This Filet Crochet Tutorial has been a long time coming &, to those of you who have been waiting for it, please accept my apologies… I have to admit that writing the instructions in ‘plain speak’ for easy understanding proved to be a bit more challenging than working the actual technique itself…
Filet crochet lace is possibly one of the easiest techniques to master. Most of you will recognise Filet as fine lace like items such as: curtains, tablecloths & runners, or ground fabric for Irish lace motifs traditionally worked in cotton thread with a steel hook… it’s delicate, old-world & lovely.
However, if you take it a step further, Filet also makes a fabulous ground fabric for your Freeform motifs, or scarves & shawls, when worked in 8 ply (or your yarn of choice) with an appropriate hook – traditionalist may cringe at this but most of you know my approach by now… I like to mixed it up & give anything a try…
In any case, whether you want to work traditionally or venture out & experiment, the basics for Filet are the same… I hope this comprehensive tutorial gives you everything you need, from reading charts to working an armhole on a vest, & becomes a good reference point that leads the way into this age-old technique.
Patterns are presented to the reader as charts or grids instead of written patterns so with a bit of graph paper you can even create your own designs if you have a mind to.
You can purchase the pattern from here,
The Filet crochet tutorial (17 pages) takes you through the basics of Filet Crochet in both written (UK & US terminology) & diagram form & covers the following:
- How to read charts (graphs) – (pg 2)
- Determining the number of chains required for foundation chain – (pg 2)
- What is a Space, Block, Lacet & Bar– (pg 3)
- Stitch Abbreviations – (pg 3)
- Stitch Guide (written & drawings): slip st, dc (US sc), tr (US dc) – (pg 4)
- Stitch Guide continued: dtr (US tr), trtr (US dtr) – tr decrease (US dc decrease) – (pg 5)
- Basic Filet Mesh Lace (written, diagram & drawing): spaces & blocks – (pg 6)
- Basic Filet mesh lace continued: Lacets & bars – (pg 7)
- Shaping: increasing space at beginning & end of row – (pg 8)
- Shaping continued: decreasing space at beginning & end of row, increasing block at beginning & end of row, decreasing block at beginning & end of row – (pg 9)
- Shaping for Garments: increasing blocks at beginning & end of rows – (pg 10)
- Shaping for garments continued: increasing spaces at beginning & end of rows – (pg 11)
- Shaping for garments continued: decreasing & decreasing blocks at beginning & end of rows – (pg-12)
- Three super easy projects to get you started
- Book Mark (chart & photo) – (pg 13)
- Scarf (photo & chart) – (pg 14)
- Purse – (chart, photo, written, diagrams, drawings) (pg 15 to 17)
