Tip- Rein in That Unruly PC!

Maire Treanor recommends using no more than a couple feet of PC at a time, because longer lengths can get in the way of your work.  I agree, but sometimes I find that even 2 feet of PC can be unruly!  Sally has given us a wonderful tip to quickly contain your pesky PC.  Thank you to Sally!  You are a genius!  She uses a small hair clip to keep her PC in order.

Use a hair clip to contain your PC.

If you don't have a clip, you can tie a little skein.  I think some people call it a butterfly.  Not as easy as Sally's method but it works too.

Wind yarn around fingers.

Here is your wound PC, a baby skein.

Place working thread behind skein, leaving a loop.

Using working thread, pull up a loop over front of skein and through loop just made.

Pull this thread UP to tighten.  Not the working end.

Tah-dah!  Pull the working thread to un-do.  It's basically a slip-knot over the skein.

Do you have a tip or trick to make your IC work go more smoothly?  Let us know!!!

Modern Lace--Kim's Espadrilles

Over on the Ravelry Group, Irish Crochet Lovers, some of us were chatting about what we do with all of our loose little motifs from practice, and from the CAL's.  Some folks keep a sample book and some make jewelry or embellish items.  Melba is making a fabulous bag, using a thrift-store purse and motifs in shades of brown.  I have been keeping all of my motifs in a ziplock baggie, saving them for....I don't know what!  I couldn't think of a project for them, as they are all different figures and weights of thread.  I like symmetry and using them in a joined piece would mean that I would have to make more of them to balance out my design.  I was feeling a little lazy about that.  During our chat I looked down at my feet, and lo and behold, inspiration struck!  I was wearing my cheapie espadrilles that I bought on clearance at Target.  Then and there I arranged some motifs on my toes and sewed them onto the canvas!  I received many compliments the next morning at the school run.  What do YOU do with all of your motifs?  Leave a comment below to help out the rest of us!  ~~Kim

IC Tips-Hook and Thread Size Guide

Chart from Maire Treanor’s book “Clones Lace”, currently available from her website:

Thread          Hook              Irish-UK     US
#10               1.50mm              10            12
#20               1.0 or 1.25mm    12            13
#40               0.75mm              13            13 
#60               0.60mm              14            14 
#80               0.50mm              15            15 
#100             0.50 or 0.40mm   16            16

This is for general guidance. Always be ready to change your hook size to suit your individual tension and the motif you are making. Irish crochet, unlike many other forms of crochet, looks its best when worked to a firm tension.

“All the stitches in Irish lace must be firm and even, loose or ragged crochet makes inferior lace, wanting in crispness”, Needlecraft No 21, published by Manchester School of Embroidery. This is from the Introduction which has some useful tips on Irish crochet and is available for free download fromwww.antiquepatternlibrary.com

from pages, Irish Crochet Lovers Group on Ravelry