Knitting & Crocheting

For those of you waiting on pins and needles for the rest of the hairpin lace tutorial, SORRY! It is much more time consuming than I anticipated... although coming along well... but family obligations call so I'll be unavailable to work on it for the next few days. I will finish it and have it up next week. Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Before you begin any hairpin lace project, you needle the hairpin lace needles, more appropriatiately called the Hairpin Lace Loom. You can either make your own, or purchase one. My mother first learned on a homemade loom my father made for her. I've always used the "store bought" version. Both will get the job done.

If you decide to purchase a loom, you can usually find them in the large craft stores or order them on line.

The stores in our area did not sell them so I ordered them through Amazon. These looms are adjustable. There are 4 parts to them; the 2 metal needles and the 2 cross bars.

The cross bars have mulitple holes in them allowing you to create lace strips 1 1/2" to 4" wide.

For the afghan I am making I have the loom set at 4". If you want a denser afghan, you simple move the needles to the holes that give you the desired width.

To make your own you will need 2 pieces of dowel rod 3/8" - 1/2" diameter, 4 1/2" long, a set of #5 or #6 knitting needles at least 12" long, and 4 rubberbands.

To make, cut 2 pieces of dowel rod 4 1/2". Using a drill bit the size of the needles, drill holes through the dowel rod. Use the illustration above for hole placement suggestions. MAKE SURE THE DOWEL DOES NOT TURN WHILE DRILLING. All holes must be drilled perpendicular to the same surface or the needles will not lay flat when inserted. Lightly sand the edges and holes so the wood is smooth.

When you insert your needles into the desired holes, the cross bars will begin to loosen and slide down your needles. Simply use rubberbands to secure the cross bars at the top and bottom of the needles.

Given the fact that the purchased looms only cost $4.50, it's probably not worth the hassel of making your own. Also, the plastic crossbars stay in place without rubberbands. But, if you are in a hurry to get started, and have the materials on hand, this is how my grandparent's generation made their own Hairpin Lace Looms.

Next time I will show you how to get started and how to make the strips.

Part 1 - The Loom

Part 2 - Crocheting the Strips

Part 3 - Joining the Strips

Part 4 - Finishing the Project

When my mother was a young woman sitting around her Uncle Henry's kitchen table, he taught her how to make hairpin lace. Every time I think of my great uncle, with his short, stubby aging fingers, handling a crochet hook, and patiently teaching his young protege, I smile. I would love to know how he learned, but alas, I never will. But even now, I love being able to trace this technique back to Uncle Henry, and have a true sense of the creative legacy we can impart on younger generations.

It has been a quarter century since my mom or I have used hairpin lace to make anything. Recently she decided to make each of her grandchildren afghans. While trying to decide on a pattern to use, I remembered this all but forgotten technique. My mom use to use 2 long knitting needles, pushed through 2 spacers my father had cut for her. We could not find these anywhere, so I purchased her a new set. And just because I was so excited to rediscover this technique, I got a set of hairpin lace needles (sometimes called a hairpin lace loom) for Michelle and myself. The pictures above are the start of an afghan I'm making for our home... although our 5 pound Yorkie, George, seems to have claimed it already!

This morning I'm heading over to mom's to have a cup of coffee, deliver the needles, and help refresh her memory of how to craft with them. I reminded her of how easy and fast it is to make hairpin lace, and she is anxious to get started. I'm having so much fun and think it is a technique that many of our readers would enjoy learning. With hairpin lace needles, you can create very thin, dainty lace to thick and warm lace great for afghans. So, if you are interested in learning a new technique, one that requires nothing more than being able to single crochet, you are in for a treat. By the end of the week, you may be starting your own hairpin lace project... and you can look heavenly and thank Uncle Henry! 
  

We are still very busy crafting Valentines Day decorations for the gnome house. Thought a festive rug or two would be a nice touch. Whenever I make my Rip and Tear Napkins, I always have a long, narrow strip of fabric left. One of the great ways to make use of this fabric, is to rip it into 1/2" strips and crochet with it like you would yarn. (Hint: Prewashing the material removes the sizing and makes it easier to work with.)   

To join the strips into one continuous piece, simply overlap the ends and sew together. You do not need to be neat. You'll never see it once you start crocheting.

This is so easy. To make a rug 5 1/2" x 5 1/2":

Using a crochet hook size US I, loosely chain 14.

Rows: Turn and chain 2. Double crochet into 3rd stitch and ever remaining stitch.

Repeat until 5 1/2".

Dah Tah... you are done. When crocheting, it doesn't matter whether the right or wrong side of the fabric is showing... the variation will just add to the interest of the finished rug. Obviously, this can be enlarged to make pot holders and even floor rugs. That's one of the projects I would like to tackle soon.

Just about everyone I know knits. If they didn't know how to before meeting me, chances are I'll be teaching them. Although I am a multi-crafter, knitting is often my "go to" craft I use for television watching, chatting with friends, or waiting in doctors' offices. It's neat, easy to pack up, and if you don't have a complex pattern, easy to do while you're doing something else. 

Over the holidays many evenings were spent around an open fire, where you could hear lively conversations and the clicking of knitting needles. On one such evening, Michelle found herself without a knitting project. She disappeared into my attic closet, and she returned with a basket full of yarn remnants and a pair of knitting needles. She informed me that this was now the Community Knitting Basket. She cast on 36 stitches, and started a scarf. She had gotten the idea from the book Weekend Knitting. Now, any guest in our house that finds herself without a knitting project, will be invited to pick up the scarf and continue knitting. It doesn't matter whether you're an experienced knitter, adding fancy stitches, or a beginner, turning out row after row of garter stitch, all knitters are welcome. And, if you don't know how to knit, we'll gladly show you!

Weekend Knitting suggested making a narrow ribbon, which could be used as a "memory ribbon" of sorts, reminding us of past projects and lovely friends. We liked that idea, but decided instead to make scarves. Then, next winter, we will donate our scarves of many colors and talents to a local shelter. I'm loving this idea!

EDIT: I'm thinking it might be fun to pack a Community Knitting Bag when I go somewhere that I know there will be a long wait... like a surgery waiting room. You can't imagine how many people have said to me, "Wish I thought to bring some knitting." Then, I could smile and ask if they'd like to add a bit to our community scarf!