In this section…
A Bedfordshire Heart
I designed this Bedfordshire heart for the February page of the 1996 Lace Guild calendar — the first one to include patterns. It also appeared in the 2004 IOLI Convention handbook, but has not been published elsewhere although I have given it to students at various times. Anyway, here it is ready for you to work for St Valentine’s Day this year or the next (or even the one after that).
If the pricking is the correct size the line beside it will be 10 cm long.
Thread: Madeira Tanne 50 (or something similar)
21 pairs plus 4 pairs for each garland — the maximum in use at one time is 29 pairs (second garland).
Trail: 5 pairs (4 passives, 1 worker). Nine-pin: 4 pairs.
Add 2 pairs for a plait at each + along trail.
Take plait pairs out into trail where there is no marking.
Add 4 pairs at the + in each garland (2 petals, one to the right and one to the left).
Take out 4 pairs at the ‘flower’ centre marked o in each garland — one way of doing this is to work an eight-pair crossing and tie off the pairs no longer needed.
Blossom crossing: All stitches are cloth stitch and twist.
Left: Point of trail; Centre: Blossom crossing; Right: Top centre of trail