Scandinavian Window Sampler Crochet Cafe Curtain Free Pattern

A Calm, Geometric Little Curtain You Can Actually Make

If you have ever looked at a crocheted curtain and thought "that looks way too hard for me," this is the project that will change your mind. The Scandinavian Window Sampler is two small cafe curtain squares, each about the size of a dinner napkin, worked flat with one hook and two colors. The background is a soft, squishy basketweave texture, and the center holds one big oatmeal-and-charcoal argyle diamond that makes the whole thing look far more complicated than it is. Because you make each square separately, you never have to wrestle a giant piece of fabric on your lap — you finish one small square, feel proud, and start the next. The finished curtain feels plush and velvety (chenille yarn is basically a hug), hangs from a simple crocheted rod sleeve, and turns a plain kitchen or bathroom window into something that looks like it came from a very tidy Scandinavian cottage. If you can make a double crochet, you can make this.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Bulky weight (category 5) chenille plush yarn, approx. 130 yds (119 m) per 100 g skein. Oatmeal: 2 skeins (approx. 200 g). Charcoal: 1 skein (approx. 70 g). The sample uses a soft polyester chenille.
• Hook: Size 6.0 mm (US J-10) crochet hook, or the size you need to match gauge.
• Stitch markers: At least 4 (the locking kind are easiest). These mark your block edges and your diamond stitches.
• Tapestry needle: A blunt-tipped needle with a large eye, for weaving in ends and whipstitching the rod sleeve.
• Scissors for cutting yarn.
• Measuring tape for checking gauge and blocking to size.
• Steam iron or steamer (used gently, from the wrong side, never pressed flat).
• Finished size: Each square measures approx. 12 in (30.5 cm) wide x 13 in (33 cm) high, including the rod sleeve. Two squares joined side by side make a panel approx. 24 in (61 cm) wide x 13 in (33 cm) high.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

Read this list once before you start. Every single term used in this pattern is explained here — nothing is assumed.

• ch — chain. Make a slip knot on your hook, wrap the yarn over the hook, and pull it through the loop on your hook. That is one chain.
• st / sts — stitch / stitches. One completed unit of crochet.
• dc — double crochet. Yarn over (wrap yarn around hook), insert hook into the stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through 2 loops (2 loops left), yarn over, pull through the last 2 loops. One dc made.
• fpdc — front post double crochet. Work a double crochet exactly as above, but instead of inserting the hook into the top of the stitch, insert it horizontally under the post (the vertical body) of the stitch from the front, so the new stitch pops forward.
• bpdc — back post double crochet. Same as fpdc, but insert the hook under the post from the back of the work, so the new stitch sits behind.
• sc — single crochet. Insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through both loops. One sc made.
• RS / WS — right side (the pretty, public side of the fabric) / wrong side (the back, where ends are hidden).
• turning ch 2 — the two chains you make at the start of a row before turning your work. In this pattern it does not count as a stitch.
• block — a group of 4 stitches worked all in fpdc or all in bpdc, creating the woven basketweave look.
• fasten off — cut the yarn a few inches from the work and pull the tail all the way through the last loop to lock it.
• whipstitch — a simple seaming stitch: bring the needle through both edges from front to back, over and over, like tiny slanted stitches.
• intarsia-style color change — using two colors in one row by dropping one and picking up the other, leaving the unused color resting on the wrong side. You do not carry a color across more than 4 stitches without twisting the two yarns around each other once.

Gauge

12 sts and 12 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in basketweave stitch (fpdc/bpdc blocks) after light steaming.

