| |
Starting off hairpin lace using this traditional method may look awkward at first but after you've done it a couple of times it will be second nature. It's worth persevering with this method rather than placing an extra large slip knot over the fork as this gives a greatly superior finish to the ends of your lace.
1: Make a slip knot and place it on your crochet hook. |
| |
If you are using a U-shaped fork hold it with the open end at the bottom.
2: Hold the hook with the slip knot on it in front of your hairpin fork, at the centre. |
| |
3: Wind the yarn around the spoke on the right hand side of your fork, from front to back. |
| |
4: Catch the yarn with your hook and pull it through the slip knot. |
| |
5: *Pass your hook through the top of the fork and turn the fork one half a turn in a clockwise direction. Your yarn will automatically wind around the fork. |
| |
6: Yarn round hook and pull the thread through the loop on the hook. Put your crochet hook under the front strand of the loop that has just been created on the left hand side of the fork, yarn round hook, pull loop through. |
| |
7: Yarn round hook and pull through both loops on the hook (UK double crochet/US single crochet created) |
| |
8: Repeat from * until your fork is full. |
| |
9: If you have an old style fork with no stopper on the bottom you can let your braid slip off the bottom as you work. If not, remove the stopper, let all but the last three loops slip off the bottom, replace the stopper and keep working until your braid has the required number of loops on each side. |
| |
If desired you can thread a piece of waste yarn through the loops as you slip them off the fork. You can pull the waste thread through the loops with your crochet hook. |
| |
When your braid is the required length cut your yarn, thread it through the loop on your crochet hook and pull to finish off. |