Cane ground

Cane ground is a ground or open part of lace similar to rose ground. One unit of cane ground needs 4 pairs on bobbins, 2 on each side. See pattern 324.

Pattern representation of cane ground

I do not know what the tradition pattern of cane ground is. I prefer to mark out exactly where the pairs go, especially at the corners (where mistakes often happen).

The diagram below shows one unit of cane ground. It shows each thread as a line, with the different pairs different colours. Cloth stitch and twist is the only stitch used in cane ground. The details of each stitch are not shown in detail below - follow the link in the previous sentence if you are not familiar with them.

Working: Work the left two pairs in cloth stitch and twist. Work the right two pairs, also in cloth stitch and twist. I call them "cross-overs".
Now work the middle two pairs with cloth stitch and twist. Work the (new) left two pairs in cloth stitch and twist, then the right two pairs. Put a pin between the left two pairs and right two pairs. This is the only pin in this ground. Then work the middle two pairs in cloth stitch and twist. Finally work the left two pairs in cloth stitch and twist, then the right two pairs the same.

Cane ground is essentially the same as rose ground without its pins. Instead. there is a single central pin.

You get the same problems with cross-overs that you do with rose ground. Only do one cross-over between the different units of cane ground.

Cane ground is a ground, and can be used to fill in spaces between other shapes in the lace. However, since you need four pairs in a rigid pattern, for one unit of cane ground, you sometimes have a little space round the edge where there is not room for a complete cane ground unit, but there is still a pin hole or two. You can fill this space either by doing a Torchon ground stitch for every spare pin, or by doing as much of a cane ground unit as you can.

There are variants of cane ground where more twists are done between the cloth stitch and twists.

© Jo Edkins 2017 - return to lace index