This introduces a cloth zigzag.
It is possible to do this lace using a single colour, and it would still look striking. But the colours do make it more obvious what's going on. And anyway, with colours, I think it looks like flowers and leaves!
| Pattern: |  |
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Bobbins: 12 pairs (2 green, 2 flower colour, 8 background)
Style: Torchon
Stitches:
half stitch
cloth stitch and twist
cloth stitch
Details:
cloth diamond (red)
scallop headside (blue with pink workers)
starting lace
finishing lace
Description:
This is a simple pattern, although the colouring makes it look quite interesting!
However, it is started (and finished) on diagonals rather than straight across. This means that each starting pin (apart from the middle one) has one bobbin pair rather than two. There is a problem. When there is a straight across start, you can wind the two pairs of bobbins round each other, which makes a reasonable start. Here, if you hang the pair on the starting pin, you will find that you need to do a stitch straight away, and have to put another pin in exactly the same place! There is a trick to this. If you look at the pattern, you will see some pin holes above the start. These are false starting pins. They are not part of the pattern. When you wind your bobbins, you can hang them from these false starting pins. Then you can do the first stitch using that pair, putting the stitch's pin in the correct place. Later on, take the false starting pin out, and pull the bobbins of the pair gently, to pull through the little loop that was left. (In this pattern, I suggest removing the false starting pin after a row of cloth stitch, rather than right away.) Click here to see more about this.
If you finish with a fringe, then two pairs can be knotted together with an overhand knot. But a fringe looks a bit strange on a diagonal. Here I have used a reef knot (or square knot) instead. Click here to see how to do a reef knot. You really have to do a knot between the two threads of a pair, which means twice as many knots. But you can trim them closer, and it gives a neater finish. Some people always finish lace like this. Be careful not to trim too close, though, or the knot might come undone, and then you've got a problem!
Close up of the lace, so you can see the working in more detail
© Jo Edkins 2018 - return to lace index