Doily Dilemma!

[Susan5961]

Hello Everyone 

I'm quite new to crochet and thought I would crochet my Mum a doily but I am not sure what yarn to use.

Can someone help me please? 🙏 

Thank you 

Susan 🙂

[Granny Square]

NCountrygal, that is a pretty one!

Susan5961, a couple of things about doily patterns.  One, they are usually a lot wordier than most other patterns, each row or round is usually completely different than the next.  I am old school and print out my patterns, I don't work from a device.  This is handy / because sometimes each pattern line can be very long and convoluted / and different than the one before; / sometimes 1 line in a  doily is a long paragraph.  When this happens I sometimes draw a pencil line between logical 'steps', like I did in the prior sentence, to visually separate them--it helps me keep my place.

I don't mean to scare you away, the stitches are usually basic ones, and the patterns usually aren't hard too remember once you do the first repeat.  I don't need to do this often, but I think I'd probably have to do it less if I wasn't usually also getting distracted by the TV while crocheting.

[YarnyBoy]

Hello Susan!  Doilies are generally crocheted with size 10 crochet thread. It is quite thin and requires a small hook.

I've never made any myself but I'm sure someone could recommend a good beginner pattern. (I'd love to try one sometime)

Edit: I feel like a thin cotton could work also. You just need to be able to block/starch it when finished.

 

Edited December 6, 2022 by YarnyBoy

[Susan5961]

This is what I had come today and it seems to be just like cotton!

[Susan5961]

Sorry about the photos on the wrong way...you can tell I'm a newbie lol

[YarnyBoy]

7 minutes ago, Susan5961 said:

Sorry about the photos on the wrong way...you can tell I'm a newbie lol

Don't worry everyone is new once!  And that looks like it would work nicely!

[Susan5961]

Thank you, I will give it a go bu

[Susan5961]

But it seems too thin....I will never run out of white cotton again!!! 😁

[Granny Square]

I mostly make doilies now that I've retired and have the time, and that looks like 'the right stuff'.  And holy cow, it looks like you bought the BIG ball at 2040 meters!!  I buy big balls of thread too, but I mostly use size 10, yours appears to be slightly thinner, size 20.  I usually grab a US#7 hook which is 1.65mm

You said your Anchor thread 'seems like cotton', as I understand it 'mercerizing' is a chemical process that applies to cotton to change it's properties (makes it smooth, and tougher I think), and as far as I know mercerized only applies to cotton.  (Pssst, your label also says 100% cotton around the edge).  

Here is a site that opines on thread sizes, scroll down a little.  My favorite size hook to grab with #10 cotton is a 1.65mm (size 7 US) which falls into their chart range, for your size smaller size 20 thread the hook sizes in that chart look about right.  However, and I've been crocheting for decades, I've also used hooks outside of that range too, in both directions, for different reasons.

I can try to find a doily pattern for you that looks 'not difficult'.   Here's a warning, I'm in the US, and I suspect you may not be (Anchor is a UK brand I believe?).  So pattern sites I will be looking at will probably be in US stitch terms, if you've not run into the difference before, a US SC is a UK DC, a US HDC is a UK HTR, and so on with the UK 'promoting' the US terms by 1.  Slip stitch, chain are the same meaning in both.

 

[Granny Square]

Here is one, it looks like the photo shows them made in 2 sizes of thread -- these could be coasters perhaps?  Hearts Desire Doily .  The hardest?  most annoying to some people? element are the picots (bumps) at the edge, they aren't really hard but they 'slow you down' a little.

Here is a bigger doily that is easy, maybe even a little boring.

Another bigger doily, it came up 2 ways, easy and intermediate.  I agree it may be somewhere in between.  The nice thing, is if  Christmas  gets close and you need to get it done quickly!), it has a good stopping point at the second area of /\/\/\/\/\ shapes, in fact if I were making this I'd probably stop there as IMHO it would look better.

 

[Susan5961]

Thank you so much for your advice and the links to the dolly's. You are right I am in England. That number 20 is way too thin for me to use, I'm no where near good enough to try and crochet with it!

Looks like I'm going to have to go yarn shopping, to most people that sounds boring but I bet you agree it's a treat 😀

Thanks again 😊

[Granny Square]

You are welcome.  There are threads that go a lot bigger (size 3 and 5), maybe close to UK 4 ply (US 'sport' yarn) that might be easier to get used to (and you'd need a corresponding hook per that chart I linked (maybe, don't buy such a big ball this time!). 

Size 3 or 5 would work great for those heart coasters I think.  (I just looked closer at that pattern, it mentions the size it would turn out with size 3, 10, 20 and 30 thread)

 

Edited December 7, 2022 by Granny Square

[NCcountrygal]

11 hours ago, Susan5961 said:

Hello Everyone 

I'm quite new to crochet and thought I would crochet my Mum a doily but I am not sure what yarn to use.

Can someone help me please? 🙏 

Thank you 

Susan 

The pattern is written for the beginner and can be made in finer thread as experience is gained. 
https://www.etsy.com/listing/287571361/first-timer-doily-pdf-crochet-pattern?click_key=f8738b0e8cf0e09746fcb098ee817db048aef50c%3A287571361&click_sum=2439eebb&ref=shop_home_recs_1&sts=1

Edited December 7, 2022 by NCcountrygal
Clarity

[ReniC]

Crochet n Create has some beginner friendly patterns that also use a little bit heavier yarn than #10. In fact, the very first one listed she describes as beginner friendly. The patterns are also written in UK and USA terms.

[Granny Square]

That's a nice site Reni, I hadn't run into that one before.  Just looking at the elements on the patterns on the page you linked, I don't see any I would warn a beginner against trying, and they're all pretty.

And if you do get stuck Susan5961, pose a question in the 'help' section and someone will lend a hand.