n-acy lookstitches

Knitting lace patterns will bring you compliments ^because

they looik so difficult. But most of them are straight-forward.The desiens often build up from an arrangement of open-work patierns made by inireasing one stitch and decreasinganother, either next to the increaie or in another part of thedesign, so that the number of stitches is constant. If you are

a bJginner you can use these patterns to make sqy?r-es ry.7pon.Lot, strips for scarves and oblongs for shawls which willnot involve the shaping needed for a garment'

Open-work ladder stitch

Open-work ladder stitchWorked over a number of stitches divisible by 10, plus 6 (eg 36,46

56 and so on).lst row (wrong side). P6, *K2 tog tbl, wind yarn twice rount

needle, K2 tog, P6, rep from * to end.2nd row. K6, *Pl, P into first made st and K into the secondsl

Pl, K6, rep from * to end.These 2 rows form the pattern and are repeated throughout'

Oblique open-work stitchWorked over a number of stitches divisible by 9.

lst row. *K4, K up horizontal thread before next st to inc

st, K2 tog, lift inc st over sts knitted tog, K up horizontal threar

before next st, K3, rep from * to end.2nd row. P.3rd row. *K3, K up horizontal thread before next st) K2 tog

lift inc st over sts knitted tog, K up horizontal thread befon

next st, K4, rep from * to end'4th row. P.These rows are repeated working one stitch less at the beginninl

of each row to move the crossed stitches to the right and so main

tain the diagonal line. The extra stitches at the end of the rol

are worked into the pattern when possible.

O b lique open-work stitch

Shawls, ponchos, cushions and scarues are eas) wa2s to use lac2 stitches

2+2

!.

Ridged lace stitchWorked over a number ofstitches divisible by 6 plus l.lst row. *Pl, P2 tog, yon, Kl,yrn, P2 tog, rep from * to lastst, Pl.2nd row. P.3rd row. K.4th row. P.These 4 rows form the patternand are repeated throughout.

Wavy stitchWorked over an even numberof stitches.lst row, Kl, *yrn, P2 tog, repfrom * to last st, Kl.2nd row. P.These 2 rows form the patternand are repeated throughout.

Pirnpernel stitchWorked over an odd number ofstitches, using two colours.lst row. With white, K.2nd row. With white, P.3rd row. With yellow, Kl,*K2 tog, rep from * to end.4th row. With yellow, Kl,*lift thread before next stitchand K into it, Kl, rep from *to end.These 4 rows form the patternand are repeated throughout.

Old shale stitchWorked over a number ofstitches divisible by I I plus 2.lst row. K.2nd row. P.3rd row. Kl, *(P2 tog) twice,(yon, Kl) 3 times, yrn, (P2 tog)twice, rep from * to Iast st, Kl.4th row. P.These 4 rows form the patternand are repeated throughout.

Criss-cross ladder stitchWorked over a number ofstitches divisible by B plus 4.lst row (wrong side). *P6,yrn, sl I purlwise, Pl,psso, rep from * to last4sts, P4.2nd row. *K6, yfwd, sl Iknitwise, Kl, psso, rep from *

to last 4 sts, K4.These 2 rows form the patternand are repeated throughout.

Forgotten the abbreviations?Refer to Knitting Know-how chapter I for how towork'yfwd', 'yon' and 'yrn'.

Ridged lace stitch L

L Old shale stitch I Criss-cross ladder stitch

Pimpernel stitch L

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Wary stitch L

Chart Jbr pattern A

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partylook&Machine knitting has come a-

long r,r'ay in i:ecent ).ears, It'squick anci easy and thislovely dress shows a cleverway to get a finn but lacylook rvith invisiL'le thread.

SizesTo fit a 3+ {36:38l in bust3ti [38:a0] in hipsSkirt length frorn waist, 41in

TensionSee machlne setlrng. or16 sts and 22 rows to Zinworked over st st.

Materials shown bere:Using a Knitmaster 305 singlebed machine2a Q6:2Bl balls of TwilleysGoidfingering in silver, SI [9:i0] balls of PatonsFuzzy-Wuzzy in rnauve, PB [9:10] balls of Patons Fuzzy-Wuzzy in turquoise mist, G4 reels of Kleintex invisiblethread, NTwo small buttonsOne No. 4'00 (ISR) crochethookOne reel shirring elastic

NoteThe instructions given are forone half only. The knittermust follow instructions,knitting the whole piece as oneand shaping both sides exactlythe same.Where instructions are givenfor casting off, the stitchesat both ends can be cast offon the same row by using thecaniage yarn one side anda piece of separate yarn onthe other side.

