Click here for the conventional way to do solid cloth stitch.
Click here for the conventional way to do solid half stitch.
Read these before reading this page.
Conventional (left - pattern 20) and alternative (right - pattern 159)
A conventional Torchon cloth shape is worked in rows of either cloth stitch or half stitch. The standard shapes, such as diamonds, have only diagonal edges. This means that at the end of every row, either a passive pair is added from outside the shape, or one of the passive pairs inside the shape is discarded. The same worker pair is used throughout. So, at the end of every row, if necessary, an outside pair is added to the passives. The worker pair and the end passive pair work a stitch, then a pin is put in between them, then another stitch is worked with the same two pairs. If a pair had not come in from outside, then the edge pair is discarded at this point. These are illustrated below (for cloth stitch):
There is an alternative treatment at the pin. Instead of stitch, pin, stitch, there is just one stitch, with a pin in the middle. These are illustrated below (for cloth stitch):
For cloth stitch, this would be half stitch, pin, cross. This is illustrated below.
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Half stitch cannot have a pin in the middle! So for this method, the stitch at the pin is just half stitch, pin. (But note - no second half stitch!)
This method means less stitches at the pin, so it looks less bulky, and more balanced. But it does mean that the workers keep changing!
© Jo Edkins 2016 - return to lace index
