Crochet garland pattern: nine parts, 304 rounds, a rainbow sewn from straight tubes
A free crochet garland pattern for a nursery rainbow ~23 cm across and ~11 cm tall, hanging on a ~20 cm cord, worked on a 4.0 mm hook in six colours, over a weekend. Not one round of it is curved: the six arcs leave the hook as straight eight-stitch tubes at 65, 55, 45, 35, 25 and 15 rounds, and the semicircle only appears when each arc is whip-stitched to its neighbour along the whole length of their touching edges. Ten rounds is exactly how much longer an arc has to be to sit outside the one before it. All 304 rounds are written out below across nine parts, each one carrying the stitch count it ends on.
Maths verified, not yet made. Every one of the 304 rounds was checked against the round before it by machine — the counts, the increases and the decreases all add up. What nobody can promise you yet is how it sits in the hand.How we check
6 of 8 checks ran on 2026-09-04
- 1 format and stitch chainscripts/validate.py — 113 patterns, all counts chain.
- 2 catalogue auditscripts/audit-patterns.py — 113 audited, 0 errors, 66 warnings.
- 3 geometrygeometry-check.py — 113 checked, 0 errors, 4 warnings.
- 5 not a duplicate113 distinct display names across 113 patterns
- 6c target on the recordseo.headKeyword, confidence and demand present and cross-checked by scripts/validate.py
- 8 page readinessscripts/check-completeness.py --gate — 0 required fields missing, 114 editorial flags, 0 unearned claims.
Not yet checked
- 4 render matches the pattern — no image has been compared against its own prompt, so a render showing a piece the rounds do not make would not be caught here. Nothing has counted how many do.
- 6a recognisability — provenance.recognisability is empty in every pattern, so there is no feature list to check the parts against.
Why it is rated High
High for the assembly rather than the stitches: 304 rounds of plain single crochet, then six tubes pinned and sewn edge to edge at even tension, or the rainbow splays open at the bottom.
Sell what you make. Anything you crochet from this pattern is yours to sell — any quantity, no fee, no credit required.
00
00What you need before you start
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What you need before you start
Yarn — six colours, all weight 4
~16 gWorsted (aran) acrylic
~14 gWorsted (aran) acrylic
~11 gWorsted (aran) acrylic
~9 gWorsted (aran) acrylic
~6 gWorsted (aran) acrylic
~26 gWorsted (aran) acrylic
Tools
5 you probably own, 1 to buyYou likely have
Tapestry needle
Scissors
Stitch markers
Sewing pins
Measuring tape
You need to buy
Polyester stuffing (~20 g)
Optional
A chopstick or stuffing stick, for filling the eight-stitch tubes
A row counter, for the long straight runs
A wooden ring or dowel to hang the cord from
Gauge and finished size
the last check before you cast onTension
Gauge sets the whole geometry here, and then forgives you: a looser hand gives a bigger rainbow, but every arc grows with it, so the six still nest. What matters is working all six at one tension, not which tension you pick.
Finished size
~23 cm across the rainbow and ~11 cm tall, hanging on a ~20 cm cord
Worsted acrylic keeps the arcs light enough to hang. Cotton works and holds the curve more stiffly, but it is heavier — check the cord and the fixing take the weight before you hang it.
How to make the rainbow and cloud nursery garland, piece by piece
Switching rewrites every round:US6 sc in mrUK6 dc in mrWork a US sc as a UK single crochet and the fabric comes out looser and taller.
1
01The outer arc
The longest of the six, in poppy red. Sixty-two straight rounds after…65 RNDS
starts in poppyRed· magic ring· Piece 1 of 9
First six rounds[6] [8] [8] [8] [8] [8]
Out to 8
RND 1–21[6]
2[8]
62 straight rounds
RND 3–643[8]
4[8]
5[8]
6[8]
7[8]
8[8]
9[8]
10[8]
11[8]
12[8]
13[8]
14[8]
15[8]
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50[8]
51[8]
52[8]
53[8]
54[8]
55[8]
56[8]
57[8]
58[8]
59[8]
60[8]
61[8]
62[8]
63[8]
64[8]
Closed to 4
RND 65–6565[4]
US termsmrmagic ringscsingle crochetincincreasedecdecreasest(s)stitch, or stitches
When this piece is doneLeave a long tail — it sews to Arc 2 along its whole inner edge. Stuff it very lightly first, a pinch at a time.
