LEARNING TO MAKE HAIRPIN LACE:
Stitches needed:
Chain 1
Single Crochet

All Graphics appear before the explanatory text.
Make a slip knot near the end of the yarn and place the loop on the left upright. Leave a 10 inch starting tail.

Yarn goes from the loop on the left upright, in front of the loom, to the right, around behind the right side of the loom to the ball on your left. Mark the right side of the loom. This will help in counting loops later.

• Hold loom in left hand.
• Insert hook into slip knot loop and center the loop between the uprights of the loom. Wrap yarn around left hand in normal manner.
• Insert hook under the top strand of the loop on the left upright, pull a loop of supply yarn through the loop. YO, and work one single crochet to the left of, but next to, the slip knot loop.
  Make the single crochet very tight. You are not making soft fabric, you are fastening loops together.
  
• Center the hook in an upward position parallel to the sides of the loom, with the hook pointing down, pass the back of the hook through the loom, and turn the loom one half-turn counterclockwise (like turning pages in a book), wrapping yarn around in back of loom.
  

  Bring hook into position to the front of the loom, insert hook into front loop (under top strand) to the left of center stitch, YO, and work one single crochet.
  

• Two single crochet (and 2 loops) -one to each side of center- makes one stitch. Continue working until desired number of stitches (loops) are made. The loom will hold 300 loops of worsted yarn -very crowded. If more loops are needed, remove all but 4 from the bottom of the loom.

  The first half of the stitch is done with the marked side of the loom to the left; the second half of the stitch is done with the marked side of the loom to the right.

• Fasten off by cutting the yarn and pulling the end through the last stitch. Leave a 12 inch long tail for finishing the joining (and identifying the finish end of the strip.)

REMEMBER:

• The supply yarn is always behind the loom and to your left.
• The loom is always turned counterclockwise and the hook is passed through the loom so it will be in front of the loom for the next stitch.
• The stitches are always under the top strand of the loop to the left of center.
  • TWO OPTIONAL HINTS:
  • Cutting the hook to about 4 1/2 inches will make the work go faster and a lot easier for the last 75 loops.
  • Use medium sized safety pins to mark every 25 or 50 loops

JOINING -OR LINKING- THE STRIPS: (a 7 mm hook will make this easier)
After several strips are finished, link them together. You get to see the project take shape, and the strips don't get tangled or twisted.

1. Line up the first 2 strips to be joined with the starting slip knot toward you.
2. Insert hook through 3 loops on the left strip, then through 3 loops on the right strip.
3. Pull the second group of 3 loops through the first 3 loops.
4. Pick up the next 3 loops on the left strip and pull these loops through the 3 loops already on the hook.
5. Continue working from side to side until all loops are linked.
6. Fasten off the last loops with a single crochet using the ending tail.
7. Place third strip beside the two linked strips. Insert hook through 3 loops of the left side of the second strip then through 3 loops of the third strip.
8. (Hook is inserted through first 3 loops of the even numbered strips [2, 4, 6])

ASSEMBLY ORDER: M=main color, A=contrast color A, B=contrast color B
M *MABBAM* (repeat * to * 3 more times), end with M. (a total of 26 strips)
For small afghan, repeat * to * 2 more times. (20 strips)
Fringe:
Cut strands 12 inches long.

Each tassel fringe consists of 1 strand of each color fastened around center knot of end loop of each strip then split 3/3 and knotted with adjoining split fringe.

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Only changes to the Materials/Methods lists will be included here. All other techniques remain the same.

6 balls Main Color (7 if variegated yarn is used)
5 ball of Contrast A

Finished afghan will have 27 strips of 300 stitches each.
Finished size: 40 inches by 60 inches.

Set loom to 4 inches for Main Color and make 13 strips.
Set loom to 2 inches for Contrast A and make 14 strips.

Joining the strips:

1. Wide strip on left, narrow strip on the right with starting slip knot facing you.
2. Insert hook through 3 loops on narrow strip then through 3 loops on wide strip.
3. Continue linking loops to top of strips-place last 3 linked loops on stitch holder.
4. Add narrow strip to left of joined strips. Insert hook through 3 loops on narrow strip first. Link loops to the top of strip. Place last 3 linked loops on stitch holder.
5. Add wide strip to left of joined strips. Insert hook through 3 loops of last narrow strip. Link loops...
6. Continue adding strips alternating wide and narrow. Always insert hook through loops on narrow strip first.

Finished afghan consists of alternating narrow and wide strips with a narrow strip on the outside edge.

Full Fringe:

1. Link side loops 2 by 2. The last linking will have 3 loops.
2. With 2 strands Main Color together, join yarn with slip stitch, chain 1 single crochet, all in upper right hand corner
3. Chain 3
4. SC in the joining loops on the stitch holder, *chain 3, SC in center of wide strip, chain 3, SC in joining loops on stitch holder*
5. Repeat from * to * , ending with SC in the linked loops at upper left corner
6. Repeat #2 through #5 across bottom of afghan
7. Cut supply yarn into 10 inch long pieces
8. Using 4 strands together, fold double, pull loop through chain 3 space, pull ends of fringe yarn through loop
9. 2 sets of 4 fringe strands in each chain 3 space, matching fringe color to strip color
10. Continue across top and bottom of afghan
11. Weave in all loose ends

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General Information

4 inch wide strip

• 12 feet of yarn makes 14 stitches
• 75 stitches makes about 18 inches of lace
• 1 strip of 300 stitches takes about 260 feet of yarn
• When linked, 4 inch strip produce 2 inches of finished width

Full Fringe:

• Each strip requires 16 pieces of yarn on each end
• 12 inch length will take 32 feet of yarn for each strip
• 10 inch length will take 27 feet of yarn for each strip

2 inch wide strip

• 12 feet of yarn makes 21 stitches
• 75 stitches makes about 18 inches of lace
• 1 strip of 300 stitches takes about 175 feet of yarn
• When linked, 2 inch strip produce 1 inch of finished width

Full Fringe:

• Each strip requires 8 pieces of yarn on each end
• 12 inch length will take 16 feet of yarn for each strip
• 10 inch length will take 14 feet of yarn for each strip

Afghan Sizes and number of strips needed:

• 31 x 56 inches -280 stitches each strip
  • 10 strips 4 inches wide and 11 strips 2 inches wide, or
  • 16 strips 4 inches wide
• 45 x 45 inches -225 stitches each strip
  • 14 strips 4 inches wide and 15 strips 2 inches wide, or
  • 23 strips 4 inches wide
• 40 x 60 inches -300 stitches each strip
  • 13 strips 4 inches wide and 14 strips 2 inches wide, or
  • 23 strips 4 inches wide
• 48 x 60 inches -300 stitches each strip
  • 15 strips 4 inches wide and 16 strips 2 inches wide, or
  • 26 strips 4 inches wide

Now for a short, quick History lesson:
Hairpin lace was popular during the Victorian Era. No one knows for sure who developed it or where it originated.

The upper class ladies took great delight in showing off their skill in lace, while, for the working poor, it became a quick, inexpensive substitute for Italian lace.

Doilies were a popular item for the lace, as were edgings on pillowcases, tablecloths, and probably any fabric item.

Two samples in thread are available here with some explanation.

A Hairpin lace Stole done in sport weight yarn.

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