Wriggley Octopus

Join me as I work one of my own line drawings into a lace pattern for the first time. This is how I decide where pins and colours belong. I use mostly Idrija techniques in this pattern because it is the only tape lace I have experience of at the moment. The Idrija Lace School's own books are an excellent resource for the different techniques.

Video here Wriggley Octopus Video

The techniques are from the first book from the Idrija Lace School which covers Narrow Tape. This uses just five pairs. One of the first techniques is the curve, this Octopus is a good practice piece to perfect different curves, and to make the different lengths and numbers of bars which hold the tentacles together. This piece was made in coloured thread, this presented some little tweaks to keep the colour where I wanted it. Normally, this lace would be made in one colour only, so there would be no need to consider some of the decisions I mention.

This piece is another of my tape lace designs, the other Adventurous Aquarium ones are shown here. All available via the links at the bottom of the page.

I made the pattern a little too large for the thread, but because I had no mentor to shout at me 😁 I substituted a standard Idrija 30 pair for a much thicker, variegated, glitter crochet pair. This would have needed a few extra twists to keep it out of the very tips of the pointed corners, but I chose to let it become part of the turning stitches and it worked well, the glitter pair being split as it approached the tip, and reuniting as it returned to the trail. Glitter thread is quite 'grabby' so care was taken throughout to tension (gently because fancy threads are often a bit stretchy) so that there were no little loops left in the trail.

Video link https://youtu.be/7TJu8L78Tj8

The downloadable .pdf pattern sheet is available in the Files tab on my Lesley's Lace facebook page.

The A4 .jpeg can be copied from here, or my Lesley's Lace facebook page.

Please always respect the copyright of the designer.

This pattern must only be shared in its original form and cannot be sold.

If you wish to teach from this, or any other of my free patterns, please ask for permission first.

If you wish to include any of my patterns in group newsletters or magazines, please ask first, and let me have a copy for my records.

Have fun!

Tiny Dragonfly Leaf

 

In April 2025 I released a Tiny Dragonfly design made to use up some thread ends.  

https://lesleyslace.blogspot.com/search?q=Tiny+Dragonfly

This was such a dainty thing on it's own that I redesigned the dragonfly which now sits on a leaf.  Very useful for using thread ends, some of which are even tied to more thread to make longer ends so there is enough to wind around the bobbin!  Waste not, want not😁

This can be make in all one colour, this will give more choice of how to make the crossings and joins.  The order of work diagram assume your colours follow my example.  

The DMC 50 thread added for the tallies is thinner than the ground pairs, this gives a smoother finish to tallies because it uses many more weaves. 

Option 1  The tallies can be made by adding an extra (third) pair of coloured thread which become the worker and centre passive,  the two plaited pairs are the passives. 

Option 2  To widen the tallies, another pair was laid alongside the outside passives after first working a few rows to keep the points narrow.  This thread was a thicker thread which is only carried a tiny distance before it is laid out before the last few rows are made.  This thicker thread is simply cut off close to the weave at top and bottom, it will disappear inside the weave but best to use a matching colour just to be safe. 

Option 3 The extra coloured pair can be tied off, taken into the edge and thrown out, threaded back up the tally with a needle, or by using a magic thread when joining the extra working pair. 

Option 4 I chose a half stitch for the centre of the body, this can be replaced with worker twists, seed beads or kiss stitches. 

 The downloadable .pdf pattern sheet is in the Files tab on my Lesley's Lace facebook page.

The A4 .jpeg can be copied from here, or my Lesley's Lace facebook page.

Please always respect the copyright of the designer.

This pattern must only be shared in its original form and cannot be sold.

If you wish to teach from this, or any other of my free patterns, please ask for permission first.

If you wish to include any of my patterns in group news letters or magazines, please ask first, and let me have a copy for my records.

Have fun!