2
02The second arc
Tangerine, ten rounds shorter than the red one. That ten-round step…55 RNDS
starts in tangerine· magic ring· Piece 2 of 9
First six rounds[6] [8] [8] [8] [8] [8]
Out to 8
RND 1–21[6]
2[8]
52 straight rounds
RND 3–543[8]
4[8]
5[8]
6[8]
7[8]
8[8]
9[8]
10[8]
11[8]
12[8]
13[8]
14[8]
15[8]
16[8]
17[8]
18[8]
19[8]
20[8]
21[8]
22[8]
23[8]
24[8]
25[8]
26[8]
27[8]
28[8]
29[8]
30[8]
31[8]
32[8]
33[8]
34[8]
35[8]
36[8]
37[8]
38[8]
39[8]
40[8]
41[8]
42[8]
43[8]
44[8]
45[8]
46[8]
47[8]
48[8]
49[8]
50[8]
51[8]
52[8]
53[8]
54[8]
Closed to 4
RND 55–5555[4]
US termsmrmagic ringscsingle crochetincincreasedecdecreasest(s)stitch, or stitches
When this piece is doneTwo down, four to go. Keep the finished arcs laid out in order so none of them gets muddled with its neighbour.
3
03The third arc
Sunshine yellow, forty-two straight rounds. You are at the halfway…45 RNDS
starts in sunshineYellow· magic ring· Piece 3 of 9
First six rounds[6] [8] [8] [8] [8] [8]
Out to 8
RND 1–21[6]
2[8]
42 straight rounds
RND 3–443[8]
4[8]
5[8]
6[8]
7[8]
8[8]
9[8]
10[8]
11[8]
12[8]
13[8]
14[8]
15[8]
16[8]
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18[8]
19[8]
20[8]
21[8]
22[8]
23[8]
24[8]
25[8]
26[8]
27[8]
28[8]
29[8]
30[8]
31[8]
32[8]
33[8]
34[8]
35[8]
36[8]
37[8]
38[8]
39[8]
40[8]
41[8]
42[8]
43[8]
44[8]
Closed to 4
RND 45–4545[4]
US termsmrmagic ringscsingle crochetincincreasedecdecreasest(s)stitch, or stitches
When this piece is doneThe remaining three are shorter every time, so the second half goes faster than the first.
4
04The fourth arc
Leaf green. Thirty-two straight rounds, and the tube is starting to…35 RNDS
starts in leafGreen· magic ring· Piece 4 of 9
First six rounds[6] [8] [8] [8] [8] [8]
Out to 8
RND 1–21[6]
2[8]
32 straight rounds
RND 3–343[8]
4[8]
5[8]
6[8]
7[8]
8[8]
9[8]
10[8]
11[8]
12[8]
13[8]
14[8]
15[8]
16[8]
17[8]
18[8]
19[8]
20[8]
21[8]
22[8]
23[8]
24[8]
25[8]
26[8]
27[8]
28[8]
29[8]
30[8]
31[8]
32[8]
33[8]
34[8]
Closed to 4
RND 35–3535[4]
US termsmrmagic ringscsingle crochetincincreasedecdecreasest(s)stitch, or stitches
When this piece is doneLay it inside the yellow one to see the nest beginning to take shape.
5
05The fifth arc
Sky blue, twenty-two straight rounds. Short enough to finish in one…25 RNDS
starts in skyBlue· magic ring· Piece 5 of 9
First six rounds[6] [8] [8] [8] [8] [8]
Out to 8
RND 1–21[6]
2[8]
22 straight rounds
RND 3–243[8]
4[8]
5[8]
6[8]
7[8]
8[8]
9[8]
10[8]
11[8]
12[8]
13[8]
14[8]
15[8]
16[8]
17[8]
18[8]
19[8]
20[8]
21[8]
22[8]
23[8]
24[8]
Closed to 4
RND 25–2525[4]
US termsmrmagic ringscsingle crochetincincreasedecdecreasest(s)stitch, or stitches
When this piece is doneOne arc left, and it is the smallest of the lot.
6
06The inner arc
Cream, twelve straight rounds. The little one at the heart of the…15 RNDS
starts in cream· magic ring· Piece 6 of 9
First six rounds[6] [8] [8] [8] [8] [8]
Out to 8
RND 1–21[6]
2[8]
12 straight rounds
RND 3–143[8]
4[8]
5[8]
6[8]
7[8]
8[8]
9[8]
10[8]
11[8]
12[8]
13[8]
14[8]
Closed to 4
RND 15–1515[4]
US termsmrmagic ringscsingle crochetincincreasedecdecreasest(s)stitch, or stitches
When this piece is doneNow the sewing. Start here, at the inside, and work outward: pin Arc 6 along Arc 5 for its full length, whip-stitch the touching edges, then add Arc 4 around that pair, and so on. Even tension all the way, or the rainbow splays open at the bottom.