244

Ani abbrcviations are as

normal and the number ofrows for the larger sizes isshovrn in square brackets [ ].

Prett2 blend of 2arns and colaurs

Back

l. Cast on 98fl00:1001 sts inS (ie 196[200:200] sts forfull width, see Note).2.K12 rows. Tension 5.K I ror.t'. Tension 10.

K l2 rows. Tension 5. Rowcounter to 0.

Work stitch patt from row0 to 460 as follows:Pattern Rows

A 0-62B 63* 92c 93-15+D l5s-i84A t85_246B 2+7-276c 277*338D 339-368A 369430B +31-464

6. Work on right half only.Push up 2A122:251 needlesto D position from centre back,with carriage on right side.m8. Push up 19 needles on nextrow. K I row.

483 rows have been worked.12. Push needles from D to Cposition, K 20 rows. Cast off.

Front1. As for Back to end of step 4.There are now 53[57:57] stsat row 460.2. K 7 rows. inc one st.3. Rep step 2 twice.4. There are now 56[60:60] sts

at row 48l.

3. Stitch dial to 6. K 20 [40:40] rows, dec one st.

@Rep step 4 +3141:4ll timesto row 460.

9. Fush up 4[4:5] needles onnextrow.Klrow.Rep step 9 3[3:2] times.

Won next row. K I row.

Chartfor paltern B

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5. There are now 53 [57:571 sts. 11. Rep step l0 3 [3:3] times.

Tesigningwithmotifs

You can make delicate lacy evening blouses, with or withoutsleeves, by joining together small crochet motifs worked infine yi..ts. "Tfr. ,i-J motifs can be worked in wool for a

*urrn.. version but as each motif will be larger don't forgetthat fewer of them will be needed for the garment'

A blouse frorn croched rnotifsThe illustration shows a blouse worked in fine cotton using the

white wild rose motif but if you prefer you can use the forget-me-not or fourways motif instead. The wild rose motif, worked witha No. 0'75 (ISR) crochet hook and Coats Mercer cotton No' 20

measures about ft in square after pressing with a warm ironover a damp cloth. You will find the pattern for the blouse and

full instructions on the next page.

The number of motifs needed for a blouse or other garmentdepends on the size of the motif, the bust measurement and the

sleive length. A sleeveless blouse would take very few, large-sized

motifs, a long-sleeved version would need many finely worked ones'

Once you have crocheted what you think will be the required

number of motifs, lay them out on a large table. Then move them

around until you have an arrangement you like, but remember,garments made with motifs have to be on geometric -lines'

Theieckline will be square, or V-shaped, and the armholes of a

Forget-me-not mot'if

A

IFourwa2s motfWild rose motif, used to make the blouse on the opposite page

sleeveless version straight with perhaps one or two motifs directlyunder the armpit to give width for movement. Don't be tempted

to step the motifs unless you are really experienced-you'll^findit mu;h easier and more rewarding to keep them simple' Once

you have assembled the motifs check that the measurementsgive you the correct bust size, sleeve and underarm length youneed for your blouse and then pin the motifs together.Now using the same yarn and colour in which you worked- the

motifs, stitch them together by using fine small stitches wherethe loops touch, taking only one strand from the motif to make

the joins invisible. In some cases, motifs touch briefly and only afew oversewn stitches are required: in others, a small row ofstitches may be needed. If you dislike being faced with all the

sewing together of motifs at one time, it is possible to work them

togetlier as they are crocheted. To do this you must be- certain,befo.e you begin, of exactly how you are going to place

-the motifs

for the garm*t yon are making. Crochet the first motif and workthe 2nd motif as far as the beginning of the last round' Work the

2+6

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last round but when you reach a point where it needs to be attachedto the first motif, you must work a slip stitch into the edge of thefirst motif. Continue the last round, repeating the slip stitch at allpoints where the motifs touch.

Fourways rnotifWork 6ch. Join into a circle with ss into first ch.lst round. 3ch, 2tr into circle, 3ch, *3tr into circle, 3ch, rep from* twice. Join to 3rd of first 3ch with ss.

