This is (I think) the ground called, in Spanish, punto de ajedrez, which means "chess ground". I assume that this refers to a chessboard. The pattern in English is more usually called chequerboard (or checker board) as checkers, or draughts, is played on the same board. So I'm calling it chequerboard ground. One unit of chequerboard ground needs four pairs on bobbins, two on each side. See pattern 296.
Pattern representation of chequerboard ground
I'm not sure what the traditional pattern of chequerboard ground is. I think the ground is similar to rose ground, but with the centres filled in, so my version is as above.
The diagram below shows one unit of chequerboard ground. It shows each thread as a line, with the different pairs different colours. Checkerboard ground has a rather strange stitch at each pin. It is half stitch, pin, cross (CT pin C). You could describe it as cloth stitch with a pin in the middle
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Working: You will find this explanation easier if you are used to rose ground.
You start with 4 pairs, 2 on one side and 2 on the other. Make sure that all pairs are twisted before you start.
Work the left two pairs in half stitch. Work the right two pairs in half stitch. (These are equivalent to the corner 'cross-overs' in rose ground - there is no pin).
Middle two pairs: - half stitch, pin, cross
Left two pairs: - half stitch, pin, cross
Right two pairs: - half stitch, pin, cross
Middle two pairs: - half stitch, pin, cross
Left two pairs: - twist both pairs (as we are leaving a block of cloth stitch)
Right two pairs: - twist both pairs
Work the left two pairs and the right two pairs in half stitch, as the bottom 'cross-overs'. This starts the next units on each side.
There is a video for punto de ajedrez on YouTube (click here). The explanation is in Spanish, but a Spanish speaker kindly translated it for me:
The stitch uses 4 pairs.
1. TC pairs 3 and 4, then do the same with pairs 1 and 2, and finally with the two center pairs. Place the top pin.
2. TC pairs 3 and 4, do the same with pairs 1 and 2. With the center pairs, CTC.
3. Twist pair 4 and place the pin that goes on the right arm of the cross. This pin is placed to the left of pair 4 (not between the threads). Do the same with pair 1, placing the left arm pin to the right of the pair threads.
Now comes the tricky part.
4. From pair 1, take the right bobbin and pass it over and under the threads of pair 2. From pair 4, take the left bobbin and pass it under and over the threads from pair 3.
5. Take the two center bobbins (the ones we just crossed) and C (left over right). Place the bottom pin above where this pair has crossed (not below the cross, as is usually done).
6. TC with pairs 1 and 2, and do the same with 3 and 4.
And that's it! The instructions stop there, so I assume one just proceeds to whatever is next afterwards.
That uses the style of lace working where half stitch is TC rather than CT. I drew out the stitches to understand it, and found that the complex description, involving a single bobbin at one point, reduced to a much simpler description, which I have given above. I would summarise this as "Basically rose ground, but with half stitch cross-overs rather than cloth stitch and twist (which does happen in some variants of rose ground), and cloth stitch at the pins rather than cloth stitch and twist - the pin happening in the middle of the stitch. Oh yes, and since you're doing cloth stitch at the pins, you need to do twists after putting in all the pins, before the bottom cross-overs." (If you don't know rose ground, that explanation may sound a bit confusing!)
However, my CT version did have one problem. TC and CT can describe the same stitches, but they start in different places. So I was not sure is the cross-overs were half stitch, or cloth stitch and twist. I would vastly prefer cloth stitch and twist, as it is closer to the version of rose ground that I do, and also it means that the bobbins stay in their original pairs. This is not so important for European lacemakers, but us Brits, with our bobbins spangled in pairs - well, it does make life easier! So I tried a variant with cloth stitch and twist cross-overs.
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Working: You start with 4 pairs, to on one side and 2 on the other. Make sure that all pairs are twisted before you start.
Work the left two pairs in cloth stitch and twist. Work the right two pairs in cloth stitch and twist. These are the cross-overs (no pins).
Middle two pairs: - half stitch, pin, cross
Left two pairs: - half stitch, pin, cross
Right two pairs: - half stitch, pin, cross
Middle two pairs: - half stitch, pin, cross
Left two pairs: - twist both pairs (as we are leaving a block of cloth stitch)
Right two pairs: - twist both pairs
Work the left two pairs and the right two pairs in cloth stitch and twist, as the bottom 'cross-overs'. This starts the next units on each side.
Regrettably, looking at the photos, I think that the top version is the correct one. However, the versions are similar, and I find this second one is easier to work. See pattern 296 for a comparison of the two.
© Jo Edkins 2017 - return to lace index
