Donna

[Donnaara]

Hello I started crochet in January and have managed a decent fan skirt however I would love to make lace and have been given some thread I have no clue what size it is and all my projects look a mess even with small hooks help 

Edited March 15, 2020 by Donnaara
Wanted to add my picture

[Donnaara]

3 minutes ago, Donnaara said:

Hello I started crochet in January and have managed a decent fan skirt however I would love to make lace and have been given some thread I have no clue what size it is and all my projects look a mess even with small hooks help 

 

[magiccrochetfan]

Hi, welcome to the Ville 

your pieces really don't look bad.  You may need to use a slightly smaller hook.  To get the look we usually see in lace such as doilies requires a tight tension, and that takes practice.  Doilies and the like also need to be blocked, which can be as simple as getting the item thoroughly damp and laying it out to dry, patting it into place.  Or more complex involving starch and many pins to shape it precisely.  I'd say to get yours wet, gently squeeze out excess water, then carefully lay them out to dry, putting them in the shape you want.  I bet they'll look a whole lot better!,

have you done any reading about making crocheted lace, consulted a blog, or other reference?  

[magiccrochetfan]

I belatedly realized i didn't really say what I meant to---Your pieces actually look pretty great for not being blocked yet!  the main thing is to keep practicing!  

[Donnaara]

Hi thank you loads for me to look at yes I think I need to do more reading as I have self taught using internet and videos, I’ll try the blocking and tighter tension thank you so much for help x 

[Tampa Doll]

Hi Welcome  to Crochetville from the Gulf Coast of Florida.

Grab your yarn and hooks, put your feet up and sit a spell.

We are always so glad to meet new friends.😁

It looks like it is size 10 thread, which you usually use a size 7 hook, but you can go smaller.  It does take practice, but you are doing quite well, for just learning.  Once you are done, washing and laying it out to pin and dry will help with the looks of your project.

[Granny Square]

Hi and welcome!  I agree with Tampa Doll on the size 7 steel hook (1.65 mm) with #10 thread.  The biggest hook that I've used for that size thread is 2.25 mm which is size 2 steel hook, or B aluminum hook, and I thought that was pretty loose but not as loose as your items.

I just made a swatch 10 stitches across and 3 rows high in US DC, it's pretty much exactly 1" square (to give you a ballpark idea of what to expect with the above thread & yarn sizes).

 

Edited March 15, 2020 by Granny Square

[Donnaara]

On 3/15/2020 at 1:44 AM, Donnaara said:

Hello I started crochet in January and have managed a decent fan skirt however I would love to make lace and have been given some thread I have no clue what size it is and all my projects look a mess even with small hooks help 

 

[Donnaara]

So latest picture I used a .75m steel hook and tried blocking, compared to 1mm steel hook no blocking, it is defiantly improved however still not the lace look am after .. perhaps the thread is not right type ?  I love the modern lace and Irish lace look but want to make clothing and jewlery, Mayb I should invest in some patterns rather than free ones ? I just also liked the idea I could get creative with own designs but running before can walk comes to mind lol 😂 ... thank you all for the welcome and advice, peace and love x 

[magiccrochetfan]

Do you have a label for the thread?  The bottom pic in your latest post looks kind of fuzzy, like it might have wool content.  

It is important to know the fiber content, that's why I ask about the label.  

Irish crochet is usually done with cotton thread, or you could use linen thread.  To me the plant fiber threads are more "obedient", the stitches stay where I put them.  Animal fibers like wool have more body and springiness and for me they don't make such neat stitches.  

Also if you used a .75mm hook, then the thread seems to be extremely fine.  Slightly heavier (thicker) thread would be easier to manage.  As already posted , sz ten cotton thread and approx 1.5 mm hook is the classic combination to use.   

[Donnaara]

So latest picture I used a .75m steel hook and tried blocking, compared to 1mm steel hook no blocking, it is defiantly improved however still not the lace look am after .. perhaps the thread is not right type ?  I love the modern lace and Irish lace look but want to make clothing and jewlery, Mayb I should invest in some patterns rather than free ones ? I just also liked the idea I could get creative with own designs but running before can walk comes to mind lol 😂 ... thank you all for the welcome and advice, peace and love x 

[Donnaara]

Hi sorry I don’t have the label it was thread out of a pack my friend got off ebay, I agree not knowing the thread type is not at all helpful ... it did seem to fray like wool if caught it so your most likely right... I think I’ll wait until have the correct materials to try again😂. I do have a wool project am working on this was a little break from that.  Thanks everyone when I get to try again I’ll post the attempts xx

[Granny Square]

You need natural fibers if you really want to block lace.  Cotton would be a good choice for clothing that's really lacy and needs to be severely blocked (tho wool is OK for some lace too, but you were talking Irish crochet look, which I don't think wool has the right look for, but YMMV).

Mercerized doily cotton is what you want for jewelry (like the #10 stuff we were talking about above, or even smaller like #20, which Joann's carries along with #10).  Although, I've seen clothing patterns using #10 doily cotton, there's also larger #3 and #5 (thread weight) mercerized cotton used in clothing patterns.  Paton's Grace is a nice cotton, is US#3 or DK yarn weight.  BTW, the #3 in yarn isn't the same as the #3 in thread, just to be confusing--in thread, the bigger the size #, the smaller the thread; the other way around with yarn.

