Hair Pin Lace 2- Beyond Basic Braid

Have I got some gems for you today! 

Last month I talked about how to make Basic Hairpin Lace. I have some more advanced braids today which I hope will inspire you. I am using a 2"/5cm loom and Schachenmayr Catania 4ply cotton throughout. Varying the width of the frame and the weight of the yarn can have a big impact on how the finished braid looks. You can go as delicate or chunky as you like.   

 Two Double Crochet 

The Braid we made last time used just a simple Double Crochet (Sc-US) on either side. Let's start by looking at two Dc (Sc-US) per side.

 

START as you would normally:

Make a slip-knot loop and place it over the frame with the knot in the centre and the working yarn to the back of the frame;

Place the hook under both loops, catch the working loop and pull it back to the front;

And now working over both loops, catch the working yarn again and pull through the loop on hook to create a Chain1.

Place the hook under the Front Left-hand Loop (abbreviated to FLL from now on)

and work two Dc (Sc-US).

*Remove the hook from the loop. Turn the frame, as if turning a page from right to left, and allowing the yarn to wrap around the frame. Replace the hook in the loop.

Catch the working yarn above the work and Ch1.

Make 2Dc in the FLL.

Repeat from * to the desired length.

 

Double Crochet Front and Back Left-hand Loop

Now lets try something that sounds the same but gives us a surprising result.

Start as instructions above.

*Place the hook under FLL and work a Dc.

Place the hook, from above, under Back Left-hand Loop (BLL), 

and work a Dc.

 

Turn the frame as before, catching the yarn above the work and Chain1.

Repeat from * to required length.

Three Treble Crochet

We aren't restricted in the height of stitch that we use or even the number of stitches we use.

Start as before.

Place the hook under the FLL and make three Treble (Dc-US).

*Turn as before, catching the yarn in the centre of the frame, above the work, Ch1.

Work 3Tr in FLL.

Repeat from * to the required length.

Three Chain, One Double Crochet

In contrast this braid has a much more lacy feel.

Start as before.

Dc in FLL.

*Turn the frame, catching the yarn in the centre and Chain3.

Make a Dc in FLL.

Repeat from * to required length.

Treble, three Chain, Treble

The addition of treble stitches makes this braid more lacy still.

Start as before.

*Place the hook under the FLL and make Tr, 3Ch, Tr.

Turn as before, catching the yarn in the centre with a Ch1 and repeat from * to the desired length.

Chain2 Loop

This was a puzzle to me in the beginning so be careful it doesn't catch you out!

Start as before with a Chain1

Now Chain2 and Dc under FLL.

*Turn the frame, catch the yarn above the work, Ch1 and Dcx2 under the first ch2-loop. Do Not Turn!

Ch2 and Dc into FLL.

Repeat from * to required length.

 

 

Bullion Stitch

I would have told you that Bullion stitch was my nemesis but somewhere along the way I seem to have finally picked up the required skills to make this sample. If you also struggle you might want to look at the post I wrote about Crochet Tatting for some handy hints. If this doesn't prove you can use any stitch you like to make hairpin braid, I don't know what will!

Start as before.

 *Put the hook under the FLL, pull up a loop [2 loops on hook]

(YO the hook, put hook under FLL, pull thru a loop) x2 [6 loops on hook]

YO the hook and pull thru all loops on hook. [bullion st made]

If you have trouble making the stitch, try keeping the tension of the working yarn light, pull the yarn thru the loops on the hook two at a time, and try holding them at the base with fingers of the left hand while pulling down on them as you pull the hook thru.

 

Turn the frame, catching the yarn above the work with a Ch1. Repeat from * to required length.

Next month I'll have some more unusual examples for you, which I hope will convince you that Hairpin lace is good for more than just making shawls!

fastening off...

How to Make Hairpin Lace Crochet- Basic Braid

  

    Hold onto your hats I think it's going to be a mini-series! 

I've been selfishly hogging on to some Hairpin Lace information for a while now but I think it's about time to share it with you. When I say Hairpin Lace, what do you think of? It's is one of those crochet disciplines I thought I'd never want to use. We tend to see it used in a very bold manner to make loud shawls and throws. But wait! It can also be subtle and adaptable, I think I can surprise you. So let's dip our collective toes in the water and see where it takes us!

 

The Tools 

Depending on where you are in the world you might find the hairpin frames hard to source. The more traditional hairpin shaped frames are hard to find here in the UK, so look for second hand, this particular one may be from the 1980s. They come in fixed sizes but on the up side, are light weight and easy to use.

This style of loom is called a quad frame. This particular one is by Simplicity Boyle and adjusts in half inch increments up to four inches. It's a bit clunky and heavy. It is possible to make your own or have a look for craftsman-made frames. 

