Tiny Honeycomb Heart

I originally designed this little heart to use up the threads left on my bobbins after making larger patterns.  It soon became a project in it's own right when l used different fillings, passive stitches, edges and threads. Keeping to the same 4cm outline pricking, it became a handy way of experimenting with different ways to fill a small, curved shape.

The Honeycomb ground filling is based on approx a 60 degree grid. This is a six sided grid instead of the 4 sided Torchon style grid.  I like to use half stitch and twist, pin, half stitch and twist, which creates two twists after the cross instead of the usual one.  This gives an even hole surround to the honeycomb holes.  This can be varied by using different combinations like two extra twists on the legs or around the pin, for a different effect.  Well worth experimenting with this very useful ground.

Honeycomb is made by working one part of the stitch on the first row, then on the return, the second part of the stitch. 

On this little heart pattern, the edge pins cannot line up exactly with the honeycomb grid, so you have to use some artistic licence. Offer the pair to the first available pin, and then to the next one along to see which looks best.  Remember, you may need the next pinhole for the next row, so that is something else to consider.  

Near to the edge, where there may be a very close line of honeycomb stitches, you can choose to miss these out and stretch the honeycomb to reach the edge, or work them to keep the ground close to the edge.

Curvy edges create the need to add, throw out, and carry pairs.  This means the edge should be able to hide them as you go along to avoid knots.  Cloth stitch passives are the most forgiving.   Work the edge passives and pick up the pair you want to carry or remove, continue to cloth stitch through these and work the outer edge pin.  

To 'bounce' a pair off the edge - Work the pin and either swap the worker with the ground pair, or return the pair to the ground after working the pin. 

   

To carry a pair- Work it in with the passives till the pair is at the pin where you want it to re-enter the ground.  This makes a slight difference in the thickness of the edge so you don't want to carry too many extra pairs.  

To remove a pair after working it into the passives from the ground - Pick the second and fourth bobbin from the outer passives (making sure they are the ones that don't show the worker underneath when you lift them, if they do, choose the third and fifth bobbin)  and lay these back by lifting them upwards and lying them above your work so they don't get in your way.    

Don't cut these off yet, if you have made a mistake, you can reverse your work and pop them back into place, but once cut off, you don't have this option. 

I made this large heart with crochet thread 20 to make it easier to see during a live pillow in a zoom group.  

 

Test before Investing in a Bolster Pillow

Two pairs of lovely Duchesse bobbins came into my possession which created a need to try out a bolster pillow.  All the sawdust and cutting straw put me off making one so I made this bolster pillow just to try out my 2 pairs with a little 2 pair pattern.  

It is not meant to be passed down the generations, or to do more than satisfy my curiosity as to whether I want to go down the path of using small numbers of bobbins and making tape laces, or do I stick with my favourite block pillows and loads of Midlands bobbins. 

Kitchen roll, cotton fabric, boiled wool blanket, pins.

Wrap the kitchen roll tightly in two or three wraps of the blanket, cutting the edge to the same width as the kitchen roll.  Tension and pin the end, sew to secure and remove pins.

Cut fabric to leave 6 to 8 inches over at each side, wrap around tightly and turn under the edge along the roll, pin in place.  I didn't plan to make lace over the pinned area, if you do, then simply sew this edge the same way as the blanket.  

Gather the excess fabric at one end, twist it around tightly and push it down into the centre of the roll.  

Stuff the fabric down into the roll by using up any scrap blanket trim, or socks, or similar to add weight to the roll, and to secure the ends.

At one end I squeezed in a small pin cushion, just the right size!  

Sit the bolster in a box, or roll a towel or blanket to make a long sausage and wrap it around to make a nest for the pillow to sit in. 

I drew a quick tester pattern for using the two pairs of bobbins I have, this was just to see how they handled. 

They behaved quite well.  Keeping track of 4 bobbins was easy enough.  The creases on the edge of the roll worked to hold the bobbins when I placed them over the sides. 

I tried a little bit with the bolster up on it's end. 

My little piece of tester two pair lace.  So far so good.  It feels strange to be a beginner again and have to learn how to handle bobbins in such a different way. 

 

This bolster pillow can be unwrapped, fabric reused, and the kitchen towel (although a little fluffier for being stabbed with pins) can be put to it's normal use.  A good way to test before investing.  

Single thread Picot Video

Single Thread Picot on YouTube

I made this video to remind myself a much as anything. A couple of times I have had to look up, or ask how to make, these little picots!

These single thread picots are very handy when making a plait which needs to stay in a curved shape ( a two thread picot usually gives a sharp bend to a plait). Also used for making crescent leaf tallies, and can be used multiple times along a plait without creating much disturbance to the appearance of the plait. When using thick thread, a two pair picot will be quite a large one. The single thread picot can be used around a fine pin, and doesn't need the twists to make it work as only one thread goes around the pin.

Single thread picot are handy when using thicker thread to avoid a large picot made when using the two loop method. Although this produces a single thread loop, two threads are used. patterns available at https://www.youtube.com/@LesleysLace https//www.facebook.com/lesleyfw

https://youtu.be/P--z4h_GRL0?si=T13_8HNZkJbvL10a