History of Irish Lace Crochet

Crochet lace was brought to Ireland from France in the 1700s by the Ursuline nuns. It became popular in the mid-nineteenth century as part of schemes to alleviate the famine caused by the potato blight in 1845. It was cheaper and faster to make than other forms of lace and Irish women were encouraged to make it for sale to stimulate the economy. Queen Victoria promoted the lace, buying pieces from these skilled craftswomen, and the fashion for it really took off. She even learned to crochet herself, and made several scarves which were given to veterans of the South African war.

Queen Victoria popularised crochet in the 19th century

Thread used then was white linen or cotton, and the fine hooks needed were often made from sewing needles with the eye cut out to the shape of a hook and poked into corks to use as a handle.

Traditional motifs included roses, shamrocks and thistles. The methods for making these motifs would have traditionally been passed on by word of mouth. Every craftsperson’s work would have been slightly different as they incorporated their own twists and methods, so each piece was unique.

Keep an eye out in your local charity shop for Irish crochet books - you might find a bargain!

The craft can be seen as the original freeform crochet; motifs were made individually, then laid out in the desired pattern and joined with a fine mesh of chain stitches.

As fashions changed, the popularity of crochet lace declined after WW1, and it wasn’t until the late 1980s that the craft began to see a revival. You can now find books and YouTube videos featuring this delicate form of crochet, in both its traditional form and with contemporary twists to fit in with our modern lives and décor.

The Best Yarn and Hooks for Irish Lace Crochet

Modern makers can choose from a range of threads, from the more traditional bridal whites and neutrals to a whole rainbow of colours from brands such as Lizbeth. Modern threads are usually cordonnet cotton, which has a gentle sheen and is incredibly strong and smooth.

Threads are given numbers to denote their thickness; the higher the number, the finer the thread. For example, a size 80 thread is very fine and can be used with a 0.5mm hook, while a size 10 thread is much thicker and can be used with a 1.5mm hook. As these threads are more specialist than your average yarn, you may need to look beyond your usual stockists to find the range of colours you’re looking for – www.roseground.com is a family business based in Nottingham, specialising in lace, tatting and thread crochet. They stock a great range of threads in all the colours you could wish for!

Needless to say, the hooks used are much finer than you’ll find in the standard sets. They tend to be made from steel rather than aluminium to give them enough strength despite being so thin. Clover do their soft touch hooks with these thin steel points (these are my preferred hooks), but so do other favourite brands like KnitPro and Tulip, so you should be able to find a hook that you find comfortable.

Patterns and inspiration

If you enjoy the motifs here and are feeling adventurous, the Antique Pattern Library is a great source of inspiration. At www.antiquepatternlibrary.org you can find a whole range of antique patterns that have been scanned and stored online as part of an effort to preserve crafting heritage. All the patterns here are in the public domain and can be used freely. Donations are encouraged to help fund the ongoing project. As a bonus, if you are interested in other vintage crafts, there are loads of regular crochet, knitting, sewing and other patterns on here too!

If you fancy trying out these patterns, just be aware that they were written before standardisation, so the terms used and the way they are written will be different to what you are used to. It may take some trial and error to figure them out.

If you prefer videos, try Larisa’s lace on YouTube. She has a range of video tutorials – many of them for patterns you’ll find in the antique pattern library. The videos are quite long, but they are also very detailed, so if you are a visual learner, this is a good place to look. She works in US terminology.

If you love the feel of a book in your hands, I recommend The Go-To Book for Irish Crochet Motifs by Kathryn White (£10.99, Annie’s Crochet) which you can find on Amazon.

TRY THESE FREE IRISH CROCHET LACE PATTERNS!

Pattern and text by Zoë Potrac