2nd round.3ch, ltr into each of next 2tr, work 3tr, lch, 3tr allinto 3ch space, * I tr into each of next 3tr, work 3tr, lch, 3tr allinto next 3ch space, rep from * twice. Join with a ss to the 3rdof the first 3ch.3rd round. 3ch, ltr into each of next 2tr, 3ch, ltr into each ofnext 3tr, 3ch, miss lch, ltr into each of next 3tr,3ch, *ltr intonext 3tr, 3ch, ltr into each of next 3tr, 3ch, miss lch, ltr into eachof next 3tr, 3ch, rep from x twice. Join with ss to 3rd of first 3ch.Break yarn and finish off.

Forget-rne-not rnotifWork 8ch. Join to form a circle with ss into first ch.lst round. 3ch, 3tr into circle, 7ch, *4tr into circle, 7ch, rep from* twice. Join to 3rd of first ch with ss.

2nd round.3ch, ltr into each of next 3tr, wgrk 3tr, 3ch, 3tr allinto 7ch space, *ltr into each ofnext 4tr, work 3tr,3ch,3trallinto next 7ch space, rep from * twice. Join with ss to 3rd of first3ch. Break yarn and finish off.

Wild rose rnotifWork lOch. Join into a circle with ss into first ch.lst round. lch, work 3ldc into circle. Join with ss to first ch.

2nd round.3ch, ltr into each of next 3dc, 6ch, ltr into each ofnext 4dc, 4ch, xltr into each ofnext 4dc, 6ch, ltr into next 4 dc,

4ch, rep from * twice. Join with ss to 3rd of first 3ch.Break yarn and finish off ends.Sew two strands across centre opening in either direction as

shown in the illustration. 2q7

UPPEf

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SLEEVE EDGE

A

M EDGE

Crochet blouse

Don't feel that it is too com-plicated to form the wild rosemotifs into a garment shape.Here is a shape and diagramto make it easy. Trace the blackoutline on to a large sheet oftracing paper, extending thecuffedge by two rows of motifs,or to the sleeve length required.Then place the tracing paperover the red outline, with thebroken lines on top of eachother and points A and Aand B and B together. Theshape you have traced is aquarter of the complete gar-ment. Two of these shapes

form the Front and two formthe Back.Beginning at cuff edge, joinmotifs for upper arm edgetogether to form first row,as marked on the pattern.Continue joining motifs to fitshape of pattern, leaving anyhalf square spaces empty forthe time being. Work fourpieces in this way. Now joinCentre Fronts and Backs to-gether at the points wheremotifs touch. Join Back andFront together along bothupper arm and sleeve edges.

Join underarms and side-seamstogether at points. The spacesbetween all points may now be

LU(JoLU

filled with motifs to completethe wild rose design.This pattern can be used as ageneral guide for any motif. Ifthe motif you are using doesnot fit the exact shape, err onthe safe side by making thegarment a little larger. If youwant to use a motif which is

much larger than those illus-trated, place the motifs whereyou want them on the pattern,leaving any spaces along aseam. Join the motifs andthen fill in any spaces by work-ing rows of double crochet ortreble crochet to form orna-mental seams and to obtain thecorrect shape,

I

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Ft-249

TheFeathet'stitclryfamil5rFeather stitch is attractrveas well as useful and can beworked in straight or curvedlines. It is one of the mainstitches used in the decora-tive _panels of traditionalsmocl(s.The stitches shown here areall from the same family andare useful for either decora-tion or filling. Because oftheir realistically veined look,the lacy open feather stitchesare ideal for filling leaf orfern shapes and they alsolook very pretty on hemsand edges. When practisingfeather stitches lightly drawa central spine and parallelouter guide lines until youachieve the even stitchingwhich is this stitch family'smain beauty.

Feather stitchWork from right to left. Bringthe needle through above thecentre line of the design. Take

but for both, the basic move-ment is from left to right.Bring the needle through onthe left and holding the threaddown with the left thumb,insert the needle at the samelevel, a little to the right.Bring the needle up below, but

FU stitch

exactly between, these twopoints, catching the threadunder the needle. Take a tinystitch just below this thread tohold it and bring the needlethrough in position for thenext stitch. Continue in ahorizontal or vertical line.

