Materials.—For washing laces, Cordonnet 6 fils D.M.C is the best; for furniture fringes, the lower numbers of Coton à tricoter D.M.C, and for producing the appearance of filoselle, the lower numbers of Coton à repriser D.M.C are to be taken.
Stitches.—Begin by a chain stitch, made with an ordinary crochet needle, take the needle out of the loop, and insert the left prong of the fork upwards from below, holding the fork between the thumb and finger of the left hand. The thread should always be in front. Then put the thread over the right prong and the needle into the loop on the left prong, take up the thread, draw it through the loop, put the thread over the needle and draw it through the loop that is on the needle, twist the loop round the left prong, turn the needle round to the right (the thread will now be wound round the right prong); put the needle into the loop on the left prong, throw the thread over the needle, draw it through, tighten the loops and so on.
These stitches may be doubled, or you may make several trebles on each loop, or arrange the plain stitches in different ways.
Hairpin insertion (fig. [451]).—Begin by making stripes with the fork, covering each thread with two plain stitches. Then join the stripes together by the loops, drawing the left loop over the right one and the right one over the left. When you come to the end of the stripes fasten off the last loops by a few stitches. To strengthen the edges, join two loops together by 1 plain, 2 chain, 1 plain and so on.
Fig. 451. Hairpin insertion.
Materials: Fil à pointer D.M.C No. 20 or 30, or Cordonnet 6 fils D.M.C Nos. 4 to 15, white or écru.[A]
Hairpin lace (fig. [452]).—When, by making two half trebles in each loop, you have got the necessary length of hairpin crochet, join the loops two and two, by means of a coloured thread which makes a good contrast with the thread of which the hairpin crochet is made. Work 1 plain stitch joining 2 loops on the right, 2 chain, 1 plain joining the 2 loops on the left; then 2 chain and come back to the right, and so on, until you have taken up all the loops. This forms the zigzag in the middle.
Fig. 452. Hairpin lace.
Materials—For the hairpin work: Fil à pointer D.M.C Nos. 20 to 30, or Cordonnet 6 fils D.M.C Nos. 3 to 10, white or écru. For the edge. Coton à tricoter D.M.C Nos. 16 to 30.
Colours: Rouge-Cardinal 347, or Jaune-Rouille 364, or Brun-Marron 406.[A]