Asymmetrical Spider - pattern and workings.

I remade this Torchon style spider bookmark which I designed early on in my bobbin lace making journey and found that I still enjoyed a bit of Torchon after neglecting it for a few years in favour of Bedfordshire and Cluny type laces.

This little pattern uses asymmetrical blocks in different sizes.  Each block can have any treatment, I used rose ground in one of the blocks and a single rose in one of the smaller blocks.  This could easily have been worked by using the blocks just as samples of grounds in place of spiders.  

I wasn't happy with the points on the outside, but as I hadn't been making lace for long, and there were no instructions because I had just joined lots of spider squares together rather than using an existing pattern, I made it the best way I knew how at the time.

This second one turned out better.  Then I enlarged the pattern to make it with a thicker crochet 20 thread during a lace zoom on a live pillow.  Plenty of spiders to choose from so each bookmark is different.  

The edge involves carrying pairs as the sides zig zag in and out,but this doesn't affect the number of pairs throughout the whole length of the bookmark.  Using 6 pairs of passives to allow for three pairs down each side, the total number of pairs is 19 depending on what thickness of fancy thread you choose for the passives, and which edge stitch you choose.  

You can use any 'start at a point' you like, there are many to choose from.

I did it this way.  Hang 2 pairs of workers open and twist one side twice.

Place a temp pin below the top pin and hang 6 pairs open. These are the passives. 

Work one pair of workers through one side of the passives.  Repeat on other side. 

In the centre, cloth stitch and twist the two worker pairs under the temp pin in the middle.  Work back to the outside edges on both sides. Work the outside pin on each side.

Work back to the first proper inside pin with both workers, here you can cross the two worker pairs around the pin, or use the same pin twice.    Continue to work down the sides, adding the pairs needed for the first spider.  The temp pin can be left in place. 

The outside points do take a bit of work to keep the passives tucked up to the very corner of the point as they want to gravitate to the inside pin when tensioned, so I used a Honiton technique where, after working the pin, I made a single overhand knot after the first, and sometimes after the second pairs of passives too.  These knots help to restrain the passives  to the point when tensioning further down the sides. 

When the edges turn centerward, the passives from the spider legs have no pin to go to, they get worked alongside the passives for a short distance till you need them again.  This makes the passive trail a bit thicker around the inside bends but they snuggle up and soon go back into the pattern. 

Working the final edge trails on the last big spider, the legs get taken into the passive trail.  There are too many to carry without a strange, thick edge being made so it's time to throw some pairs out.  

When you have 5 pairs of passives in the trail, choose two alternate bobbins, not side by side ones, and lift them up and away from your work. So this on both sides. Don't cut them off yet.

To choose the right pair, use threads away from the edge where you are taking spider legs into the trail. Don't choose the very outside thread.

Lift your chosen bobbin and look underneath the thread, if you see the worker going sideways underneath, pick the next bobbin to it, look underneath and you will notice that it lifts the worker lying on top of it, this is the thread to throw out.  Pick the next alternate thread and both will have the worker going over the top.

When you get to where the final trails meet, divide the threads into two sides, choose a worker bobbin from each side and tie a knot.  Lift the bobbin bundle from each side in turn , (there is no need to keep these bobbins in any order so just grab them) and pass a worker around a bundle and lay back in the center, repeat on other side.  Tie a knot in the workers. 

Now the fun bit...

*Lift the left worker and pass around the right bundle, lift the right worker and pass around the left bundle, cross the two workers in the middle*.  Repeat from*to * for however long you want the double whipping to be. Tension and push up the workers every few turns.    Knot the workers at the centre to end it.  

Thread both workers onto a sewing needle and sew from above the knot, through the middle of a bundle.  This will anchor the worker threads and stop them sticking out from the knot.  Cut the free threads of the tail to desired length.

There will be a video on my Youtube channel on choosing threads for throwing outs, the start at a point, and the two sided whipped tail. 

See 'Files' tab in  Lesley's Lace Group on FB to download the .pdf