introduction . what a world of graceful accomplishment lies in a piece of finely worked hand-made lace ! the very word lace has a charming derivation , stemming through the old French las , coming from the Latin laqueus , a snare , allied to lacere , to entice . certainly all who make a study of lace-craft become enmeshed in a highly coloured history - a pattern of proud queens and pious ecclesiastics , of statesmen , burghers and poor , under-privileged people . all the human passions are drawn in its threads , from saintliness to downright sinfulness , for it shows the smuggler running laces for a lady and the highwayman meeting death upon the gallows in a fine show of hand-made lace . as to the origins of lace-making in this country , they are difficult to trace , but we know that it existed in the thirteenth century by virtue of an old rule for English nuns , cautioning them against devoting too much time to lace-making to the detriment of the poor ! the earliest laces that survive today are , in fact , almost invariably those made by nuns for use on Church linen and vestments . it was n&apos;t long , however , before less pious hands took up the lovely craft of lace-making . lace became the servant of vanity and lent its rich decoration to robes and dresses and one thinks particularly of the extravagant Elizabethan ruffs and Carolean collars . under Cromwell lace was dismissed as ungodly - at least for the middle and lower classes . but the puritan beauties managed to salve their consciences and at the same time indulge their love for beautiful lace by representing subjects from the scriptures in their designs - religious petticoats , scoffed the satirists of the day . we know from the diaries of Samuel Pepys that he was a great man for lace - paying as much as &amp;pound;3 for a lace collar . but this did n&apos;t mean he was prepared to do as much for his lady , for he records testily : my wife and I fell out about my not being willing to have her gown laced . we read , with sympathy , an advertisement in the reign of Charles 2 stating : lost : a lawn handkercher with a broad hem laced round with fine point lace about four fingers broad and among the effects left by Nell Gwyn is an unpaid bill for scarlet satin shoes with silver lace . the records of these tender trifles are very touching but then lace does place upon everything a delicate sentiment . lucky indeed are the families that possess a heritage of lace . a lace bridal veil handed down from mother to daughters , a lace-trimmed christening robe that each generation wears in turn - these are proud possessions , linked to the exquisite lace-making of the past . but lace-making is by no means a lost art . it suffered a decline and fell into lamentably low standards in the fussy over-furnishing of the Victorian age but it would take more than a temporary lapse in good taste to destroy this lovely , viable craft . it has , in fact , readily adapted itself to modern tastes and the illustrations in the following pages will show how completely it is in sympathy with contemporary surroundings . it will be seen how , with bold design and rich colour , knitting , crochet and tatting in fine and medium-weight cottons can give striking individuality to many things in the home . chairbacks , cushions , tablecloths , to mention only three - how satisfying it is to avoid the ready-made in these and by one &apos;s own handiwork produce something that reflects true creative talent . the more delicate patterns and finer threads may be reserved to bring a light and lovely touch to personal possessions - a lace border to a handkerchief , fine-lace insertion on a petticoat or blouse , a tatted edge to a collar ; these add a charming , feminine distinction that nothing else can give . although we assess lace-making as one of the feminine skills , a number of the well-loved traditional patterns that we follow today were , in fact , the brain-children of inventive men . for in the old order of things , men designed and worked lace as well as women and special schools were set up to teach lace-making not only to young girls , but to little boys as well . whole families made their livelihood by lace-making and consequently a folklore of song , festival and courtship grew up around the lace industry . those who are interested in its history will enjoy reading about the charming coquetteries the lace-makers practised . that their work required smooth white hands and delicate fingers gave them a refinement apart from the rest of the community . in presenting this book of lace-craft today , we remember with deep gratitude all who gave their skills to lace design and lace making . not only do we remember them for their great accomplishments in a hard-working lifetime but we are grateful that they handed on their knowledge to others . for the whole structure of the craft is founded on inherited skills . we who love lace-craft hope that you will enjoy the work that this book offers in such variety - but at the same time , may we make a plea that you will also guide other hands to pick up the threads ? only with the knowledge handed down by mother to daughter , by teacher to pupil , can this fascinating and deeply satisfying craft continue to give its rewards to younger generations . crochet stitches . the art of crochet is very old indeed , but from the details available it has never been possible to give any accurate information as to its history . it would appear to have been associated with France , as its name is in fact the French word for hook , and a small hook is used in the making of crochet lace . during the sixteenth century a considerable amount of crochet was produced in the convents of Europe . without doubt it was the nuns who carried the craft to Ireland . there it was developed into quite an elaborate and distinctive form with rosettes , leaves and lace fillings . during the time of Victoria this gentle craft was greatly abused . one can remember