Two-Tone Night Sky Band Skirt Free Crochet Pattern

Two-Tone Night Sky Band Skirt — Free Crochet Pattern

Introduction

If you have ever looked at a crocheted skirt and thought "that looks too hard for me," this is the project that will change your mind. The Two-Tone Night Sky Band Skirt is built from simple, repeatable pieces: a wide body of terracotta African flower hexagons, a solid mustard waistband worked in plain single crochet, and three little crocheted moons sewn on for a soft Y2K touch. It is perfect for a first garment because every motif is small enough to finish in one sitting, and you only ever learn a handful of stitches. The finished skirt is a straight, relaxed tube that sits close at the hip without squeezing, with a clean doubled waistband and a soft cotton drape that feels cool and light against the skin. By the end you will have a wearable, slightly stretchy skirt that looks far more complicated than it actually is.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Worsted weight (category 4) cotton yarn, approximately 700 (800, 900, 1000) yd [640 (730, 820, 915) m] total.
  • Color A (terracotta): 500 (570, 640, 710) yd [457 (521, 585, 649) m]
  • Color B (mustard): 200 (230, 260, 290) yd [183 (210, 238, 265) m]
• Crochet hook: Size H-8 (5.0 mm), or whatever size gives you the gauge below.
• Stitch markers: At least 8, to mark corners and the start of rounds.
• Tapestry needle: A blunt, large-eyed needle for seaming motifs and weaving in ends.
• Scissors for cutting yarn.
• Optional: 1 in [2.5 cm] wide elastic for the waistband, and a safety pin to thread it.
• Finished size: Hip circumference 32 (36, 40, 44) in [81 (91, 102, 112) cm]. Length 18 (19, 20, 21) in [46 (48, 51, 53) cm]. Sizes are XS (S, M, L). The skirt is designed with about 2 in [5 cm] of negative ease at the hip, so it sits close but not tight.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

• ch — chain. Wrap the yarn over the hook and pull it through the loop on your hook. This makes a small link.
• sl st — slip stitch. Insert the hook into the stitch, wrap yarn over, and pull it through both the stitch and the loop on your hook at once. It joins things without adding height.
• sc — single crochet. Insert hook into stitch, pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through both loops. One loop remains.
• dc — double crochet. Yarn over, insert hook into stitch, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through 2 loops, yarn over, pull through last 2 loops.
• hdc — half double crochet. Yarn over, insert hook, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through all 3 loops at once.
• tr — treble crochet. Yarn over twice, insert hook, pull up a loop (4 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through 2 loops, three times total.
• sc2tog — single crochet 2 together (a decrease). Insert hook into first stitch, pull up a loop, insert hook into next stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through all 3 loops.
• st(s) — stitch(es).
• rnd(s) — round(s). One complete circle of stitches worked in the round.
• sp — space. The gap between stitches, usually under a chain.
• beg — beginning.
• rep — repeat.
• A — terracotta. B — mustard.
• Magic ring — an adjustable loop you pull closed after working into it, so there is no hole in the center.

Gauge

One African flower hexagon = 3 in [7.5 cm] across flat-to-flat after blocking. Solid band: 14 sc x 16 rnds = 4 in [10 cm] in sc worked in the round.

Gauge matters because it controls the finished size. If your hexagons come out larger than 3 in, the whole skirt will be bigger than the size you chose; if smaller, it will be tight. To check, make one hexagon and one small square of sc in the round, block them lightly, and measure. If your hexagon is too big, switch to a smaller hook; if too small, go up a hook size. Always measure after blocking, because cotton relaxes when wet.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Make one hexagon first. Do not make all 40 (48, 56, 64) until you have checked that one hexagon measures 3 in. It saves hours of rework.
• Use stitch markers. Place one in each corner of a hexagon as you work, and one at the start of every waistband round so you never lose your place.
• Do not pull your yarn too tight. Tension should be relaxed. Tight stitches make the motifs curl and the waistband stiff.
• Keep your hexagons the same size. Lay them flat as you finish each one and compare. Consistency matters more than speed.
• Count your corners. Every hexagon should have 12 corners and 72 dc on the final round. Count before you fasten off.
• Work the waistband with the right side facing you and do not turn between rounds, so the texture stays even.

Step-by-Step Instructions

African Flower Hexagon (make 40 (48, 56, 64) in Color A)

Rnd 1: With A, make a magic ring. Ch 3 (counts as first dc), work 11 dc into ring, join with sl st to top of beg ch-3. (12 dc)

Rnd 2: Ch 3, dc in same st, ch 1, [2 dc in next st, ch 1] 11 times, join with sl st to top of beg ch-3. (12 groups of 2 dc, 12 ch-1 sps)

Rnd 3: Sl st into next dc and into ch-1 sp, ch 3, dc in same sp, ch 1, 2 dc in same sp (first petal), [2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc] in each ch-1 sp around, join with sl st to top of beg ch-3. (12 petals)

Rnd 4: Sl st into next dc and into ch-1 sp, ch 1, sc in same sp, ch 2, [sc in next ch-1 sp, ch 2] 11 times, join with sl st to first sc. (12 sc, 12 ch-2 sps)

Rnd 5: Sl st into next ch-2 sp, ch 3, 2 dc in same sp, ch 1, 3 dc in same sp (first corner), [3 dc in next ch-2 sp, ch 1, 3 dc in same sp] 11 times, join with sl st to top of beg ch-3. (12 corners, 72 dc)

Fasten off. Weave in ends. Block each hexagon to 3 in [7.5 cm] flat-to-flat.