Gauge matters because it is the only way to know your curtain will actually be 12 inches wide and fit your window. If your stitches are bigger than the gauge, your square grows; if smaller, it shrinks. To swatch: chain 22, work the Set-up Row and then 12 rows of basketweave exactly as written below, steam it lightly from the wrong side, lay it flat, and measure a 4-inch section in the middle. Too many stitches in 4 inches? Go up a hook size. Too few? Go down. The argyle diamond is worked in plain dc, which is naturally a touch looser — that is intentional, so the motif lies flat.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Use stitch markers to track blocks. Place a marker every 4 stitches on your very first row. When you lose your place (you will, everyone does), the markers tell you instantly whether you are in a front or back post block.
• Do not pull the yarn too tight. Chenille is plush and has almost no stretch-back. If you crochet tightly, the fabric stiffens and the diamond pulls in. Keep your loops relaxed and let the hook do the work.
• Twist your colors every 4 stitches. When working the diamond, always cross the oatmeal and charcoal yarns on the wrong side before switching back. Skipping this leaves a hole in the fabric.
• Count your 36 stitches at the end of every row. A dropped stitch in row 12 becomes a lopsided square in row 54.
• Work in good light and take breaks. Front and back post stitches are worked by feel as much as by sight, and tired hands make tight stitches.
• Keep the unused color ball on the side it belongs to. Charcoal lives on the right for the first half of the diamond and on the left for the second half — let it travel, don't drag it.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Pattern Notes

This is a crochet pattern worked flat in rows with a 6.0 mm hook. Basketweave is made of blocks of 4 stitches, alternating fpdc and bpdc, and the block direction flips every 4 rows. The diamond is worked in plain dc so it reads cleanly. Each square is worked separately, then joined with chain loops, and the rod sleeve is added last. Turning ch 2 does not count as a stitch.

Square (Make 2)

With oatmeal, ch 38.

Set-up Row (RS): Dc in 3rd ch from hook and in each ch across. (36 dc)

Rows 1–4: Ch 2, turn. *Fpdc in each of next 4 sts, bpdc in each of next 4 sts; rep from * to end. (36 sts — 9 blocks of 4)

Rows 5–8: Ch 2, turn. Work bpdc over each fpdc of the previous row and fpdc over each bpdc, keeping blocks aligned vertically. This reverses the texture and creates the woven look. (36 sts)

Rows 9–12: Work as Rows 1–4. (36 sts)

Rows 13–16: Work as Rows 5–8. (36 sts)

Rows 17–20: Work as Rows 1–4. (36 sts)

Rows 21–24: Work as Rows 5–8. (36 sts)

Rows 25–28: Work as Rows 1–4. (36 sts)

Rows 29–32: Work as Rows 5–8. (36 sts)

Rows 33–36: Work as Rows 1–4. (36 sts)

Rows 37–40: Work as Rows 5–8. Fasten off oatmeal. (36 sts; 40 rows total)

Argyle Diamond

The diamond is centered on the 36-stitch width, spanning the middle 20 stitches (sts 9–28), with 8 oatmeal stitches on each side. All diamond rows are plain dc. Change colors by dropping one yarn and picking up the other, twisting them on the wrong side every 4 stitches.

Row 1 (RS): Join charcoal in st 9. Dc in sts 9–28 in charcoal, changing to oatmeal for sts 29–36. (20 charcoal dc)

Row 2: Ch 2, turn. Oatmeal dc in sts 1–8, charcoal dc in sts 9–28, oatmeal dc in sts 29–36. (20 charcoal)

Row 3: Oatmeal sts 1–9, charcoal sts 10–27, oatmeal sts 28–36. (18 charcoal)

Row 4: Oatmeal sts 1–10, charcoal sts 11–26, oatmeal sts 27–36. (16 charcoal)

Row 5: Oatmeal sts 1–11, charcoal sts 12–25, oatmeal sts 26–36. (14 charcoal)

Row 6: Oatmeal sts 1–12, charcoal sts 13–24, oatmeal sts 25–36. (12 charcoal)

Row 7: Oatmeal sts 1–13, charcoal sts 14–23, oatmeal sts 24–36. (10 charcoal)

Row 8: Oatmeal sts 1–14, charcoal sts 15–22, oatmeal sts 23–36. (8 charcoal)

Row 9: Oatmeal sts 1–15, charcoal sts 16–21, oatmeal sts 22–36. (6 charcoal)

Row 10: Oatmeal sts 1–16, charcoal sts 17–20, oatmeal sts 21–36. (4 charcoal)

Row 11: Oatmeal sts 1–17, charcoal sts 18–19, oatmeal sts 20–36. (2 charcoal)

Row 12: Oatmeal sts 1–18, charcoal sts 19–20, oatmeal sts 21–36. (2 charcoal)

Row 13: Oatmeal sts 1–17, charcoal sts 18–19, oatmeal sts 20–36. (2 charcoal)

