We asked Toni Rexroat to re-create the pattern from one of the pieces of lace brought to Oklahoma from Wales by Linda Ligon’s mother’s stepmother. Here is the result. Th e original pieces of lace were intended to be trim for petticoats. It will look equally as well on table or bed linens.
Materials
Handy Hands Lizbeth, 100% cotton thread, size 20, 210 yards (192.0 m)/25 gram (0.9 oz) ball, 1 ball of #603 Ecru Crochet hook, size 9 (1.4 mm)
Finished size: Each repeat measures about 11 inches (28 cm)
Gauge: 3 columns and 6 shells = 2 inches (5.1 cm)
See https://pieceworkmagazine.com/abbreviations/ for Abbreviations and Techniques
Special Stitches
Picot (p): Ch 3, sl st in base of ch 3.
Picot join (p join): Ch 1, sl st in picot of adjacent motif, ch 1, sl st in base of ch 3.
INSTRUCTIONS
Notes: Do not turn work when crocheting shells. Shell columns are worked with short rows and the right side facing throughout.
Petticoat Lace
Column 1 (3 shells),
Row 1: Ch 16, without turning, sl st in last chain from hook.
Row 2: Ch 3, ([dc, p] 2 times, [3 dc, p] 2 times, dc) in ch sp, ch 10, sl st in 5th dc from beg.
Rows 3 and 4: Rep Row 2.
Row 5: Ch 3, ([dc, p] 2 times, [3 dc, p] 2 times, 4 dc, p, 2 dc) in ch-10 sp, work ([2 dc, p] 2 times, 2 dc) in remainder of ch-10 sp in each lp below.
Column 2 (5 shells),
Row 1: Ch 16, without turning, sl st in last chain from hook.
Row 2: Ch 3, (dc, p join in last pc of adjacent motif, dc, p, [3 dc, p] 2 times, dc) in ch-10 sp, ch 10, sl st in 5th dc from beg.
Rows 3–5: Rep Row 2.
Row 6: Ch 3, (dc, p join, dc, p, [3 dc, p] 2 times, 4 dc, p, 2 dc) in ch-10 sp, work (2 dc, p, 2 dc, p join, 2 dc) in remainder of ch-10 sp in each lp below.
Column 3 (6 shells),
Row 1: Ch 16, without turning, sl st in last chain from hook.
Row 2: Ch 3, (dc, p join, dc, p, [3 dc, p] 2 times, dc) in ch-10 sp, ch 10, sl st in 5th dc from beg.
Rows 3–6: Rep Row 2.
Row 7: Ch 3, (dc, p join, dc, p, [3 dc, p] 2 times, 4 dc, p,
2 dc) in ch-10 sp, work (2 dc, p, 2 dc, p join, 2 dc) in remainder of ch-10 sp in each lp below.
Column 4 (7 shells),
Row 1: Ch 16, without turning, sl st in last chain from hook.
Row 2: Ch 3, (dc, p join, dc, p, [3 dc, p] 2 times, dc) in ch-10 sp, ch 10, sl st in 5th dc from beg.
Rows 3–7: Rep Row 2.
Row 8: Ch 3, (dc, p join, dc, p, [3 dc, p] 2 times, 4 dc, p, 2 dc) in ch-10 sp, work (2 dc, p, 2 dc, p join, 2 dc) in remainder of ch-10 sp in each lp below.
Column 5 (8 shells),
Row 1: Ch 16, without turning, sl st in last chain from hook.
Row 2: Ch 3, (dc, p join, dc, p, [3 dc, p] 2 times, dc) in ch-10 sp, ch 10, sl st in 5th dc from beg.
Rows 3–8: Rep Row 2.
Row 9: Ch 3, (dc, p join, dc, p, [3 dc, p] 2 times, 4 dc, p, 2 dc) in ch-10 sp, work (2 dc, p, 2 dc, p join, 2 dc) in remainder of ch-10 sp in each lp below.
Column 6 (9 shells),
Row 1: Ch 16, without turning, sl st in last chain from hook.
Row 2: Ch 3, (dc, p join, dc, p, [3 dc, p] 2 times, dc) in ch-10 sp, ch-10, sl st in 5th dc from beg.
Rows 3–9: Rep Row 2.
Row 10: Ch 3, (dc, p join, dc, p, [3 dc, p] 2 times, 4 dc, p,
2 dc) in ch-10 sp, work (2 dc, p, 2 dc, p join, 2 dc) in remainder of ch-10 sp in each lp below.
Column 7 (10 shells),
Row 1: Ch 16, without turning, sl st in last chain from hook.
Row 2: Ch 3, (dc, p join, dc, p, [3 dc, p] 2 times, dc) in ch-10 sp, ch-10, sl st in 5th dc from beg.
Rows 3–10: Rep Row 2.
Row 11: Ch 3, (dc, p join, dc, p, [3 dc, p] 2 times, 4 dc, p, 2 dc) in ch-10 sp, work (2 dc, p, 2 dc, p join, 2 dc) in remainder of ch-10 sp in each lp below.
Column 8 (11 shells)
Row 1: Ch 16, without turning, sl st in last chain from hook.
Row 2: Ch 3, (dc, p join, dc, p, [3 dc, p] 2 times, dc) in ch-10 sp, ch 10, sl st in 5th dc from beg.
Rows 3–11: Rep Row 2.
Row 12: Ch 3, (dc, p join, dc, p, [3 dc, p] 2 times, 4 dc, p, 2 dc) in ch-10 sp, work (2 dc, p, 2 dc, p join, 2 dc) in remainder of ch-10 sp in each lp below.
Column 9 (12 shells),
Row 1: Ch 16, without turning, sl st in last chain from hook.
Row 2: Ch 3, (dc, p join, dc, p, [3 dc, p] 2 times, dc) in ch-10 sp, ch 10, sl st in 5th dc from beg.
Rows 3–12: Rep Row 2.
Row 13: Ch 3, (dc, p join, dc, p, [3 dc, p] 2 times, 4 dc, p, 2 dc) in ch 10 sp, work (2 dc, p, 2 dc, p join, 2 dc) in remainder of ch-10 sp in each lp below.
Columns 10–17,
Rep Columns 2–8 in reverse order beg with Column 8.
Base
Row 1: Turn column section upside down and beg working in the bottom ridge lp of chains. Sl st in any bottom ridge lp to join, ch 3 (counts as dc here and throughout), working in the bottom ridge lps and row end dc, work a multiple of 4 dc (about 8 dc per shell) around.
Row 2: Ch 3, dc in next dc, ch 1, sk next 2 dc, *dc in next 2 dc, ch 1, sk next 2 dc; rep from *, sl st in top of beg ch-3 to join.
Row 3: Ch 3, ch 1, sk next dc, dc in next ch, dc in next dc, *ch 1, sk next dc, dc in next ch, dc in next dc; rep from * to last dc, ch 1, dc in next ch, sl st in top of beg ch-3 to join.
Row 3: Ch 3, dc in each dc and ch around, sl st in top of beg ch-3 to join.
Toni Rexroat is the former editor of CrochetMe.com. While she is always excited to try a new crochet technique, her first love will always be crochet-thread lace.
This pattern was originally published in PieceWork November/December 2012.