filet crochet
i've only taken up filet crochet very recently but its now the only style i work in because it is reletively easy to understand and easy remember, although my favourite aspect is that due to its simplicity, ANY extant antique garment created can be replicated with ease! (i hate seeing beatiful garments that i can never get because they are in the met).
how it works
filet crochet is like ms paint on antique crack, and by that i mean it works from a pixel like system and is fun to do. there are three stitches; the full block, the half block and the empty mesh. these stitches can be thought of as opacities, 100%, 50% and 0% which can open up wider possibilities for the compexity of designs. filet crochet is very intuitive and once in a momentum is sosososo easy but for beginners, do not fear, as most designs only use 100% or 0% blocks, though the inclusion of 50% blocks is never too taxing. as far as i know, there are two kinds of filet styles. positive filet uses a majority of 100% / full blocks to fill the space and uses 0% / empty mesh blocks to form a design. this is the very 1970's (destinction is important as i may refer to the 1800's at points as filet crochet is OLDDDDDD) way of doing it. negetive filet crochet is the method i work in as it uses the 0% / mesh blocks to fill most spaces which takes less time and allows more oportunity for the complexity and clarity of designs, although many designs combine both negative and positive methods to create contrsast for borders and other features.
how to make the stitches
the 0% / mesh block- if starting from the edge- 5 single chain stitches then count 2 stitches on the bottom row, double crochet into the third bottom row stitch.
starting a project
(number of pixels/squares across bottom of design) x 3 + 5 = (number of stitches needed for first row) for exapmle
following an existing pattern
this is very easy to do. firstly, if it comes with instructions... abandon them you dont need them. many instructors from the ye olde filet tradition forsake you so even if there ARE instructions (which is a rarity) you will have to refer to the graph/ image anyway and interpret the instuctions with a wild degree of artistic liscence. therefore, the easiest thing to do is to crochet what you see. i suggest keeping a record of how much you have done by either printing out a copy of the pixel graph you are working from or by recording it digitally.
creating a design
figure out how many stitches per inch/ tip- if you have 10 stitches per inch for your yarn DONT PLUG IT IN TO THE FORMULA!!!!!!!!, instead you can do (stitches per inch) x (number of inches) = (stitches needed for first row) THEN (stitches needed for first row)-5 THEN divide by 3. this should give you how many squares will be created by that number of stitches, flosscross graph
types of project
there is irish lace crochet, mesh weaving, tatting...
similar antique crafts
there is irish lace crochet, mesh weaving, tatting...
any weird and specific questions needing assistance?