7
07The clouds
Two the same, in cream. Out to thirty stitches, three straight…12 RNDS
starts in cream· magic ring· Piece 7 of 9
First six rounds[6] [12] [18] [24] [30] [30]
Out to 30
RND 1–51[6]
2[12]
3[18]
4[24]
5[30]
Straight sides
RND 6–86[30]
7[30]
8[30]
The three lobes
RND 9–109[24]
10[18]
Closing the top
RND 11–1211[12]
12[6]
US termsmrmagic ringscsingle crochetincincreasedecdecreasest(s)stitch, or stitches
When this piece is doneStuff them softly and squash each one a little flatter than a ball before you close the last round. A cloud should look pressed, not inflated.
8
08The second cloud
— the same 12 rounds again, worked from piece 0712 RNDS
starts in cream· magic ring· Piece 8 of 9· mirrors the clouds
First six rounds[6] [12] [18] [24] [30] [30]
1[6]
2[12]
3[18]
4[24]
5[30]
6[30]
7[30]
8[30]
9[24]
10[18]
11[12]
12[6]
US termsmrmagic ringscsingle crochetincincreasedecdecreasest(s)stitch, or stitches
When this piece is doneHold the two side by side. If one is noticeably rounder, take a little stuffing out of it.
9
09The hanging cord
A six-stitch tube worked straight for forty rounds. Slow, repetitive…40 RNDS
starts in cream· magic ring· Piece 9 of 9
First six rounds[6] [6] [6] [6] [6] [6]
1[6]
2[6]
3[6]
4[6]
5[6]
6[6]
7[6]
8[6]
9[6]
10[6]
11[6]
12[6]
13[6]
14[6]
15[6]
16[6]
17[6]
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25[6]
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27[6]
28[6]
29[6]
30[6]
31[6]
32[6]
33[6]
34[6]
35[6]
36[6]
37[6]
38[6]
39[6]
40[6]
US termsmrmagic ringscsingle crochetincincreasedecdecreasest(s)stitch, or stitches
When this piece is doneSew one cloud to each end of the rainbow, then run the cord through the top of both clouds and secure it with a few stitches inside each one so it cannot slide.
You are here
Nine pieces from eight lists. One list — the clouds — is written once and worked twice, identical round for round; the grey bars are piece length, all drawn to the same scale.304 ROUNDS IN ALL
Ten notes on the rainbow and cloud nursery garland
Read themClose
01An original Crochet Genie design.
02Everything is worked in a continuous spiral — nothing to join, nothing to turn. Move a stitch marker up the first stitch of every round, because a lost round on one arc shows up as a gap in the finished nest.
03The curve is not crocheted in. Each arc leaves the hook as a straight tube, and the semicircle appears only when you whip-stitch each arc to its neighbour along the whole length of their touching edges.
04The arc lengths step by exactly ten rounds — 65, 55, 45, 35, 25, 15 — because ten rounds is how much longer an arc has to be to travel around the outside of the one inside it. Change one arc's length and that arc will either buckle or splay.
05The rainbow reads red, tangerine, yellow, green, blue, then cream on the inside. The cream band is not a missing colour: it ties the arcs to the clouds and gives the eye somewhere to rest.
06The clouds' three lobes come from where the decreases sit, not from a different stitch. On rounds 9 and 10 work the six decreases as three pairs spaced evenly around, and leave the stitches between them plain — three soft bumps stand up along the top.
07The clouds start on a magic ring rather than the chain-based oval a cloud usually begins from, so they come out as round puffs rather than long ovals. That is this app's three-stitch vocabulary standing in for the original shape.
08The hanging cord is a six-stitch tube worked in a spiral, standing in for the plain chain a garland is usually strung on. A tube is thicker and rounder than a chain, so it reads as a cord between the clouds instead of disappearing into them.
09Stuff the arcs very lightly. An eight-stitch tube wants small pinches of filling pushed down with a chopstick, and a firmly stuffed arc goes rigid and refuses to bend into its curve.
10Sew in the order the rainbow builds: Arc 6 to Arc 5, then 5 to 4, and outward. Pin each pair along its full length before you sew, and keep the whip stitches at even tension.
Four questions this pattern answers
Not questions anybody asked. Each one is written from this pattern's own record, and every answer is read off the fields it names.
How many pieces make up the rainbow and cloud nursery garland?
How much yarn will the rainbow and cloud nursery garland take?
What hook will the rainbow and cloud nursery garland need, and what is the finished size?
How long will the rainbow and cloud nursery garland take to crochet?
A round that will not add up?
Tell us the piece and the round number — the stepper already knows where you are.There is nowhere to send one yet.
Put the laptop down mid-round
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