I Qtill stitch

Cretan stitchWork from left to right. Bringthe needle through above thecentre line of the design. Takea deep stitch immediately be-Iow this point and bring theneedle up towards the centreline taking a small stitch and

Cretan stitch

catching the thread under theneedle. Make a second bigstitch above the centre line anda little to the right of thebottom stitch and take a smallstitch towards the centre ofthe design, catching the threadunder the needle. Continue,

a small stitch to the lett,below the line, catching thethread under the point of theneedle. Continue making aseries of stitches above andbelow the central line, catchingthe thread under the needleeach time. The result is parallelIines of stitches linked by azigzagline.

Double feather stitchWork in the same way as

feather stitch, but take twostitches in each direction in-stead of one. This rather geo-metric stitch is very popular onthe Continent.

To achieve the more rounded,softer feather stitch favoured bYBritish embroiderers, angleeach small stitch towards thecentre of the feather ratherthan working them absolutelYparallel to each other.

Fly stitchThis stitch ca.n be workedeither horizontally or vertically

Open cretan stitch

taking great care that eachstitch is as even as possible.Because of its close, woveneffect, Cretan stitch makes avery effective filling stitch.

Open cretan stitchWork this stitch in exactly thesame way as Cretan stitch,spacing the stitching at regularintervals. It is very importantto keep the spacing even.

Quill stitchWork from right to left. Bringthe needle through on thecentre line of the design. Makea long, slightly sloping backstitch, bringing the needlethrough again, a little in frontof the previous stitch, catchingthe working thread under theneedle. Repeat, taking theback stitch alternately to eitherside of the centre line of thedesign, to form a quill.

Herringbone stitchWork from left to right. Bringthe needle through below thecentre line of the design.Insert the needle above thisline to the right, taking a smallstitch to the left. Then insertthe needle below the line alittle to the right, taking a smallstitch towards the left, makingsure that the needle comes upin line with the previous stitch.Herringbone stitch looks bestworked very evenly so that thesmall stitches and the spacesbetween them are ofequal size.

Threadedherringbone stitchFirst work a foundation ofsimple herringbone stitch then,with a contrast thread (use selfcolour if you wish), pass theneedle vertically up and downunder the centre ofeach stitch.

Laced herringbone stitchThis again is worked over afoundation of simple herring-bone stitch. A surface thread iswoven round the intersectionof stitches to form the inter-Iacing. The thread is woventwice round each intersectionin the diagram but it can beworked round as many timesas you wish depending on theeffect vou want to achieve.

L This table runner shows one decoratiue wq 0f using feather stitch I Herringbone stitch

Threaded herringbone stitch I Laced herringbone stitch I

r-trtt tf .rtaFFta t+atr.atrt-rtr.F-!t*'r"l' I

:s:a* *3:it3*$:l:;:,,rrr!afa r rrtt rttaFtttr I.. d. -*<.. r-ti +tt jrt It

As its name suggests, satin stitch is smooth and flat' On a largepiecc of .ur,'u"ui work it is enhanccd by working rougfr-

iextured stitches around it such as long-lcgged cross. strtch'

Wh;; combined with other stitches such as tent stitch orwhen worked to form brocade-like textures, different stitches

urr fot-.a, for instance Byzantine, th9qu9r, cushion, Floren-

tine, Jacquard, Milanese and Moorish stitches'

Eatinsmooth

Diagonal rows of satin stitch made interesting fut using

Satin stitch

It is shown in several variations in this chapter, beginning withthe simple but very effective square shape of cushion stitch'

See ho# entirely different it looks worked into a zigzag, or into

a square of four concentric triangles for- a diamond' This last

u"rrion makes a lovely stylised flower head'

f[" fu".t on this pug" iho-t you'.on the left, how the stitch is

constructed and on the right, how it looks completed in a block

of stitches. On the opposite page the stitches are worked with one

thickness of thread -and

sholil. a much flatter finish. They also

,ho* *or. ways of using different coloured yarns to make striking

and varied-looking geometric patterns'Since satin stitch is quite long, crossing two, three or even more

threads, it is not u good choicefor cushions or chair covers because

r"riu."t *uy .ut.f, and pull. When working with the family ,of

satin stitche;, make sure tthat the threads cover the canvas well'

uaaing more strands of yarn if necessary' When using more than

one stfand pull them all gently to ensure an even finish'

252

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dffirent colours

Cushion stitchBefore you begin working theplump squares of this stitch,decide carefully which waythe diagonal is going to lie:its direction will make quite adifference to the overall effect.The clever use of colours willalso alter the effect. You cansee this from the colour illus-trations on the right whichshow a chequered pattern anda diamond pattern.The diagram below shows away of padding to fill the centregap. Work each square inthe order shown, working thediagonal stitch AB before work-ing sections 3 and 4.

tuIethod.for padding to fill the

centre gap in cushion stitch

Half cushion stitchThis is cushion stitch workedover as many threads as re-quired until it leaves the neattriangular shape of half asquare. These can then bebuilt up into diamonds as yousee on the right of the panel.

