How do you feel about going on an adventure, a voyage of discovery? I have a vague itinerary in mind but I'm not sure exactly where we are going or what we will find along the way.     We've been talking about Crochet Lace recently, here at ThePulledStitch HQ. Questions have been asked to which I have no answers. I have searched in my trusty library and found it to be lacking. I have scoured the Internet and got even more frustrated. Why is this so?     There are many in the crochet establishment that would have you believe that crochet arrive ..read more

 Isn't Crochet great? Just when you think that there is nothing new or unexpected you turn a corner and Bam! It just happened to me. There I was scrolling through the usual suspects on Instagram and got slapped in the face by Topological crochet! I was already in the middle of writing about Hyperbolic crochet so maybe the Instagram algorithm worked for a change. These two things are not unrelated.  For the mathematicians; these are Seifert surfaces, un-orientable surfaces, Torus knots and rubber-sheet geometry.  For the rest of us; these are complex Möbius strips. Being a croc ..read more

    Crochet, it always seems to me, is a self directed study. We learn at our own pace and in a unique order. Which must be why it has taken me so long to get round to writing about Hyperbolic crochet.        Daina Taimina's book Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes was first published in 2009 and then a second edition was produced in 2018, so I am rather late joining the party. It's not surprising really, as I am not now and have never been a mathematician. Up until this moment I have got along fine with just the maths I learnt in the fir ..read more

It seems to have become a tradition that I write a somewhat off-the-wall post in December. It’s because I am in the throes of full-on panic at the time! Hey, why break with tradition?! , Ladybird book Series 634 1975  I have been asked where I get my information, ideas and inspiration from. Perhaps you too are frustrated with the endless ‘How to crochet’ books and Amigurumi titles on sale. And yet there doesn’t seem to be any books which get you from being a beginer to being an expert. I don’t honestly remember why I started this blog; but whatever that reason was, it has evolved ..read more

When Mrs Micawber said; " I've wanted to experiment with Hairpin Lace using chained stitches instead of yarn loops", my response was "Uh?" Let's face it, I am not an innovator. I am good at some things, like asking, "why?" and "what if?", I also have the patience to research and experiment. Sue Perez, aka Mrs Micawber, most certainly is an innovator. So after spending some time not being able to solve the problem, Sue, was kind enough to send me a simple set of instructions. Eureka! The 'what if?' side of my brain set fire to itself! The important thing to note is that, this is hairpin lace w ..read more

Did you know that you could make doilies using Hairpin crochet? This was a revelation to me! I have found a set of vague instructions, so of course I had to take up the challenge and see if I could design my own. I am given to understand that each successive round should contain double the number of loops from the previous round. I have absolutely no idea how to join the beginning and end of each round except that a slip-stitch is involved. So, with this scarcity of facts to hand, I invite you to come with me now as I puzzle out the solution!  Let's be honest! I could write this post s ..read more

I keep telling you that Hairpin Lace is very versatile. I have already demonstrated various techniques; created fringes, edgings and added beads. But this month I hope to really prove it to you by turning corners! We will also look at the different ways we can use the braid, edge and join the strips to form a fabric. First, I suppose, we must decide how we are using the braid. It can be used exactly like Lace, as an edging, insert or appliqué. It can be sewn, or slip-stitch crocheted onto fabric, crochet or knitting. You can even use it straight off the Hairpin frame. Alternatively it ..read more

 I hope you are ready for a challenge this month as we will be making some wild, weird and wonderful hairpin braids!    [Abbreviations used in this post: Chain One- Ch1 Double Crochet- Dc (Sc-USA) Left-Hand- LH Right-Hand- RH  Front Left-hand Loop- FLL]   Multiple length Braid Let's start as we mean to go on with a three pin braid. The instructions I have for this braid tell me to hold two hairpins of different widths together at the same time, aligning the left hand pins. Besides the fact that this sounds almost impossible, frustrating and fiddly, I don't have two ha ..read more

Have I got some gems for you today!  Last month I talked about how to make Basic Hairpin Lace. I have some more advanced braids today which I hope will inspire you. I am using a 2"/5cm loom and Schachenmayr Catania 4ply cotton throughout. Varying the width of the frame and the weight of the yarn can have a big impact on how the finished braid looks. You can go as delicate or chunky as you like.     Two Double Crochet  The Braid we made last time used just a simple Double Crochet (Sc-US) on either side. Let's start by looking at two Dc (Sc-US) per side.   STA ..read more

       Hold onto your hats I think it's going to be a mini-series!  I've been selfishly hogging on to some Hairpin Lace information for a while now but I think it's about time to share it with you. When I say Hairpin Lace, what do you think of? It's is one of those crochet disciplines I thought I'd never want to use. We tend to see it used in a very bold manner to make loud shawls and throws. But wait! It can also be subtle and adaptable, I think I can surprise you. So let's dip our collective toes in the water and see where it takes us!   The Tools  ..read more