I had to show you this, the Empire. Dating from pre war, perhaps? It's not strictly speaking a quad frame for crochet, but the principal is the same. Mine has two sizes of adjustment and is surprisingly good for making hairpin crochet, although it's a little heavy.

Getting Started

 

The braid is usually made in pairs of loops. To make it easier to keep track of where you are it's helpful if you mark one side of the frame. Tie on a piece of yarn, daub a dot of nail varnish or wrap with a length tape.

You will of course need a crochet hook. Despite the fact that the Boyle frame is inexplicably supplied with a 5.5mm hook, the size of hook you need is reliant on what yarn you use!

Now you need to decide how to hold the frame. As a rule the open end should be held facing down. This allows you to make lace strips of any length. On the other hand, holding the open end upwards makes the frame easier to hold and the strips easier to work!

Basic Braid

While I love that crochet has very few rules it does get frustrating when I need to show you how to do something! So, there are two basic ways to get started.

Option One

Make a slip knot and place it around both prongs of the frame. Align the knot to the centre of the frame.

Take the working yarn to the back of the frame. Hook the yarn from underneath the starting loops.

Yarn over the hook from above the starting loops...

...and chain one.

For your first stitch place the hook between the two loops on the left. (Of course if you are left handed you would reverse these instructions.)

Pull up a loop...

...Yarn over the hook, and pull through both loops on the hook to form a Double Crochet (UK, Sc US). 

Now turn the frame by bringing the right hand edge of the frame forward and allowing the yarn to wrap around the frame. The hook will end up on the back. So, at the same time you need to bring the hook back to the front. You can do this either by slipping the hook through the frame or by removing the hook before turning and re-inserting it in the stitch afterwards.

As I mentioned earlier, your stitches are made in pairs. They are also only made on the left hand side of the frame. This is why we needed to mark one side of our frame. 

For the second stitch make another Double Crochet (Sc-US). That's the first pair of stitches made.

Turn the frame again, allowing the yarn to wrap around the frame as you do, and bring the hook back to the front.

On the left you now have another unworked loop formed by turning the loom. Place the hook between the two strands of this loop and form a Double Crochet (Sc-US) as we did before. 

Turn the frame again and remember to make an even number of loops.

When you need to remove the loops from the frame run a thread through the loops first to keep them in order.

 

Option Two

You may come across other ways to get started.

This version begins by making a slip knot but this time you place it around one prong only.

Allow the slip knot to sit in the centre of the frame with the working yarn at the back of the loom.

Turn the frame as before, bringing the right edge forwards and allowing the yarn to wrap around the edge.

Place the hook between the two loops, pull through a loop of yarn, yarn over the hook and pull through the loop to form a Chain one.

Work a Double Crochet (UK, Sc-US) exactly as before. Continue turning the frame, moving the hook and forming Double Crochet stitches in the newly formed loops always on the left.

That's normally where the instructions for Hairpin Lace end, but there is so much more that I am excited to show you. We can replace those Double Crochets with almost any crochet stitch that you can imagine. Then comes how to join the strips, they can become a whole fabric, an insert, a fringe or a doily. We can form them into shapes or add beads. I can't wait to give you more ideas. 

 

Fastening off...

Adventures with Bees, Bugs and Butterflies.

This review of Vanessa Mooncie's book, Bees, bugs and Buttterflies is rather late. It's six months late in fact, thanks to the tardy service of a major British bookseller. But, let's brush off my outrage and get on with the job at hand!

    The trouble I always think with choosing crochet books is never knowing if they will be truly useful. If you are buying on line you don't get to flick through and see the contents. Let's start there.

    We are told that the book offers us ten projects, this is a little white lie. This is the good kind of little white lie because all in all there are instructions for eighteen different critters if you include all the variations on a theme.

    And is this book really useful? The only way to find out is to give it a go. As an ardent Vanessa Mooncie fan I was all ready for all her complex short rows and weird changes of direction. There are always masses of photos for every conceivable angle. Along with the stitch diagrams they help to unlock any difficulties you may encounter.

    All of the projects in this book use thread crochet of one kind or another. I decided from the outset that I would not rush out and buy any new yarns but instead work from my stash, even if I had to make a few odd choices. As you will see this decision didn't last long!

   

    I dove straight into the Praying Mantis. What truly weird creatures these are! The thought of making fiddly little stitches with a tiny1.25mm hook struck me immediately as absurd. Instead I had some Schachenmayr Catania cotton which is a 4ply yarn, along with a 2.25mm hook I had something more manageable.

And who doesn't love giant insects?! Making the parts was easy, the problems now arose from the fact I have scaled it up, what size wire do I use? Once again I just went with what I had and used the photos as a reference.

