from consistent 12 part symmetry. The lavender fans attach directly around the white medallion, and every later layer anchors in the valleys of the preceding layer. This creates that gorgeous staggered effect rather than fans stacking directly on top of each other.
Materials You’ll Need
Yarn: Sport weight or light DK cotton (category 2 to 3). Smooth, firmly plied cotton gives the clearest ribbing and keeps the openwork crisp.
Here’s the color breakdown with approximate yardage:
For the metallic accent, choose a soft crochet thread or a cotton and metallic blend rather than a stiff craft cord. The softer thread will trace your fan curves without puckering.
Hook: 3.25 mm (US D) or size needed for gauge
Additional tools: Tapestry needle, rust proof blocking pins, blocking mat, scissors, stitch markers
Gauge and Tension
After Round 8, the dense white medallion should measure approximately 20 to 21 cm (8 to 8.25 inches) across when lightly flattened.
Here’s the good news: gauge is less important than keeping the piece flat. If your work cups upward, use a larger hook or loosen your tension. If it ripples, use a smaller hook or tighten your tension. Focus on flatness first, exact measurements second.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
Let me walk you through every stitch abbreviation you’ll encounter:
Special Stitches
Picot: Chain 3, then slip stitch in the first chain made. This creates a small decorative loop.
Ribbed fan: A shell worked into one arch, with selected stitches worked as FPdc around stitches of the preceding setup row. The post stitches create those beautiful folded paper fan ridges you see in the photos.
Silver tracing round: This is a surface like edging worked into the top loops along the outer curve of each fan. Use relaxed tension so the metallic thread does not pull the fan inward.
Invisible join: After the last stitch, cut your yarn and pull the tail through. Thread the tail on a needle, pass under the top loops of the first stitch, and back through the center of the last stitch. This produces a cleaner round edge than a visible slip stitch.
Color Sequence at a Glance
| Section | Colors |
|---|---|
| Center | A pearl white + B lilac star |
| Fan layer 1 | C misty lavender + G silver |
| Fan layer 2 | D periwinkle + G silver |
| Fan layer 3 | E violet + G silver |
| Fan layer 4 | F dark plum + G silver |
| Border | G silver mesh + E violet picots |
Part I: Lilac Star and Pearl White Flower Medallion
Work with the right side facing throughout this section. Join each round with a slip stitch to the first stitch unless an invisible join is specified.
Round 1: With B (Soft Lilac), make a magic ring. Ch 1, work 12 sc in ring. Join. (12 sc)
Round 2: Ch 1, sc in next st, ch 3, sl st in first ch (picot), sc in next st; rep around. Join. Fasten off B. This forms a compact six point lilac star.
Round 3: Join A (Pearl White) in any sc that does not hold a picot. Ch 3 (counts as dc), 2 dc in same st, ch 1, 3 dc in next non picot sc; rep around, placing each 3 dc group between star points. Join. (6 groups)
Round 4: Sl st to first ch 1 sp. Ch 3, 6 dc in same sp, sc in center dc of next 3 dc group, 7 dc in next ch 1 sp; rep around. Join. (6 rounded petals)
Round 5: Ch 1, sc in same st. Ch 5 behind next petal, sc around the sc between petals; rep around. Join. (6 ch 5 back arches)
Round 6: Sl st into first ch 5 sp. Ch 3, 8 dc in same sp, sc around next anchoring sc, 9 dc in next ch 5 sp; rep around. Join. (6 larger petals)
Round 7: Ch 1. Working evenly around the outside of the six petals, place 2 sc in the top of each outer petal stitch and 1 sc in each valley, increasing only as needed to reach 72 sc total. Join. The circle should lie flat.
Round 8: Ch 3, dc in same st, dc in next 4 sts, 2 dc in next st, dc in next 5 sts around; adjust the final repeat if needed so the count is 84 dc. Join with an invisible join. Fasten off A. (84 dc)
Checkpoint: The dense flower medallion should now be smooth, round, and approximately 20 to 21 cm (8 to 8.25 inches) across. The exact stitch placement in Rounds 7 and 8 is intentionally forgiving. Prioritize flatness and finish with 84 stitches so the 12 repeat lace section divides evenly.
Part II: Fan Layer 1 (Misty Lavender)
Each lace layer uses 12 repeats. Before beginning Round 9, mark every 7th stitch around Round 8. These markers are your fan anchors.
