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.
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
·
·
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
·
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.
·
·
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.
·
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.
End Triangle
|
End Triangle
|
End Triangle
|
|
Body Section C
|
Body Section D
|
||
Body Section A
|
Body Section B
|
||
Initial Triangle
|
Initial Triangle
|
Initial Triangle
|
|
Initial Triangle
Body
Section A
Body
Section B
Body Section C
Body Section D
End Triangle