Diagonal satin stitchDiagonal satin stitch worked inbands over two threads (bottomleft of panel) . This stitch can beworked in alternative direc-tions and over a differentnumber of threads to giveinteresting zigzag effects. Onthe right of the panel diagonalsatin stitch is worked overtwo and four threads.

Padded satin stitchThe area to be covered is firsttrammed and then stitchedover to give a well-defined,padded effect.

L Square blocks of cushion stitch worktd ouer eleuen double threads

L Cuslion stitch-in diamonds f Diagonal. satin stitch

Some ideasfor handbags worked

in satin stitch

253

cl-ovelf lacetlptS Eaq.td malre'It is a fascinating business to delve into the history of thestyles, the mateiials and techniques which have' alwaysmade needlework into an art. Tatting, for instance, is a typeof lace made with a shuttle. Prettv. isn't it? It is not alto-gether certain where the name originated and there areseveral theories. It may have come from the French 'tater'meaning to feel or handle. On the other hand, it may havesome connection with the Enelish word 'tattered' or even'tattle', comparing the quickniss of the shuttle movementto quickness of tonguel More than a suggestion of tittle-tattle occurs in the modern French for tatting, 'frivolit6'.

Part of a handkerchief, beautifull2 trimmed and edged with tatting, shown together with shuttles, a fne crochet hook and a separate section of bord,

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Tatting is also known as shuttle-lace or shuttle-work. It is distantlrelated to the crafts of netting and macrame. It may also havbeen evolved by early seamen who would have been familiawith netting shuttles and would probably have used the knot fomaking rope eyelets.

Materials you will needtr Shuttles. These are now usually about 2jin long and made <

plastic but were once larger and made of a variety of materiasuch as silver filigree, bone, mother-of-pearl, tortoise-shell rwood. The thread is tied to the centre ofthe shuttle for windins.

n Threads.. These should be firm and without stretch, rrnooilrunning and fairly well twisted. Silk was used a good deal ithe old days but now cotton, such as mercerised crochet cottoror linen threads are used.

D Hooks. A fine crochet hook is needed for ioins.

Formation of the half knotAttach the thread to the centre of the shuttle and wind it roununtil the shuttle is full but without the thread projecting beyonthe edge. This will ensure easy running. Leave about 20in of threahanging loose. The shuttle is always held in the right hand whicis only used to supply the thread-all the tatting knots are actuallformed with the left hand.

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Hold the end of the thread between the thumb and index fingerof the left hand and pass it over the other three fingers and backto form a large ring.

Then lay the thread from the shuttle in a ioose loop over the topof the left hand and pass the shuttle from underneath upwardsthrough both ring and loop, from right to left.

Now you have to do the basic tatting movement which is some-

times the most difficult part for a treginner but is very easy andquite automatic once you have got the knack.Lower the middle finger of the left hand to loosen the ring thenstretch the shuttle thread horizontally to the right with the righthand and pull it with a jerk.Then tighten up the knot with the Ieft hand by raising the middlefinger again, so that the knot slides on the shuttle thread.This last movernent is important and should be carried out per-fectly without tightening the knot too much so that this knot andall subsequent knots slide on the shuttle thread. As the knots aremade they should be held between the index finger and thethumb. Unwind the thread from the shuttle as you need it.

The Josephine knotThe half knot is the first stage of the basic tatting knot. The secont

stage, completing the basic tatting knot or double knot, is covere(

in the next chaper. However, you can use half knots on their owr

to make the Josephine knot, named after Napoleon's empress

To do this, make a series of four or five (or for a larger one, ten otwelve) half knots. Slip the work off your hand and tighten th,

shuttle thread tci form a small ring. This particular knot is used a

an ornament in the various laces.

Enlarged picture showing half knots used in completed Josephine knot

Bride's ueil with

Josephine knots