Row 14: Oatmeal sts 1–16, charcoal sts 17–20, oatmeal sts 21–36. (4 charcoal)

Row 15: Oatmeal sts 1–15, charcoal sts 16–21, oatmeal sts 22–36. (6 charcoal)

Row 16: Oatmeal sts 1–14, charcoal sts 15–22, oatmeal sts 23–36. (8 charcoal)

Row 17: Oatmeal sts 1–13, charcoal sts 14–23, oatmeal sts 24–36. (10 charcoal)

Row 18: Oatmeal sts 1–12, charcoal sts 13–24, oatmeal sts 25–36. (12 charcoal)

Row 19: Oatmeal sts 1–11, charcoal sts 12–25, oatmeal sts 26–36. (14 charcoal)

Row 20: Oatmeal sts 1–10, charcoal sts 11–26, oatmeal sts 27–36. (16 charcoal)

Row 21: Oatmeal sts 1–9, charcoal sts 10–27, oatmeal sts 28–36. (18 charcoal)

Row 22: Oatmeal sts 1–8, charcoal sts 9–28, oatmeal sts 29–36. (20 charcoal)

Fasten off charcoal. Continue with oatmeal.

Basketweave Border Above the Diamond

Rows 23–26: Ch 2, turn. Work basketweave as Rows 1–4. (36 sts)

Rows 27–30: Work as Rows 5–8. (36 sts)

Rows 31–34: Work as Rows 1–4. (36 sts)

Rows 35–38: Work as Rows 5–8. (36 sts)

Rows 39–42: Work as Rows 1–4. (36 sts)

Rows 43–46: Work as Rows 5–8. (36 sts)

Rows 47–50: Work as Rows 1–4. (36 sts)

Rows 51–54: Work as Rows 5–8. Do not fasten off. (36 sts; 54 rows total)

Rod Sleeve

Row 1: Ch 2, turn. Work 36 dc evenly across the top edge, one dc in each stitch. (36 dc)

Rows 2–4: Ch 2, turn. Dc in each st across. (36 dc)

Row 5: Ch 2, turn. Dc in each st across. Fasten off, leaving a 20 in (51 cm) tail. (36 dc)

Fold the sleeve strip to the wrong side and whipstitch the bottom edge of the sleeve to the base of Row 1, forming a tube approx. 1.5 in (4 cm) deep for the rod.

Joining the Two Squares

Lay the two squares side by side with right sides facing up, aligning the bottom edges. Join with a simple chain-loop seam:

With oatmeal, join yarn at the bottom right corner of the left square. *Ch 3, skip 1 st on each square edge, sc through both layers to join; rep from * up the side seam to the top. Fasten off. Leave the outer edges plain for a two-square cafe curtain.

Assembly and Finishing

Weave in ends: Thread each tail onto the tapestry needle and run it through the back of several stitches on the wrong side, changing direction once so it cannot pull out. Pay special attention to the carried charcoal floats — tack each float down with a tiny stitch so little fingers (or curtain rods) cannot snag them.

Whipstitch the sleeve: With the sleeve folded to the wrong side, bring the needle up through the bottom edge of the sleeve and down through the base of Row 1, over and over, keeping the stitches even and snug but not tight. Check that a cafe rod slides through easily before you finish.

Steam and block: Lightly steam the basketweave blocks from the wrong side to even the texture — do not press flat, or you will crush the plush pile. Pin each square to 12 in x 13 in (30.5 cm x 33 cm) on a towel or blocking mat and let it dry completely.

Hang: Insert a cafe rod through both sleeves and hang. Step back and admire your very first curtain.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the palette: Swap charcoal for deep navy, sage, or rust for a different Scandinavian mood. Keep the oatmeal background — it is what makes the diamond pop.
• Make it wider: Each additional square adds about 12 in (30.5 cm). Work a third square and join it with the same chain-loop seam for a wider kitchen window.
• Substitute yarn: Any bulky (category 5) yarn works if you match gauge. Avoid fuzzy mohair-style yarns — they hide the basketweave texture. A smooth acrylic or cotton-blend bulky gives a crisper diamond.
• Skip the diamond for a first project: Work all 54 rows in oatmeal basketweave for a pure textured square, then add the diamond on your second curtain once you are comfortable with color changes.