   For the next project I went with the Ladybird, because it looks fairly simple and I actually had all the ingredients for this project. Vanessa kindly allows us to use a 1.75mm hook for this project, which I thought I could manage. Note to self: do not try to crochet black thread crochet at night while watching the telly! A strong overhead daylight lamp and one of those tiny metal stitch markers is fairly essential if you do.

   Having made the tiny ladybird I decided to make a giant one with some DMC Natura yarn. The difference in scale is quite surprising, don't you think? There is a lot of colour and spot variation in the Ladybird world. So should you wish you could create an entire rainbow army of these little greenfly-eating bugs. The spots and markings are embroidered on at the end which makes this a fairly quick project.

   Feeling really confident after my successes so far, I thought to try the Christmas beetle which comes in three variants. The designs are supposed to be made In DMC Coton Perle and a Diamant Metallic thread held together. I had none of these, but began with some odds and ends that I already had. The result was unsatisfactory, I gave up and for once in my life did as instructed, I ordered the yarn! I'm so glad I did the Coton Perle is a soft and, as the name suggests, pearly thread.

    The body is made in one piece, the wings made separately and then attached afterwards.

    I don't think we have these beetles in Britain, so I thought, as it worked out well, I would have a go at creating a Sorrel beetle. Not being a big beetle fan, I find these delightful, they can be seen chomping away on dock plants here in May.   

    The bellies of the female beetles become so swollen that they can be seen beneath the wings. In order to make the abdomen larger I used two strands of the Coton Perle together. To give you an idea of the size, the eyes are just 3mm.

   The Swallowtail butterfly comes in three variants. Foolishly I chose the Zebra Swallowtail despite the fact I absolutely hate tapestry crochet. This is made in No10 crochet thread and that dastardly 1.25mm hook. I decided to give a 1.5mm hook a go instead. Now, there is gauge information for each of these projects, but this is the one time I will not make a gauge swatch. Does the author really expect me to make 10cm gauge swatches in thread crochet? I'm sure she doesn't.

    I found this challenging, to say the least. However having achieved this result I think he may end up in a box frame. I could have gone easy on myself and made the more simple blue Pinevine variation, or I could have made my own variation in solid colours. I think I may have found a mistake in the pattern, or I may just have confused myself! There are written instructions along with charts and in numerable photographs. So if like me you end up in a muddle you can easily make reference to the other details.

     While I was ordering the Cotton Perle I also bought some little balls of Kid-silk so that I could make the White tailed Bumble Bee. Although Vanessa again gives us three bee species to choose from, this one is visually my favourite even if apiarists wouldn't agree with me! This also calls for the 1.25mm hook.

I should probably, at this point, explain my problem with these smaller hooks. It may be that a different brand of hook would work better for me but neither of the two I have work well, they both tend to split the yarn. However I thought I would give it a go with this yarn and it worked fine. Although it must be added that crocheting anything in black is done more by touch than sight! I would recommend a strong light source and if you get into problems a magnifying glass helps! The wings are supposed to be made in a stranded embroidery thread which I didn't have. I messed about with various threads but just got in a terrible muddle. In the end I went with a No10 thread so my wings are bigger and chunkier than they should be.

   Would you want to crochet a moth? They are so ugly aren't they? Not in this book. I was hard pressed to choose from the three variations but after my struggles with the tapestry crochet I went with the Ermine Moth. His black markings are embroidered on at the end.

I had more or less the right yarns except for the alpaca needed for the head, instead I used the Kid-silk again. I held it doubled and trebled to get the fat head and brushed it when completed to get the ermine effect.

   Having gained confidence with all these projects I decided to go back and have another go at the Praying Mantis. I think I made a mistake in making this project first. This time I went with a No12 crochet thread.

Crocheting him is the easy part, putting him together requires you to have  faith in Vanessa. I forgot to wire his wings, so rather than make them again, this time I starched them. I am more than thrilled with the way he has turned out.

     My favourite of all insects is the dragon fly. I'm not enamoured with the version in the book but when I compared it to the real thing I found it was very accurate. I rather suspect it is impossible for any human to truly recreate the majesty of this creature. So I left it alone. The other projects I haven't attempted are the spider, Cicada and Stag beetle. Of course my partner liked the Stag beetle best, if he learns to crochet he can make one for himself!

     Should you wish to know more information about what I made, I have recorded the information for each project on my Raverly page. I hope that I have given you an idea that these designs are fun, adaptable and as challenging as you want to make them. I will be waiting for someone to make an enormous Praying Mantis! Super-chunky perhaps?

Fastening off...

 

 

P.S.

The blog has gone out a few days early this month as thePulledStitch is moving house this month. I will endeavour to back with you again in May, but should I be late you will know why!