The Lace Guild

Pattern for a Plaited Bracelet for Young Lacemakers

Techniques used

Plaits (with 2 and 4 pairs); picots; windmill crossing; cane-ground crossing; adding beads.

Materials

8 pairs pearl cotton 8 or other thread of a similar thickness — approx 1 metre (1 yard) on each pair. Before you start measure your wrist and check that the pricking is long enough — add more repeats and wind more thread on the bobbins if necessary.
Beads — these need a hole large enough to take a crochet hook.

Working

Windmill Crossing

(1) Start with four pairs hung across pin A, and two pairs across each of support pins B and C. (Two colours can be used, in which case have four pairs of one colour on A and the other colour on B and C.)

(2) With the four bobbins to the left of A, work a short plait towards 1, work a windmill crossing with the two pairs hung on B. Remove support pin B, plait towards 3 (with pairs that had been on B).

(3) Return to the four bobbins to the right of A, work a short plait towards 2; work a windmill crossing with the two pairs hung on C. Remove support pin C, plait towards 3 (with pairs that had been on C). Work a windmill crossing at 3 with right-hand pairs from 1. Work plaits towards 8 and 9.

(4) Return to pairs waiting at 1 and work a short plait, picot at 4, short plait, picot at 5, plait to 8. Work a windmill crossing at 8 with left-hand plait from 3.

(5) In a similar way work plaits, picots and a windmill at 9 with the pairs waiting at 2.

(6) Work short plaits from 8 and 9 and add a bead between the two inside pairs. Work short plaits towards 12 and 15.

Cane Ground Crossing

(7) Work plaits, picots and windmills, as before, at pins 10-15.

(8) Work short plaits from 12 and 15, work cane-ground at 16 then plaits, picots and windmills at 17–22.

(9) Repeat from (6).

Finishing

Bring pairs together at windmills on each side and work plaits with 4 pairs, treating each pair as one thread; tie one thread round each plait.