Knots
and Needles
This
time I've been doing a lot of practice, trying to learn some
needlelace. Punchetto is the name of one style. It comes from
Valsesia, in about the sixteenth century. “The word (puncetto)
comes from a Piedmont word which in dialect, means “stitch”. It
is also called “Valsesian”, quoted from The Anchor Manuel of
Needlework, page 258, chapter XXI.
I
was surprised when I found out there are many countries that do forms
of this lace. It has many different names,with slight variations in
how the knot is placed.
Punchetto
is made with closely spaced knots in geometric designs. Another form
of this lace is called Oya (Turkish needle lace) which is done as a
border on scarves, mostly in flower motifs. Here is a link that shows
some examples and tells how it is made.
This
punchetto lace is easy to learn but hard to get even in your
stitches. I have tried some different kinds of thread and cord, and
so far I like cotton the best. The cotton thread holds knots well and
is easier to control. I can tell learning this will take more work.
The possibilities are pretty much endless. It's a relaxing thing to
do and very portable. I've found it is a good way to use up little
bits of string. I do think this is a skill I want to improve on.
The
supplies for this are cheap and there is not a lot of investment to
learn. All you need is a needle and thread. I'm planning on taking
this on my vacation. I will share what I accomplish when I return.
We are taking the train and will have a lot of time just sitting, so
it will give me ample opportunity to practice. I wonder as I make
things, “Will I ever get to the perfection stage of things?”
I've seen other work that looks like they have. I guess I am not very
patient with myself. Maybe that's what this work is all about,
teaching patience. We can all use more of that.
I
am working on skills I have, and I like to combine them into new ways
of using them. I think I'm pretty good at that, I just need to work
on the patience part. I want results faster than I can achieve them.
As
I was gathering up the items I want to share today, I found I
accomplished more than I thought I had. I have 12 items to show.
- Needle lace purse
- Needle lace bookmark
- Green needle lace necklace
- Free-form needle lace bracelet
- Stone flower needle lace bracelet
- Needle lace flower necklace
- Needle lace bracelet with a bead center
- Macrame and beaded necklace
- Wrapped seed and bead necklace
- Red white and blue wrapped bracelet/necklace
- Candy corn wrapped bracelet
- Crocheted Turkish love knot necklace.
First
on the list is the little purse I created with needle lace and lined
with some of the hand marbled cloth I made a while back. This evolved
as I went along. I made the blue and white part first, then I went
around that to finish. I also did a bit of crochet with the needle
lace. I added beads and some snaps to the front and the hidden pocket
inside. It seems to have some quirky parts, but it gave me an idea of
what could be done with scraps of thread. I hope someone will find
it useful.
Second was a blue, white, and pink bookmark. It turned out soft and homey;
nice to put in a book and read and relax.
Third
is a green, variegated needle lace necklace. This was a bit of a
challenge.
The stones I added had to have reinforcement, they were
too heavy for the lace. I ended up using what we used to call gimp. I
have a spool of it that is clear with glitter. It blends in and adds
a bit of sparkle. This example shows the versatility of this lace. I
think if I had used a heavy weight cord it would have held up
better. I like the feel of this thread. It is soft and feels nice to
wear.
Fourth,
Just a sort of string doodle bracelet, made with some nice stones and
beads, a bit of this and that.
Fifth
is another bracelet made with the same cord and needle lace. This
works up kind of stretchy. It would make a nice belt, I think, but it
would take a lot longer to make.
Sixth,
This necklace came about with a little beaded marble I made quite
awhile ago and didn't have definite plans for it at the time.
It's
been waiting around for the rest of the idea to take shape. As I
looked at it again with the added exposure to the Turkish lace, it
seemed to suggest that it needed to be made into a flower. I guess I
planted a seed of an idea and this is what grew.
Seventh,
this little bracelet is made with two techniques, needle lace and the
wrap technique.
I
learned this technique from a video on YouTube while looking for
needle lace videos. This is the last of the green thread scrap I had.
(I think it was nice of it to be just enough to finish.)
Eighth,
This necklace came about from an unfinished piece I was looking for
something else and came across it. It was made with thread that was
too floppy, just like the green necklace I told you about earlier. I
took this one apart and used heavier cord. It holds up much better.
It's nice to finish up odds and ends. 
Ninth,
This necklace is made using the wrap technique with alternating
seeds and seed beads. The pendant part is made of a very unique
stone pendant with some stone hearts added.
Tenth,
This bracelet/necklace is made with the wrapped technique also. It is
held together with part of an old button with some tatting around to
look a bit like a flower. 
Eleventh,
I call this one candy corn. The colors remind me of that. It also
reminds me of fall, which is not too far away. This is the first
attempt at doing the wrap technique. This is a fun idea. I think I
have some more ideas on how to use it with more things added to it.
The
Twelfth A necklace made with a crochet stitch I have never done
before called Turkish love knot.
I also learned it from Youtube. A
fun place to learn new things. I'm thankful for those who share.
So
that is about it for this time. Have a nice rest of the summer!
I'll be back in September. Relax and enjoy!
