Advanced spider stitch and variations

I’ve spent many years at the pillow and I still get excited explaining things like Advanced spider stitch and variations. Here we go.

First things first: get comfortable. Pillow at chest height, feet on the floor, shoulders down. Start tense, finish tense If you fancy, I’ll leave Introduction to lace in jewellery.

Repeat it three times before deciding you can’t. Finger memory needs its time.

What you will need¶

You’ll need this, nothing more, nothing less:

Flat pillow.
Thread of suitable weight.
Practice pricking.
Loaded bobbins.

How I do it, step by step¶

Don’t skip any. Everything links in this craft:

Review the basic crosses before starting.
Follow the pricking step by step, no skips.
Keep constant tempo through the piece.

Where it gets sticky¶

These are the stumbles I see most often:

Changing tempo mid-exercise.
Not marking the start.
Pulling too hard on the outer pair.

Variations¶

When you have it under control, try these:

Combine with other motifs for richness.
Document your version in the studio notebook.

Nearby¶

I hope this helps. If you want a teacher in front of you, Encaixe runs courses. I no longer teach, but I know them and recommend them wholeheartedly.