Broomstick Lace (Jiffy Lace)

Broomstick Lace is normally listed under crochet, although the needle used looks like a very large knitting needle. You also need a crochet hook. I use a #50 jiffy lace needle, sometimes called a "pin," and for the samples below I used an I crochet hook. The pin used here is a hollow plastic cylinder roughly just over 13" long, 1" in diameter, and a circumference of about 3.25".

When searching for a broomstick lace pin, you might look under knitting needles. I find the #50 best but have used the #35 on occasion.

I found a 14" Luxite® Single Point Knitting Needle - Sz. 50 at Herrschners: http//www.herrschners.com/products/product.aspx?sku=010475&id=296&tab=

And at Annie's Attic:
14-Inch Knitting Needles  http//www.anniesattic.com/detail.html?prod_id=15207
Big Knitting Needles Size 50 (14 inches)   http//www.anniesattic.com/detail.html?prod_id=16575

I can't guarantee those items will remain at those stores, but if you look for a #50 knitting needle, they should be available at most craft stores.

Pattern variations: You can change the look of your broomstick lace afghan by changing colors to make stripes. You can make it wider by using a longer needle, even a real broomstick cut to the size you want and shaped to a point at the end to make it easier to get your yarn off the needle. Be sure to sand it down so you don’t get splinters—in your fingers or your work.

Note that all rows are worked on the RIGHT side. Never turn work. Each row has two "halves" so to speak.

You begin by using the crochet hook to make a foundation chain the length you want your project to be—multiples of 5 have worked the best for me and that is what I used for the sample pattern below. If you don't know how to make a chain, then you need to refer to my tutorial on making the foundation chain. For this project, you will need to know how to make a chain and also single crochet. Then come back here and go on. :-)

Pattern abbreviations:
hk - hook
sc - single crochet
yo - yarn over

Sample pattern:
Chain  15 (or multiple of 5)

Row 1, first half:

Take your foundation chain and pull last loop made onto the #50 needle (broomstick lace pin).

*Insert crochet hook into next ch, pull loop up and place onto needle — use any method that will pull the yarn through and up without twisting (my method: I insert hk into ch face down, grab the yarn and pull it through and up, placing it onto needle)

Repeat from * until all chains are on needle. You should have the same number of loops on your needle as the chains that you made. In other words, if you chained 15, you will have 15 loops on your needle.  If you don’t, then you made an error somewhere. Rip it back and redo. You must use a multiple of 5 for this to work in this pattern. In other patterns you can use multiples of any number you like to make your "lace" thicker or thinner.

Row 1, second half:

insert hk under the first 5 loops on needle. I do it this way—grab hold of the first five loops, pull them up slightly and slip hk under them (from right to left). Other folks may do it differently. Hold the loops together as one group.	YO	and pull yarn under the group
yo	ch 1 at the top of the group	slip group off needle.
Work 5 sc in center space of group—(right pic)	*insert hk through next 5 loops on needle as before	YO and pull yarn under the group, slip group off needle (2 loops on hk)
YO	draw through 2 loops on hk for first sc	Make 4 more sc in center space of group

This is your pattern. You would rep from * until all loops are off needle. In this case, you should have 15 sc, 3 groups. DO NOT TURN.

Row 2, first half

Place last st from hk onto needle,	* working from left to right, insert hk under back loop only of next sc
draw loop through (don’t twist),	slip loop onto needle,
rep from * to end. 15 loops on needle.

Row 2, second half. Same as second half of Row 1.

Finish off, just as you would normal crochet. You will have just completed single crochets on your last grouping, cut yarn at least 4-6" and then pull through. Sew in any remaining ends.

 


  
02/15/2005

The buttons above were my first at the Cabana. I keep them for sentimental reasons. :-)

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