A spider is a decorative effect in Torchon lace where 4 or more pairs meet. The pairs form the legs before and after the centre, or body. A cathedral spider is half of a conventional spider. The gap in the other half looks like the window of a cathedral. Click here for an ordinary cathedral spider. This is a more complicated alternative. It has 8 pairs. You can have different numbers of legs.
See pattern 534 for an example.
Please note that the leg of a spider is a twisted pair of threads. This should not be confused with a plait, which can be called a leg in English Midland lace.
Spider pattern
The pattern for a cathedral sider may be the same as an ordinary spider (with a note to explain what type of spider it is), or there may be an attempt to indicate the difference on the pattern, as above.
You can see that the spider fits within a diamond of pins. Unlike solid areas, you do work up to and including these surrounding pinholes before starting on the spider. The threads from the points of the diamond of pins are not actually involved in the spider at all.
The stitches used in this spider are twist single pair and cloth stitch. This diagram shows each pair as a line. Wherever two lines cross, the pairs are worked in cloth stitch.
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Working:
Twist all pairs twice.
Work middle two pairs.
Work next pair down to the middle, do the same the other side, then work them across each other.
Do the same for the rest of the pairs, two at a time, working outwards.
At the end, you have each pair worked across its partner on the other side. It looks very like half a spider at this stage.
Put the middle pin in, and tighten everything.
Now take a middle pair, and carry on working it, in the same direction, across the other pairs. Twist pair, then do a cloth stitch and twist with the edging of the spider. Do the same with the other middle pair. Tighten these pairs. These take no further part in the spider.
Do the same with the new middle pair (both sides).
Carry on with the rest in the same way.
When all done, do the bottom pin for the two edging pairs.
I advise that you are confident in working an ordinary spider before you try this.
It is also possible to have a cathedral spider worked below the pin - a cathedral spider (lower).
© Jo Edkins 2024 - return to lace index
