Grandma Smith's Crochet - Decoding her patterns and General Instructions

The articles which follow are Grandma’s crochet patterns written out as text. These were done by examining Grandma’s Pattern Swatches and samples closely and writing instructions out in typical written crochet pattern style. The pictures accompanying each pattern in the instructions are my own crocheted copies of Grandma’s Pattern Swatches.

The patterns are named after women in Grandma Smith’s family.

Below are  abbreviations and general instructions for completing the patterns.



Abbreviations:
ch = chain – wrap thread over hook and draw through the loop on the hook
sc = American single crochet – insert the hook in the stitch or loop indicated (the foundation), wrap thread over the hook and draw the thread up through the foundation (two loops on the hook), wrap thread over the hook and draw through both loops on the hook
dc = American double crochet – wrap thread over the hook once, then insert the hook in the stitch or loop indicated (the foundation), wrap thread over the hook and draw the thread up through the foundation (three loops on the hook), * wrap thread over the hook and draw through two loops on the hook, repeat from * one more time
tr = American treble crochet – wrap thread over the hook twice, then insert the hook in the stitch or loop indicated (the foundation), wrap thread over the hook and draw the thread up through the foundation (four loops on the hook), * wrap thread over the hook and draw through two loops on the hook, repeat from * two more times
dtr = American double treble crochet – wrap thread over the hook three times, then insert the hook in the stitch or loop indicated (the foundation), wrap thread over the hook and draw the thread up through the foundation (five loops on the hook), * wrap thread over the hook and draw through two loops on the hook, repeat from * three more times
sl st = slip stitch – insert the hook in the stitch or loop indicated (the foundation), wrap thread over the hook and draw the thread up through the foundation and also through the existing loop on the hook in one stroke
lp = loop
sp = space
( ... ) 3 times = do what you see in the parentheses three times
in next ch 2 sp ( ....) = in the next chain-2 space do what you see in the parentheses

Make lace in sufficient lengths for the piece you wish to trim. Make lace for pillowcases in pairs so a double bed can have matching pillowcases. Allow for shrinkage in both the lace and the item to be trimmed. The best way to do this is to pre-shrink the item you are trimming by washing and drying it in the normal manner. The first time you make a crocheted lace pattern that is worked back and forth until it is the length desired, make the crocheted trim a few inches longer than desired (15% longer) . Don't fasten off the live end tightly. Measure before shrinking, then shrink the item by agitating it in a bowl of very hot water for a minute and then let it sit in the water for 5 min. Squeeze the water out by hand then squeeze the lace in a dry towel, then lay it on a smooth surface to dry and relax to a “normal” length. Don't stretch it-- just let it find its natural length. Measure the shrinkage amount as a percent and write this down so you know it for the next piece. After shrinking the lace piece in this way, it should still be slightly too long... unravel the last bit until it is of the length desired. Make sure you end on a pattern repeat. When sewing, you can overlap the ends or slightly gather the lace in a bit to make it fit. If you are making a lace that starts with crocheting a foundation chain of the the desired finished length you must make a test swatch of about 10”, shrink it and dry it as above and then calculate the shrinkage ratio in order to figure out how many stitches to make in your foundation chain to get the desired length.

Note: pillowcases vary in size slightly. Older pillowcases you might already have in your linen closet may measure 19” in the short dimension, but pillowcases in stores today measure as much as 22” or more (your mileage may vary; remember you have to double this to go completely around the edge of the pillowcase) .

Fasten off and weave in the ends. Block the lace by pinning it to shape (use your ironing board or a styrofoam board covered with fabric), without stretching. Put pins in strategic locations to shape corners, make picots and loops stand out, and generally even things out. Hold a steam iron over the work very closely. Avoid actually pressing it as this flattens out the 3D shape of it. Let the steam flow over it to heat and moisten the lace. Allow to dry thoroughly and unpin.

Attach lace to the item you wish to trim using regular white polyester cotton-covered sewing thread and an even whipstitch, with stitches 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch apart. Don't pull stitches so tightly that the work puckers. Pin the lace before sewing. Take care not to stretch the lace. When gifting a lace-trimmed item to another, be sure to tell the recipient that when the item wears out the lace can be removed and sewn onto a new item. To remove the lace, snip the whipstitch carefully in one place and then use the head of a needle to pull out the stitching, stitch by stitch. Don't try to snip each stitch because of the risk of snipping the crocheted lace, which will then unravel. Don't assume the re-usability of the lace is obvious, particularly to someone who does not do needlework themselves. To account for the variability in dimensions of items to be trimmed, you might consider making lace a little longer than necessary and overlapping or folding back ends

In the pages that follow, the pictures are those of my own pattern swatches copied from Grandma Smith’s work. These were the results of testing the written instructions gleaned from examining Grandma’s work.