Crochet Doily Patterns

Are you a knitter who can’t knit a pattern without changing something? Me, too. Perhaps the original designer’s urge to create a new pattern rubs off on us as we knit. Lots of people have made The Little Flower Doily by Bad Cat Designs out of all kinds of yarn. Most used the original edging of big crocheted loops that block out like airy petals. Nice, but here’s what I did different.

First off, the pattern as written made me want to cast on. Why? Because it was knitted. I wanted some practice making a knitted doily pattern before I turn a vintage crocheted doily pattern into a knitted version.

Roughing it.

The pattern calls for smooth fingering weight yarn. So of course a vintage skein of a rough-textured cotton/acrylic blend yarn called Bermuda, made in France, fell into my hands. It was bright white, thicker than the yarn called for and needed a loving squeeze each time I laid eyes on it. Let’s see what happened.

As I began knitting, the raggedness seemed rather steam punk. In black, it would please the Make crowd who transform manufactured garments into unique expressions of art.

Feeling edgy.

Ever get that antsy feeling of wanting more? Ever since clapping eyes on the pattern, I wanted either more doily or a different edge–more edge. Turns out it took not one, but two edgings.

After knitting the doily body, I added two rounds of yarn over, knit two together, each followed with a round of plain knitting. It’s a super stretchy pattern used in a market bag, so no worries it might constrict the lace. Then what? Another round? Bind off? Neither seemed right somehow.

All ruffled up.

My EZ’s pi shawl had a sideways garter stitch edge versus a tight bind off, so I tried that. Five stitches made a splendid edge for the doily, but ate up yarn like a hungry piglet. There was nowhere near enough yarn left for such a wide edging.

Three stitches worked. The edge in no way constricted the lace as established, but it might be a little too ruffly. Before blocking, the edge ruffled all on its own. While blocking, it laid smooth in a series of points. After blocking it needs patted down to lay flat.

Design fail?

Nope. This edge’s tendency to ruffle up appeals to me as a shawl. How about making The Little Flower Doily in worsted weight wool for a shawl with a front opening like EZ’s Pi Are Square? Why? Why not!

Jared Flood (Brooklyn Tweed) showed us all that a knitted doily pattern can grow up–like a Hemlock Ring Blanket. Brace yourself, Little Flower Doily.

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Free Crochet Doily Patterns

Crocheting, I bet you’ve heard of this before. Most people have, it’s a hobby as old as time. It’s been around for years, and it’s been estimated that the hobby started as far back as the 1500s! Unfortunately no proof has ever been brought forth as to when it actually originated.

Have you ever wondered where and when this needlework hobby started? According to the September 1997 newsletter of the Crochet Guild of America, a researcher theorized that the art of crochet could be traced as far back as 1500s in Italy. However, there is no solid evidence for this statement.

But even so, we can only imagine that this craft has been around for the longest time. And it has evolved from making only home décor works to stitching clothes and other fashion accessories as well.

Reminiscing

Crocheting can let you do a lot of things. From small purses to jackets and sweaters, there are a lot of options to choose from. But there are probably some hobbyists that are looking for those old, classic patterns that can usually be seen during the early 1900s or even earlier. To help you in finding those hard-to-look for patterns, here are some resources that you can check out in the World Wide Web.

- Vintage Crochet Patterns. Tabitha Gibbons, the owner of this web site, offers several volumes of crochet patterns books. She sells a wide selection of vintage crochet patterns, from little doilies, rugs, afghans to bed covers and table cloths. By visiting her web site, one can fill out the name and email form to receive a free pattern book.

- Crochet Treasures. “Patterns from the past; Creating heirlooms for tomorrow…” This is the slogan of this web site with a collection of classic patterns. It is a member-based site that offers over 950 vintage patterns to its subscribers. For visitors, it also offers about 25 free vintage crochet patterns for personal use. However, it is not accepting new members at the moment until further notice by the owner.

- Celt’s Vintage Crochet. Yet another vintage crochet patterns site, this really has a wide variety of vintage patterns to choose from. And the best thing about this site is that all of these patterns are for free! It also showcases the owner’s finished projects, most of which are doilies and other table accessories.

- Soft Memories. This site brings you back to the past with its collection of more than a thousand vintage crochet patterns. The patterns are grouped in different categories – doilies, bed jackets and slippers, hanky edgings, potholders, ruffles and flowers, doll clothes, and other home décor pieces. All of these patterns can be viewed and printed out by subscribing to the site. There are also a few free patterns available for visitors to get a peak of what the site has to offer.

- Vintage Crochet Patterns e-book. This sort-of e-book contains 20 wonderful vintage patterns that are easy to crochet and can be hits in fairs and bazaars. Some examples of the patterns available are the crochet work bag, beaded doily, and the wedding ring bedspread. This is a portable document file (pdf) that can be downloaded for free from Crochet and Knitting web site.

- 1800′s to Early 1900′s Vintage Pattern Links. This site, authored by a lady named Martha who is also known as StarGazer, has several links to patterns that were designed way back 1800s up to 1930s. These patterns can be accessed for free. The site also has links to other web sites that offer vintage crochet patterns.

- Antique Crochet Patterns. This section in the web site Knitting-Crochet has almost a hundred of vintage patterns categorized into baby pieces, men’s or ladies’ wear, slippers, tablecloth, doily, and many others. It also offers to convert your knitting patterns to crochet and vice versa. Best of all, these patterns are free to access and print for personal use!

- Antique Crochet Patterns. This one is different from the site above as this is the web site name itself, not just a section. This site offers vintage crochet patterns from 1850s to 1950s and all of these are baby items such as bonnet, booties, hat, jumper, afghan, and a lot more. It also provides free lesson for the wannabes and beginners of this needlecraft.

These are just a few of the tons of resources you can find online that offers hard-to-find vintage patterns. Whether free or fee-based, these sites and resources can surely take you back in time with the wonderful, classical patterns that they offer.

If you are a crochet hobbyist you may seriously consider checking out these online resources. You should be able to find a huge variety of patterns for free, as well as purchasable ones. Whether you’re a crochet master, or a novice of this eloquent hobby, these patterns will surely please you in many ways.

To learn more about getting started in crochet please visit [http://www.startcrocheting101.com] now.

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