Cattern Lace

I’ve been making bobbin lace since I was 10, and over the years I’ve completed numerous pieces- from motifs and bookmarks to mats and garters- but all in Torchon, which is an excellent style to begin making lace as it is geometric and structured.

Back in 2008, I’d started to get a little bored with it and felt that after so many years making lace I should be branching out a little into different and more challenging projects. I’d always admired Honiton so when I saw a residential course advertised, I immediately signed up and spent a wonderful three days under the expert tuition of Pat Perryman.

I was pretty pleased with my first attempt and itching to make different patterns- but within a month of finishing the course I fell pregnant, felt dreadful for the first few weeks and the Honiton got left to one side in the excitement of planning for the birth. Whenever I did get chance to make lace, I went back to familiar and easy ground with my Torchon- making pieces including these two mats:

from Biggins patterns which I bought as the pattern names were the names of my two babies (not born at the same time, I hasten to add!). I’ve yet to find a use for them though (the mats, not the babies).

At the start of 2013, we generally had what might be called “some time in the evenings”- the offspring were settled into a bedtime routine, work had calmed down somewhat and I was ready for a new creative challenge. So I made a New Year’s resolution to get the Honiton out and complete a new piece each month.

When Pat taught me, she didn’t allow me to write any notes saying that “your hands will remember”. Well they did… but only to a limited extent. I’ve been working my way through the Lace Guild’s booklet and have faced some problems, but I’m working through them and learning loads. My ‘pattern-a-month’ resolution has slightly gone out of the windo- it’s nearly the start of June and I’m still on April’s piece, which is pretty poor seeing as it’s so tiny- but I’m enjoying it and learning a lot.

So this is where I am up to with April’s ‘wild rose’ pattern.

Nearly done now. I’m just not at all sure about the centre of the leaves. Whatever I try just doesn’t quite look right, but I’ll keep persevering, as I don’t want it to get left to one side for another 5 years….