Joining Hexagons Into a Tube

Arrange your hexagons in a ring: 10 (12, 14, 16) hexagons around, 4 rows high. That gives 40 (48, 56, 64) hexagons total, matching the count above.

Join hexagons with a sl st seam through matching stitches on the wrong side, or whipstitch on the right side. Work all the vertical seams first, then the horizontal seams. Match corner to corner and side to side so the ring lies flat. Join the first and last hexagon of each row to close the tube. After joining, the top edge will be zigzag; you will fill those gaps next.

Half-Hexagon (make 10 (12, 14, 16) in Color A)

Row 1: With A, make a magic ring. Ch 3, 5 dc into ring, turn. (6 dc)

Row 2: Ch 3, dc in same st, ch 1, [2 dc in next st, ch 1] 4 times, 2 dc in last st, turn. (6 groups of 2 dc)

Row 3: Ch 3, dc in same st, ch 1, 2 dc in same sp, [2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc] in each ch-1 sp across, turn. (6 petals)

Row 4: Ch 1, sc in first st, ch 2, [sc in next ch-1 sp, ch 2] across, sc in last st, turn. (6 ch-2 sps)

Row 5: Ch 3, 2 dc in first ch-2 sp, ch 1, 3 dc in same sp, [3 dc in next ch-2 sp, ch 1, 3 dc in same sp] across, 3 dc in last ch-2 sp. Fasten off. (6 corners)

Sew half-hexagons into the top zigzag gaps of the hexagon ring, flat edge up, to create a straight top edge.

Triangle Filler (make 10 (12, 14, 16) in Color A)

Row 1: With A, make a magic ring. Ch 3, 3 dc into ring, turn. (4 dc)

Row 2: Ch 3, dc in same st, ch 1, 2 dc in next st, ch 1, 2 dc in last st, turn. (3 groups of 2 dc)

Row 3: Ch 1, sc in first st, ch 2, sc in next ch-1 sp, ch 2, sc in next ch-1 sp, ch 2, sc in last st, turn. (3 ch-2 sps)

Row 4: Ch 3, 2 dc in first ch-2 sp, ch 1, 3 dc in same sp, [3 dc in next ch-2 sp, ch 1, 3 dc in same sp] across. Fasten off. (3 corners)

Sew triangles into any remaining small gaps along the top edge so the edge is completely straight.

Waistband (Color B)

With right side facing and B, join yarn at one side seam of the straight top edge.

Rnd 1: Ch 1, work 1 sc in each st and seam around the top edge, adjusting to a multiple of 4 sts. Join with sl st to first sc. (112 (128, 144, 160) sc)

Rnds 2–12: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join with sl st to first sc. Do not turn. (112 (128, 144, 160) sc)

Rnd 13 (turning ridge): Ch 1, sc in each st around, join with sl st to first sc. (112 (128, 144, 160) sc)

Rnds 14–20: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join with sl st to first sc. (112 (128, 144, 160) sc)

Fasten off. Fold the band to the inside along Rnd 13 and sew the final round to the inside of Rnd 1 to create a clean doubled waistband. Leave a 1 in [2.5 cm] opening, insert elastic if desired, then close.

Moon Appliqué (make 3 in Color B)

Rnd 1: With B, make a magic ring. Ch 1, 8 sc into ring, join with sl st to first sc. (8 sc)

Rnd 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in each st around, join with sl st to first sc. (16 sc)

Rnd 3: Ch 1, [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] 8 times, join with sl st to first sc. (24 sc)

Rnd 4: Ch 1, sc in next 6 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, dc in next 3 sts, tr in next 3 sts, dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, sc in last 3 sts, join with sl st to first sc. (24 sts) Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Shape the moon into a crescent by folding the appliqué slightly and tacking the center with a few stitches. Sew 3 moons evenly spaced across the front of the mustard band.

Assembly and Finishing

Seaming: Thread your tapestry needle with a long tail of Color A. Hold two hexagons with right sides together and whipstitch through the matching corner stitches and side stitches, working one stitch into each stitch along the edge. Keep the seam loose enough that the fabric still stretches. Work all vertical seams, then all horizontal seams, then close the tube.

Weaving in ends: Turn the skirt inside out. Thread each tail onto the tapestry needle and run it through the back of about 2 in [5 cm] of stitches, changing direction once so it cannot pull out. Trim close to the fabric.

Blocking: Lightly wet the skirt or mist it, lay it flat on a towel, and smooth the hexagon seams and waistband into shape. Let it dry completely before wearing. This opens up the motifs and evens the stitches.

Optional hem: Work a simple sc edging in B around the bottom hem for a clean finish, then weave in the end.

Try on and adjust the waistband elastic if you used it.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the colors: Swap terracotta and mustard for any two shades you love. A deep navy body with a pale silver band gives a true night-sky look.
• Adjust the length: Add or remove one row of hexagons (10 (12, 14, 16) motifs) to change the length by about 3 in [7.5 cm]. Keep the waistband rounds the same.
• Adjust the size: To go up or down a size, add or remove hexagons around the ring in multiples of 2, then adjust the waistband round count to match your new stitch count.
• Substitute yarn: A cotton-blend worsted works well and drapes softly. Always re-check your hexagon gauge, because a different fiber can change the motif size.