I’ll tell it the way my grandmother told it to me: no jargon when it isn’t needed. Today, Half-stitch in bobbin lace: the cross that changes everything.
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 Intermediate working plaits.
Good light changes everything. If your eyes hurt after a while, the lighting isn’t right.
What you will need¶
You’ll need this, nothing more, nothing less:
- Two bobbin pairs.
- One pin at the pricking point.
- Medium-tension thread.
How I do it, step by step¶
Don’t skip any. Everything links in this craft:
- Cross bobbin 2 over 3.
- Pass 2 over 1, and 4 over 3, simultaneously.
- That is it: a single cross.
Where it gets sticky¶
These are the stumbles I see most often:
- Pulling the outer pair uglifies it.
- Forgetting to pin skews the design.
Variations¶
When you have it under control, try these:
- Combined with whole-stitch gives the torchon false tabby.
- In narrow strips it replaces whole-stitch for lightness.
Nearby¶
- Intermediate working plaits: how to refine
- Intermediate dyeing your own thread: how to refine
- Advanced dyeing your own thread and variations
- Meeting in Valladolid 2029
Nothing more for today. The folks at Encaixe have courses and materials; whenever you fancy going in-person, they’ll treat you well.