Triangular ground is a Torchon ground or open part of lace. One unit of triangular ground needs four pairs on bobbins, two on each side. The Dutch for this ground is Driehoeksgrond. This is also called pagoda ground. See pattern 33.
Pattern representation of triangular ground
I'm not sure what the pattern of triangular ground is, but I assume small triangles. I prefer to mark out exactly where the pairs go - see above right. You may feel that makes it more confusing! But in fact, once you've grasped how triangular ground works, it is a help to have a clue on the pattern which pair should go where.
Triangular ground can point in either direction, so the pattern must show the direction.
The diagram below shows one unit of triangular ground. It shows each thread as a line, with the different pairs different colours. There are two types of stitches in triangular ground, cloth stitch and twist pair. The details of each stitch are not shown in detail below - follow the links in the previous sentence if you are not familiar with them.
|
|
Working: 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 middle two pairs in cloth stitch, and pin between them. Take the right pair as a worker pair, and work it across the other three pairs in cloth stitch. Pin between that worker pair and the pair next to it. Work the worker pair back across the three other pairs in cloth stitch. Pin between the middle two pairs (a tricky pin, this - it is not next to the worker pair, which you might expect). Work the middle two pairs in cloth stitch. Now twist all pairs (they have been all worked in cloth stitch, and you need to twist them before they do any other stitch).
The right pair (both before and after the triangle has been worked) has to travel further than the other pairs, so you may prefer to twist it an extra time both before and after. That has happened in the photo, but not the diagram. It's not really that important! The pair has to travel further because there is a missing pin. There would normally be four, but a triangle has three. After all, you cannot have a triangle with four corners!
This describes triangles pointing left. It is possible, of course, to have triangles pointing right. The change in the description is that you take the left pair as workers to work across the rest and back, and the second pin is on the right. The diagram below shows this.
|
|
Triangular ground looks difficult and I get nervous when starting it, but soon fall into the rhythm of it. Oddly enough, I do not tend to make mistakes in it (unlike rose ground!) One problem is working out how one unit of triangular ground fits into the next. Probably the best thing is to concentrate on one unit at a time, starting at the top. Sort out which pairs you are using for this unit, and start working. Use the line drawing on the pattern (if you are using that) to check that the threads do, in fact, lie along the lines that they are supposed to.
Triangular ground is called that because it makes triangles. You can develope the idea to make bigger triangles. I'm not sure whether it would make a good ground! But as a feature set in Torchon ground, it is quite attractive. It's called "pagoda" because it looks a bit like that, if you turn it round.
I am not going to do an animation of this! Too many stitches.
By the way, I suggest multiple twists below. This is because a pair of threads has to travel some way. The precise number of twists doesn't matter, but it may need more than one.
The 3 tier pagoda sits within a diamond of 5 x 5 pins. The first and last of these form a Torchon ground frame, and don't form part of the pagoda, so I haven't numbered them. The relevant pairs are 1L, 2L, 3L and 4L coming in from the left, and 1R, 2R, 3R and 4R coming in from the right.
Work 1L and 1R in cloth stitch, and put a pin between them (t1 - top pin 1).
Twist 2R, and then work it across 1L and 1R (cloth stitch) so it is next to 2L. Work 2L and 2R in cloth stitch, and put a pin between them (t2).
Twist 3R twice, and then work it across 1L, 1R, 2L and 2R (cloth stitch) so it is next to 3L. Work 3L and 3R in cloth stitch, and put a pin between them (t3). You are now halfway!
Work 3R and 3L in cloth stitch, then work 3R across 2R, 2L, 1R and 1L (cloth stitch) Twist 3R three times.
Pin between 2R and 2L (b2), then work them in cloth stitch. Then work 2R across 1R and 1L (cloth stitch) Twist 2R twice.
Pin between 1R and 1L (b1), then work them in cloth stitch. Then work 2R across 1R and 1L (cloth stitch) Twist 1R and 1L.
Finished!
The 4 tier pagoda sits within a diamond of 6 x 6 pins. The first and last of these form a Torchon ground frame, and don't form part of the pagoda, so I haven't numbered them. The relevant pairs are 1L, 2L, 3L and 4L coming in from the left, and 1R, 2R, 3R and 4R coming in from the right.
Work 1L and 1R in cloth stitch, and put a pin between them (t1 - top pin 1).
Twist 2R, and then work it across 1L and 1R (cloth stitch) so it is next to 2L. Work 2L and 2R in cloth stitch, and put a pin between them (t2).
Twist 3R twice, and then work it across 1L, 1R, 2L and 2R (cloth stitch) so it is next to 3L. Work 3L and 3R in cloth stitch, and put a pin between them (t3).
Twist 4R three times, and then work it across 1L, 1R, 2L, 2R, 3L and 3R (cloth stitch) so it is next to 4L. Work 4L and 4R in cloth stitch, and put a pin between them (t4). You are now halfway!
Work 4R and 4L in cloth stitch, and then work 4R across 3R, 3L, 2R, 2L, 1R and 1L (cloth stitch) Twist 4R four times times.
Pin between 3R and 3L (b3 - bottom pin 3), then work them in cloth stitch. Then work 3R across 2R, 2L, 1R and 1L (cloth stitch) Twist 3R three times.
Pin between 2R and 2L (b2), then work them in cloth stitch. Then work 2R across 1R and 1L (cloth stitch) Twist 2R twice.
Pin between 1R and 1L (b1), then work them in cloth stitch. Then work 2R across 1R and 1L (cloth stitch) Twist 1R and 1L.
Finished!
© Jo Edkins 2016 - return to lace index
