This is the first few notes of "Ode to Joy".
Pattern:
Bobbins: 13 pairs (1 pair red, rest pink)
Style: Torchon
Stitches:
half stitch
cloth stitch
cloth stitch and twist
false gimp
reef or square knot
Details:
cloth stitch (green)
Torchon ground (grey)
Winkie pin twisted footside (grey)
Description:
Follow the links above for explanation of how to work the different parts of the lace.
The musical notes are made using a "false gimp". A gimp is a thicker thread which goes between the normal grid without using pins. It may start and finish in the middle of the lace. Here, a different coloured pair is used like a gimp (so I call it a false gimp). Each musical note starts on the left, at the top of the note. The new pair is hung from a pin, then worked using cloth stitch and twist (without using a pin) until the start of the square on the right. Then this pair becomes a worker pair to make the square in cloth stitch. The rows vary between 4 passives (top and bottom) and 2 pairs (middle). You will need to work a Torchon ground stitch on each side half way through to get the pairs for the bottom row. When the note is finished, tie off the extra pair using a reef knot (square knot). It may be hard to trim the excess thread at this point, but you can lay the threads backwards through the pins, to be out of the way of your working, until the lace is finished and the pins removed. Then trim the excess thread.
This pattern must be seen from the side you work it, or the notes are all wrong! And it starts with the fringe, which is a shame. Perhaps it would be better to have finished it with reef knots.
Here is a larger scale photo, to see the working:
© Jo Edkins 2024 - return to lace index