Help with vague pattern

[LizzaMatiz]

Hi,

I there anyone that can read this crazy, vague pattern for this rose doily?  I've spent so much time on trying to figure out what I'm missing, reading it over and over, pulling out my stitches and starting again.  I've now just started making it up as I go along.  This is the link to the pattern, for 'Rose D'oyley': https://www.knitheaven.com/vintagepatterns/crochet_pattern_doily.htm (just scroll down to the bottom pattern) Can anyone simplify this or put it in terms where the crocheter doesn't have to guess the next step? Please!

[Granny Square]

Welcome to the 'ville!

I've worked several vintage doilies, but this one surprised me because it says "SC" which I've only seen in US terms post 1920-ish. But I suspect this pattern is probably  from the mid 1800's because of the D'Oyley reference, and then I looked up "Brooks Great Exhibition" which was in 1851 England.

I've used a 'translation' of just the stitch names from that era, but what's throwing me is it's saying SC, and DC, (modern terms) but then 'long', which IIRC is a DC, and I need to find the translation for sure but I think 'plain' was SC.  I wonder if some modern person half-translated this pattern?

But the even scarier part - this pattern appears to use several different threads, which I first thought were different colors but now I think may be different sizes because it also calls out multiple hook sizes (and I don't recall seeing a 170 year old thread or hook sizing translation to modern).  This pattern may not work well with 1 size thread and hook.

I will come back if I can find the term translation I used, I'm fairly certain it was somewhere on the Antique Pattern Library site.  

 

[Granny Square]

Here - the link is to a stitch book from the same general vintage as the original version of your pattern, the 'explanation of terms' is at the very back, right before the advertisements start.   BUT, I really think you'd be better off finding a different pattern, or even finding the original version of this one if you can, because it looks like someone has done a half-way job of translating your pattern into modern terms, and i'm not sure I'd trust it, even without the multiple thread & hook size uncertainty.

On the website I linked, there are a lot of beautiful doily pattern books of various vintages; unless you are really determined to tackle a 175 year old pattern, there are several 'Priscilla' books from about the WW1 era, that are in modern UK terms (even tho they are US books).  Also bunches of more recent books from the mid-20th century that are much more conventionally written.  

[LizzaMatiz]

14 hours ago, Granny Square said:

 

Hi,

Thank you, this is an amazing site and I'm glad I've found it.  Thank you for taking the time to help me with this.  Yes, that is also what I thought, that someone started 'translating' this pattern, either not doing it very good or not finishing all the way.  The link you attached it very helpful and it's similar, I'd definitely keep it close for references and pattern ideas.  I had no idea that 'vintage' was so vintage (old), I generally stick to vintage as I like the patterns and styles for doilies specifically, but there's always some improvising or struggling involved. . Think best thing to do here is to start on a new pattern.

[Granny Square]

You're welcome!  That site has a ton of modernly-US-termed patterns from the 1930s and later, (might be some later UK-termed books, there are some in not-English too) and also a lot from the WW1 era that may be a bit terser than modern patterns, and use UK terms, but they are follow-able.  

Another of the books from the author of the book I linked above has been translated into modern terms, and I've followed one of those patterns without problems--hopefully they are all as clear, in case you want to try REALLY vintage with hopefully a better chance at success here is the link to the page they are on (there are several pdfs for each book).  The page is (more or less) arranged alphabetically by author. Do a search on Riego [de la Branchardiere, Eléanor], there are multiple listings for book 6 but multiple pdfs under each listing; "The crochet book sixth series" is the original with pictures (not photos - did you notice your pattern was a drawing not a photo?), then "crochet book book [06]" for the translation for the translation is just the pattern (no pics), so you'll need both "the sixth" and "[06]".  One thing I found interesting was the gaudy colors they recommended, we tend to think of antique doilies as being much plainer!

 

 

 

Edited August 19, 2020 by Granny Square