Grid Mammal Crafts: Summer Lace for the Table

It is warm. Oh boy is it warm out there. I'm not sure that I'm going to ever get used to the long term warm weather of the south west. But from what I understand it's warm all over lately. That being said it means that it is time once again to turn to projects that don't make one's hands instantly sweat. My answer to this is to work with thin cotton crochet thread. It doesn't alleviate the warmth, but at least I can work for awhile before the moisture from my hands completely screws up my gauge.

This piece is an example of my experimenting going a bit too far. I wanted to take a step up with my filet crochet skills and play with shaping, so I came up with this number. It's based off of some sashiko designs that I came across. Though I like the design and shape, attempting this learning curve with a baby in the house was probably not the best idea. It meant that I took a couple more months than I had anticipated to finish. But now it is done and I am quite happy with it. The pictures I took do not quite do it justice.

If I were to make it again I would probably use DMC thread instead of Aunt Lydia's Crochet Thread. I had it in my stash, so it seemed like the obvious choice, but there were many manufacturing flaws in the first spool and a few in the second. This meant that a lot of extra time was used cutting out the bad thread spots and rejoining the thread to the work. So a long project took longer. In the end I can hardly tell though, and the cotton blocked out nicely.

If you would like a pdf of this pattern and have a Ravelry account, a copy can be found here.

If you would like a copy from Etsy, it can be found here.

Feel free to change the yarn, gauge, or size to fit your needs. Just please do not try to sell this pattern as your own.

Prime Block Center Piece

(In Filet Crochet)

Materials:

2) Aunt Lydia’s Crochet Thread, Extra Fine Size 30, 500 yards, White

1) Steel Crochet Hook, Size 11, 1.10mm

3) Safety Pins or Small Stitch Holders

Gauge:

· 5 Filled Squares x 8 Rows = 1” x 1”

Finished Size:

18.5” (44.3 cm) Tall x 23.5” (59.7 cm) Long

Notes:

· The pattern is visualized from the bottom up.

· Chart rows that are highlighted yellow are duplicate rows from a previous chart.

· This pattern assumes that you are crocheting right handed.

· Remember, the last double crochet stitch in a block is the first double crochet stitch of the next block.

· Works well as a table center piece or make it into the center of a runner.

Key:

Filet Crochet

· Filled Square = 1 Double Crochet Stitch through the top of the next 4 stitches from the previous row.

· Open Square = 1 Double Crochet Stitch, Chain 2, Skip 2 stitches of the previous row, 1 Double Crochet Stitch in the top of the next stitch of the previous row

Helpful Methods of Increasing and Decreasing:

When Adding a Filled Block to the End of a Row

· Wrap thread around the hook twice. (There is now three loops on the hook.)

· Place hook through bottom two closest threads of the stitch that was just made and pull through the thread. (There is now four loops on the hook.)

· Wrap and pull the thread through two loops on the hook, three times. (One loop now on hook.)

· Repeat the first three steps two more times.

When Adding a Filled Block at the Beginning of a Row

· Chain 5.

· Turn work.

· Double crochet through the top loops of the second stitch in the chain you made.

· Double crochet through the top loops of the first stitch in the chain you made.

· Double crochet in the top of the last double crochet of the previous row.

When Decreasing a Block at the End of a Row

· No worries finish the square you’re working on and start on the next row.

When Decreasing a Block at the Beginning of a Row

· Turn work.

· Slip stitch through the top of the double stitch that you just completed and the next three double stitches.

· Chain three. This will count as the first double stitch of the first square of the next row.

Starting the Next Row Without Increasing or Decreasing:

Come to the end of the current row.

First Square of the Next Row is Open

· Chain 5. (This counts as the first double crochet and chain 2 of the new row.)

· Turn work.

· Double crochet through the top loops of the fourth, double crochet stitch from the hook. (The first square is now completed.)

First Square of the Next Row is Filled

· Chain 3. (This is the first double crochet stitch of the new row.)

· Turn work.

· Double crochet through the top loops of the second double crochet from the hook.

· Double crochet through the top loops of the next two double crochet stitches from the previous row. (The first square is now completed.)

Construction:

Start by making three initial triangles.

· For the first two triangles, chain 20 stitches at the end of the triangles. Place a safety pin in this last chain to hold it open. Leave about a six inch thread tail after the chain and then break thread to start the next triangle.

· When the third triangle is complete, place a safety pin in the final loop. Do not break the thread. Lay out the three triangles in a line, points down, with the final one on the right side and all of the chain 20’s reaching toward the next successive triangle. Each triangle should have the same side facing up. Remove the safety pins from the end of the chain 20’s and attach that stitch to the top chain of the post in the adjacent triangle with a slip stitch. Be careful not to twist the chain. Pull the thread through and weave in the end when you are ready.

· With all three triangles now connected, you have completed row 18 along the whole piece and have your base for row 19.

· To start each triangle

Chain 6 loosely

Double stitch in the fourth chain from the hook and in the next 3 chain stitches

Move onto the body of the piece.

· This is done the same way as the triangles where done, but now you are working back and forth along each row with just one piece of material.

· The chart for the first half of the body of the piece is broken into parts A and B. They show row 18 highlighted in yellow along the bottom of the charts. Column 61 is also highlighted in chart B. Remember, these highlighted sections denote rows and columns that are already shown on a previous chart and are only shown to help you visualize how the pattern fits together.

· The chart for the second half of the body is broken into parts C and D. They show a repeat of row 71 from the first half of the body and column 61 in chart D highlighted in yellow.

Now it’s time for the final triangles.

· The first diamond at the end of the piece can be completed as if one were just completing the end of the body using the end triangle chart as your pattern for that section. Keep going back and forth decreasing as you go. When you are done with this diamond, break the thread and pull it through

· To complete the final two diamond, join the thread to the body of the piece in the top of the previous row’s double crochet where the next block of that diamond would fall, closest to the last completed diamond. The last completed diamond should be to the right of where you are now working. Chain 3 and double crochet into the next 3 double crochets of the previous row. (The first block in the next end triangle is completed.) Finish this next triangle as before.

· When all diamonds are finished. Weave in ends. Block and enjoy. J

Charts:

· Unfortunately, for ease of reading, the pattern had to be broken up over several pages. The edges of each row and column are numbered and the section of the pattern is labelled with a header. The sections are oriented as shown in the following table. I would suggest, depending on your tastes, working along an entire row as you go along. This will take you across a couple pattern pieces as you finish each line. On the final page you will find the pattern in its entirety, but very small to fit on a single page.