For blocking, you want to get a surface that you can stick pins into and get wet that won't transfer color onto your project - some people use those interlocking floor mat squares.  You will also need rust-proof pins (trust me on this--been there, rusted that with a non rust proof pin left in too long in a humid climate).  For blocking small things like jewelry, I make a lot of doilies and use a 'presentation board', a foam core board that's 30x20" with paper on each side, over which I put plastic wrap to pin my items on.

For your yarn, a burn test will tell if you are dealing with a non-natural fiber.  Take a short piece of your yarn, pull out the shiny filament I see in your photo if you can because that is certainly plastic, grab the piece of yarn with pliers, and in a safe place (over a sink?) light it with a match - if it melts, it's not a natural fiber and is not a good choice for lace, but maybe something else - a hat maybe.

[Granny Square]

Forgot to say, re: blocking:  I also make templates for the doilies I make, I re-use them over and over.  I mostly make round doilies, which are repetitive in a pie slice sort of way --  example, your bit of lace has 8 'slices' (counting the petals in the center flower shape).  I have made polar graphs for 8, 12 (which works for 6 with a little eyeballing), 7, 9, and 10 I think, so 5 sizes and each size has been used many times.  

Please take this in the constructive way I'm intending, because I want you to succeed--if you had blocked your item to a template, your item would have been in a close to perfect circle, and the 8 petals would have been evenly spaced at 45° angles from each other (360° divided by 8).  Although, if this is synthetic fiber as I suspect, it's not going to block (as) well.

 

 

Edited March 16, 2020 by Granny Square

[Granny Square]

Gaak, it's huge here- in real life it's only 2.25" across.  I was able to count your stitches in your photo for the most part, this is what I think is pretty close to your pattern, in #10 doily thread and #7 hook - it is unblocked, if blocked I could have gotten it rounder, but probably not much bigger.  Just an example as far as tension in thread work. I meant to say earlier, that the tension in your very last pic looked a lot better than the earlier ones.

.

[Donnaara]

Awww  how nice is that of you to do that to help me .. thank you soooooo much I didn’t expect that truly yes that is what was looking for so you are 100% right,  

I have gone back to my other project my first one ... as you know I don’t chose easy for starting out and ended up using mix of cotton and wool which I think looks ok when finished much more length as this is done to fit me and am 39 yes old a uk 20 so is taking some time to get length suitable lol I pinched a kids pattern to do it 

I’ll need to line it or have underskirt but please tell me your thoughts and ideas pic to follow 

[Donnaara]

Sorry forgot to say this is not blocked, I hope it’s possible when complete ? If not I now know to do this as I go 😂

[Donnaara]

Not all al taken badly constructive advice is best,  from what you are saying I think I need to take a step back before my next attempt,  get a simple pattern and make template with blocking  and correct hook and thread, I will show when do this but may b a couple of weeks time once again very much appreciated thank you sooooo much x 

[Donnaara]

3 hours ago, Granny Square said:

You need natural fibers if you really want to block lace.  Cotton would be a good choice for clothing that's really lacy and needs to be severely blocked (tho wool is OK for some lace too, but you were talking Irish crochet look, which I don't think wool has the right look for, but YMMV).

Mercerized doily cotton is what you want for jewelry (like the #10 stuff we were talking about above, or even smaller like #20, which Joann's carries along with #10).  Although, I've seen clothing patterns using #10 doily cotton, there's also larger #3 and #5 (thread weight) mercerized cotton used in clothing patterns.  Paton's Grace is a nice cotton, is US#3 or DK yarn weight.  BTW, the #3 in yarn isn't the same as the #3 in thread, just to be confusing--in thread, the bigger the size #, the smaller the thread; the other way around with yarn.

For blocking, you want to get a surface that you can stick pins into and get wet that won't transfer color onto your project - some people use those interlocking floor mat squares.  You will also need rust-proof pins (trust me on this--been there, rusted that with a non rust proof pin left in too long in a humid climate).  For blocking small things like jewelry, I make a lot of doilies and use a 'presentation board', a foam core board that's 30x20" with paper on each side, over which I put plastic wrap to pin my items on.

For your yarn, a burn test will tell if you are dealing with a non-natural fiber.  Take a short piece of your yarn, pull out the shiny filament I see in your photo if you can because that is certainly plastic, grab the piece of yarn with pliers, and in a safe place (over a sink?) light it with a match - if it melts, it's not a natural fiber and is not a good choice for lace, but maybe something else - a hat maybe.

Hi granny square you have been so informative and welcoming and patient with my learning,  my first projects I really can’t thank you enough, I think I have some homework to do and will be using you advice for sure,  you would be fab at online teaching for beginners ( just a thought)  anyway thank you hope to chat soon x 

[Granny Square]

You're very welcome! 

Re: the skirt, it's very pretty!  The only thought that crossed my mind re: skirt in general, is from a bad experience of mine in the past with a (purchased) fine machine knit fabric suit (plain, 1 color) where the skirt got unflatteringly baggy in the seat (I mostly sat all day at my job), so I hadn't considered crocheting one.  Not sure if one would notice on that skirt if it did due to the pattern,  but I think it might 'grow' a little in length all around as you wear it, then go back to normal when you wash it, due to gravity + lacy fabric.  Not a bad thing necessarily, just a possibility.

I'm not sure if it even needs blocking beyond 'get it wet, lay flat to dry' and sort of finger-poke it into place,  versus pin-blocking.

[Donnaara]

Oh good yeah I’ll let you know how it goes then x 

[Terri/LadySorce]

Howdy from Oklahoma

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