Four textured coils in ombre colours, each with a metal charm at the top and glass drops hanging along its length. Fire in reds and golds under a sun, ice in blues and white under a snowflake, forest in greens under a tree of life, and twilight in purples and pinks under a crescent moon.
The surface is the point here. These are worked in bobbles rather than flat stitches, so the coil is knobbly and dense and catches light unevenly, which is exactly what you want behind a glass drop.
All four are the same pattern. Only the yarn and the findings change.
What you’ll need
Size 3 crochet cotton or a light 4 ply, in three shades per colourway.
For fire, deep red, burnt orange and golden yellow. For ice, deep blue, sky blue and white. For forest, dark green, mid green and sage. For twilight, deep purple, violet and dusty pink.
A 2.5 mm hook.
You’ll also want one metal charm per hanging for the top, five or six faceted glass drops in a matching colour, small pearl and gold beads, jute or gold cord for hanging, and a tapestry needle.
Finished length is about 35 cm.
Abbreviations are US terms. ch is chain, sl st is slip stitch, sc is single crochet, hdc is half double crochet, dc is double crochet, MR is magic ring. A bobble here is four unfinished dc worked into the same stitch and pulled through together.
The coil
The chain is worked in three colour blocks so the ombre runs down the length. Change colour on the last pull through of the final chain in each block.
Starting with your darkest shade, ch 16. Change to the mid shade and ch 16. Change to the lightest and ch 16, giving 48 chains.
Row 1. Ch 1, then work 2 hdc into the second chain from the hook and 2 hdc into every chain across, matching your yarn to the chain colour underneath. Do not fasten off. The coil forms here.
Row 2. Turn. Work sc into the next stitch, then a bobble into the next, and repeat all the way across, keeping the colours matched to the row below.
That second row is where the texture comes from. Bobbles are bulky and they crowd each other on the outer curve of a coil, which pushes them up and out and gives the piece its knobbly, almost floral surface. Worked flat, the same row would look like a neat row of dots.
Do not add a third row. The bobbles need the outer edge to themselves.
Decorating
Sew small pearls and gold beads into the valleys between bobbles, scattered rather than lined up. About fifteen per coil.
Make three or four small flat motifs to sit among the bobbles. For fire and twilight, small five point stars. For ice, tiny snowflakes. For forest, small five petal flowers in cream and pointed leaves in green.
Small star. 5 sc in MR, then into each stitch work sl st, ch 3, sl st into the second ch from the hook, sl st into the same stitch, for five short points.
Small flower. 5 sc in MR, then into each stitch work sl st, ch 2, 2 dc, ch 2, sl st, for five petals, with a French knot centre.
Small leaf. Ch 7, then along the chain sl st, sc, hdc, sc, then 3 sc into the last chain and back along the other side in reverse.
Sew these on flat against the coil rather than hanging them, so they read as part of the surface.
Hanging the glass drops
Attach five or six glass drops along the length of the coil, on short lengths of matching thread from 1 cm to 4 cm, hung from the underside so they drop into the open space beside the coil.
Vary the drop lengths and alternate which side of the coil they hang from. All at the same length on the same side makes the piece lean.
Hang one larger drop from the very bottom of the coil. It weights the whole thing and keeps it hanging straight rather than drifting.
Putting it together
Sew the metal charm to the top of the coil, going through the same spot several times.
Attach jute or gold cord above the charm for hanging.
Hang it up and check it hangs plumb. If it leans, the drops are unevenly distributed, and moving one is usually enough.
Choosing the findings
The charm at the top is what gives each version its identity, so it is worth spending on. A sun for fire, a snowflake for ice, a tree of life for forest, a crescent moon and star for twilight.
Match the metal to the colours. Gold or brass for fire and twilight, silver for ice, antique brass for forest. Mixing metals across a set of four is the one thing that stops them looking like a matched collection.
Notes and variations
Make all four and hang them together in one window. They are designed as a set and the ombre shift from one to the next is most of the appeal.
An earth version in browns, rust and cream with an antler or a leaf charm makes a fifth.
Lengthen the chain to 72 for a longer coil, though you will need a heavier bottom drop.
For an outdoor version under a porch, use acrylic and outdoor safe findings, since cotton will fade in direct sun within a season.
Questions I get asked
Why is my coil not knobbly enough? Your bobbles are too shallow. Four unfinished dc is the minimum, and five gives a chunkier surface if you want it.
Why does the coil feel stiff and refuse to curl? Bobbles worked too tightly. Row 2 should be relaxed, because the bulk is doing the work rather than the tension.
Do I need wire? No. Bobbles make the fabric thick enough to hold its own shape at this length.
Can I use acrylic? Yes, and it makes fatter softer bobbles, which some people prefer.
How long does it take? About three hours each, so a set of four is a weekend.