Queen Anne’s lace and I had a very rocky start. When we first moved into our home in Pemberville, OH it grew wild behind the garage. Because it is a ‘weed’ I diligently pulled it up. One summer I got busy at work and did not have time to erase it from the flower bed behind the garage. The blooms grew large and tall and they were beautiful. After a car accident in 1996, I learned to live in greater harmony with everything around me, including the weeds. It now has a special place in my yard.
When I began designing my room sized rug, I began doodling and thinking about what flowers I wanted to hook. The stair riser series was born to test some of these ideas. What started as a simple doodle has become a signature motif.
See all the stair riser patterns!
How I hook Queen Anne’s Lace
Begin by hooking the petals at the base. Use a mixture of several green wools. The stems must be hooked at a smaller size, 3 or 4, to stay delicate. Hook the center stem. Then hook the two outside stems, leaving room for background in between the leaves and the stem. Now hook the two stems that are in between.
Top each stem with a white dot using a #4 cut, see the illustration below. Pull up a tail and then a loop. Go to the hole that is diagonal from the first loop. Hook another loop. Pull the tail in the same hole as the first. Leave the tails long so that you can adjust the loops after the background is hooked. When you hook the background around the dot, it will help it to appear round. Hook the background around the stems and dots before you hook the upper row of dots.
The upper row of dots is best hooked by hooking the first dot next to the row of background that you put around the leaves. Hook background around the dot. Next hook another dot, and then hook the background around that dot. It is tedious, but the Queen Anne’s lace gives this piece its special look. Cut your background strips smaller if you have trouble working in the tight spaces.
Now that you have mastered the technique, look over my patterns and hook your version. Be sure to send me a picture!
Cindi Gay Rug Hooking Newsletter
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Cindi, Thank you for the thorough and easily understood instructions on how to hook Queen Anne’s Lace. It is a flower I have always loved (not a weed in my book/garden)and now I can hook it. My nephew’s wedding was enhanced by buckets (yes, buckets wrapped in white wrapping paper) of tall, plentiful Queen Anne’s Lace I was detailed to gather from the roadsides of Maine. Again, thanks for the great clear instructions. Mary
A friend placed freshly picked long stemmed Queen Anne’s Lace in food-dyed water. The water was drawn into the blossoms which became that particular color. The Lace flowers were within the bride’s bouquet, alter arrangements and were the center pieces on each table at the reception. Simple, lovely, delicate and without cost.
I guess a weed is only a weed when we call it that. A lesson to apply to life in general, I think.
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