Crochet Lace: Your Great Great Grandma's Crochet

Crochet lace is one of the most beautiful forms of crochet, particularly when applied to the shawl or wrap.  There are so many new patterns, like Evan Plevinski's Elise shawl that I completed last month and Vicki Mikulak's Flying Diamonds lace shawl that I crocheted as my Falling Leaves shawl last summer. My most recent Finished Object: Tealiscious Half-Granny Square lace shawl trimmed with a lace edging modified from a chart by MyPicot.com. The yarn is KnitPicks Bare --Merino Wool Fingering Yarn dyed in a bath of Shapna Organic Black Tea that has a wonderful red undertone. A traditional, lacey crochet pattern enhanced by a great lace edging.

A search of Ravelry's patterns reveals more than 925 crochet lace shawl patterns, just one-sixth of the slightly more than 5,420 knit lace shawl patterns. Thankfully, the number of crochet lace patterns is growing as many contemporary crocheters look past their grandma's crochet to explore the historical application of our art.

Piecework Magazine celebrates and expresses, through its articles and projects, historic and ethnic fabric-related handwork. Lace figures prominently in this effort. For the past three years, Piecework has featured lace in its May/June issue. For many lace lovers, these issues are a goldmine, filled with the history of lace and modern updates for replicating some of the lace. Unfortunately, it's a knitter's goldmine. Crochet is conspicuous by its relative absence.

A quick perusal of the index of the three Piecework issues reveals five crochet-related articles -- one about replicating Laura Ingalls Wilders filet crochet doily, one using painter's tape to help keep loops small and consistent, one about Maltese lace versus Maltese crochet (i.e., hairpin lace), and two about a Crochet Lace challenge to replicate an edging. There also was an article about "crochet tatting" but for the life of me, I don't know how one would confuse a tatting shuttle with a crochet hook. Three issues but only two patterns.

The three annual lace issues featured articles that illustrate the history of a certain technique or style of lace -- intricate Orenburg lace, lace bonnets from the Netherlands, and the story of Herbert Niebling (the grand master of lace knitting!). No stories about the Mlle. Riego de la Branchardiere, who published patterns to replicate raised Spanish needle lace. No articles abaout Cassandra Hand, wife of the local Church of Ireland minister who introduced Clones lace in 1847 as a famine relief scheme. No stories about the role pineapple lace has played in home arts. In the spirit of openess and transparency, in 1993, 1997, and 2005, Piecework had included a few articles about Irish lace. But nothing more recent than that.

Admittedly, modern crochet, which dates to the early 1800s, is a relative newcomer to the realm of needle arts when compared to other handwork, such as knitting and embroidery. Yet, many contemporary fiber artists and designers endeavor to keep these arts alive, such as Doris Chan and her larger than life adaptation of pineapple lace to wearables, and Lisa Naskrent whose Dragonfly and Maia lace shawls seem to have a life of their own. Although my own lace shawls are not as intricate, I would hope that soomeday, my efforts (Bird of Paradise Shawl of my design) will, in some small way, help people recognize and celebrate the beauty that crochet lace is.

Perhaps it's best to let pictures do the talking. Olga Litvina, a Russian crocheter took a Japanese doily pattern and created this masterpiece!

I'll say it again. Crochet lace is one of the most beautiful forms of crochet.

No Longer on the Outside Looking In

As I write this, my girls are decorating the Christmas tree. Not me. Them. It's the first time they have done it on their own, from unpacking the tree from the tree bag, to assembling it and the tree stand, to stringing the lights, putting the star on top, and hanging the ornaments. I am not allowed to offer instructions, although I can point out gaps. They're doing an excellent job. We've been laughing about the traditions and funny things that have happened to us in the 10 years they have been living with me. And I realize the girls are growing up.

We (ok, me) always wait to put up the tree until the Saturday before Christmas (unless of course when the holiday falls on a weekend we do it the previous Saturday). When the girls first came to live with me, they were quite young and I was not ready to have them help with the tree, so I told them that we assembled the tree so that the elves could come decorate the tree while we slept. Made sense to them, so we would put out the ornaments and a little snack for the elves. Little did they know I stayed up to put on the ornaments. It worked great the first year but the second year I fell asleep. I did not realize what had happened until the youngest came into my room crying that the elves had forgotten us. I thought quickly and said that it was my fault -- I had heard a noise in the middle of the night, had gotten up to investigate, and accidentally scared away the elves. I assured them both that the elves would return again. That night, the youngest chastised me, instructing me to "stay in my room, even if I heard a noise." She continued to remind me every Christmas for four years.

When I thought they were old enough to help out, I let them go to bed thinking the elves would decorate the tree while they slept. Instead, I woke them up at midnight, handed them elf hats with elf ears, and told them the elves had a lot to do that night so they asked that the girls help out that year. When they fully woke up, we finished with the tree, we drank hot chocolate and watched a Christmas video. Even after the girls stopped believing in Santa and his elves, I would wake the girls up at midnight to decorate the tree, share a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows, and watch some TV.

Now, they are teens. Tonight, we have been talking about when they first realized Santa wasn't real. For one girl, it was the year I had ordered a computer and pretended that Santa had dropped it off a day early. I made the requisite hoof beats noises on the ceiling, had a neighbor knock on the door, and then encouraged the girls to help me check it out. They did not fall for it. The other one, well, she said she figured it out when all the presents were wrapped with the wrapping paper she had helped me pick out at the store the week before. Ah well, I gave it a try.

We've also been talking about the ornaments I have given them each year to celebrate a special accomplishment - learning to read, riding a two-wheeler for the first time, earning yellow belts in karate, tent camping, etc. This year's ornaments will be given out Christmas morning.

Yes, they are growing up. I hope they will remember some of the old traditions as we continue to make new ones.

Happy Holidays, everyone, and have a wonderful New Year.