Venetian Irish Crochet

[Laura Bullinger]

This is my hobby. I used size 20 threads. I someday plan to start using my stash of sizd 80 thread and my crochet hooks sizes 15 and 16!

[Jenny]

Laura, I have just started playing with Irish Crochet. I thought it was just making motifs & connecting them with a mesh, but reading an old DMC book I find out there is a great use of cording. I would love to see some of your work.

[Laura Bullinger]

This is a sampling of some 19th Century pattern copies that I made. Yes, Jenny, you are right to say that some of the Irish lace is made with a cord outline. It is a copy of a Duchess Lace or other lace with the cording. But not all Irish Lace is made that way. Originally it was a Cluny Crochet Lace, which is different from Cluny Lace itself. These examples are laces that have a Venetian Lace image and are cordless. Also, Irish crochet is done in either, padded, low-pad or no pad. I am still learning about it myself. I feel that it was any lace made by crochet hook as an attempt to create lace at little cost by a poor countryfolk. And in some books I have found that America is considered the origin of crochet lace! I am still investigating the different theories. There is a purse that I am making where each individual rose and leaf is made separately and then netted together., also Irish technique.

Laura Bullinger said:

[Jenny]

Thanks for the pic Laura. The book mark with the linked circles looks very interesting. In my surfing around the other day I found some examples of linked patterns similar to that one which I must try one day. They seem to be very old patterns. Was it difficult to do?

[Laura Bullinger]

No, not at all difficult - for those who prefer small hooks and finer yarns. I would say it is at level - intermediate.