with horror the pictures of the overcrowded and over-embellished drawing-rooms complete with heavy crochet antimacassars , mantelpiece covers with a fringing of clumsy bobbles and numerous other crocheted pieces . it was some years after the Victorian period that designers realised the potentialities of the craft , and crochet was revived with designs suitable for contemporary trends . crochet today has a variety of uses , and has even stepped into the field of high fashion . in some of the elegant boutiques of Paris hand-crocheted blouses , gossamer fine in texture , are sold at a very high price . with a little time and concentration the woman at home can produce fashion articles as elegant as those of Paris - a blouse , delicate gloves or a fine edging for collar , cuffs or a handkerchief . in the home , crochet lace can be used to make tablecloths , traycloths and runners , and edgings from heavy to fine can fulfil a variety of functions . the art of crochet is not difficult and it is reasonably quick to work . in the following pages simple diagrams and instructions are given to enable the beginner to master all the essential crochet stitches . from these a selection of designs are included which show the use of the individual stitches . finally , notes and designs are included on all the various styles of crochet , motifs , edgings , doilies , filet crochet , church laces , pineapple pattern and Irish crochet . crochet abbreviations . ch - chain ; ss - slip stitch ; dc - double crochet ; hlf tr - half treble ; tr - treble ; dbl tr - double treble ; trip tr - triple treble ; quad tr - quadruple treble ; quint tr - quintuple treble ; rnd - round ; blk - block ; sp - space ; st ( s ) - stitch ( es ) . &amp;ast; ( asterisk ) : repeat the instructions following the asterisk as many more times as specified , in addition to the original . sometimes in the directions you will see the following phrases : 1 . repeat from &amp;ast; across . 2 . repeat from &amp;ast; all round . 3 . repeat from &amp;ast; 3 ( or any number ) times more . in Nos 1 and 2 follow the directions from the first to the last &amp;ast; ( asterisk ) completely across row or all round . in no 3 follow the directions from the first &amp;ast; ( asterisk ) as many times as specified . repeat instructions in parentheses as many times as specified . for example , ( 5 ch , 1 dc in next dc ) 5 times means to make all in parentheses 5 times in all . inserting crochet into linen . first launder crochet and then pin to the required shape , ensuring that all lines of the crochet are accurate . place crochet in correct position on linen and secure with pins . run a line of basting stitches on the linen following the outline of the crochet edges which are to be attached to the linen . remove crochet . two methods can be used to join the crochet to the linen : ( a ) . button stitch round the outline of basting stitches , the knotted part of the button stitch lying on the outside edge . oversew crochet to button stitch . ( b ) . turn under a small hem , with fold lying on line of basting stitches . work a row of dc all round this hem , with 3 dc at each corner . oversew crochet to the dc . Coats Mercer-Crochet . a household word , Coats Mercer-Crochet possesses qualities which are of the utmost importance to the worker . it washes beautifully , never loses its colour nor becomes stringy , is very elastic and preserves the beauty of the design . it is easy to work with , soft , glossy and of uniform thickness - it is the ideal crochet thread . obtainable in the following shades : . how to turn your work . in crochet a certain number of chain stitches are added at the end of each row to bring work in position for the next row . then the work is turned so that the reverse side is facing the worker . the number of turning chains depends upon the stitch with which you intend to begin the next row . double crochet ( dc ) - 1 ch to turn ; half treble ( hlf tr ) - 2 ch to turn ; treble ( tr ) - 3 ch to turn ; double treble ( dbl tr ) - 4 ch to turn ; triple treble ( trip tr ) - 5 ch to turn ; quadruple treble ( qua tr ) - 6 ch to turn ; quintuple treble ( quint tr ) - 7 ch to turn . crochet threads . remember that texture plays an important part in the beauty of crochet . the finer mercerised threads are more effective for the delicate designs used for tablecloths , doilies , edgings and accessories , while the heavier threads are used for bedspreads , chairbacks , luncheon mats , etc . crochet hooks . crochet hooks are made of steel , composition or bone . steel crochet hooks range in size from number 3/0 , the largest , to number 8 , the smallest . each size of hook is made for use with a certain size of thread . to ensure the correct results , it is important that you use the size of hook specified in the directions . these are the correct numbers to use with Mercer-Crochet : practice pieces . directions are given for a small practice piece for each stitch that you learn . when you have become proficient in these stitches , attractive articles can be made from the directions included in this book . step 1 - make a loop . 1 . grasp thread near end between thumb and forefinger . 2 . make a loop by lapping long thread over short thread . 3 . hold loop in place between thumb and forefinger ( fig 1 ) . step 2 . 1 . take hold of broad bar of hook as you would a pencil . bring middle finger forward to rest near tip of hook . 2 . insert hook through loop and under long thread . catch long end of thread ( fig 2 ) . draw loop through . 3 . do not remove hook from thread . step 3 . pull short end and ball thread in opposite directions to bring loop close around the end of the hook , but not too tight ( fig 3 ) . step 4 . loop thread round little finger , across palm and behind forefinger ( fig 4 ) . step 5 . 1 . grasp hook and loop between thumb and forefinger . 2 . gently pull ball thread so that it lies around the fingers firmly but not tightly ( fig 5 ) . 