DESIGNED BY DORIS CHAN
Broomstick lace and a heavy yarn make this capelet lightning fast to stitch and beautiful to wear. Available in two sizes that have plenty of comfort and swing, it’s perfect over jeans on a crisp fall day. Fasten it with your favorite shawl pin.
To fit Average (Plus) size.
Length from back neck, including collar: 23" (58.5 cm).
Width at collar (foundation edge): 27 (31)" [68.5 (78.5) cm)]
Width at lower edge: 80 (88)" [203 (223.5) cm)]
Heavy worsted weight (#4 Medium).
Shown here: Blue Sky Alpacas Techno, (68% baby alpaca, 10% extrafine merino wool, 22% silk; 120 yd [109 m]/1.75 oz [50 g]): #1976 Cha-Cha Red, 5 (7) hanks.
Size J/10 (6 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge.
Notions
Size 50 (25 mm) Broomstick knitting needle (stick), 1" (2.5 cm) diameter by 14" (35.5 cm) long; stitch markers; tapestry needle.
Gauge
13 sts = 4" (10 cm); 2 patt st rep and 2 patt row rep = 3" (7.5 cm) by 5½" (14 cm) in Broomstick lace patt using size 50 (25 mm) needle.
Take time to check gauge.
FSC (Foundation single crochet)
Start with a slipknot, ch 2, insert hook in 2nd ch from hook, yarn over and draw up a loop, yarn over and draw through 1 loop (the chain), yarn over and draw through 2 loops (the sc). The following stitch is worked under the forward 2 loops of the stem of the previous stitch (into the chain). *Insert hook into the face of the chain and under the nub at the back of the chain, yarn over and draw up a loop, yarn over and draw through 1 loop (the chain), yarn over and draw through 2 loops (the sc). Repeat from * for the length of foundation.
Sh (Shell)
3 dc in same sc as indicated.
Broomstick Technique and Tips
Broomstick lace is made with the use of a large-gauge knitting needle (stick) to hold all the loops in a row. Then, using a crochet hook, the loops are held together in groups and worked off the stick with regular crochet stitches. This pattern uses groups of 5 loops, with 5 sc in each group.
For this particular method of Broomstick technique, the stick is held to the left (for right-handed crocheters), and the two steps of this technique are made with RS facing. In the first step, you may need to snug up each loop after slipping it to the stick to keep all the loops as even as possible. Do not tighten the loops too much as the row of loops on the stick should slide freely to be easily worked off in the second step.
Note: To slip a loop from the crochet hook onto the stick, keep the loop seated in the same direction (in knitting terms that means slip as if to purl). Bring the hook to the tip of the stick, slip the loop across without twisting, so the strand that lies to the front of the hook ends up at the front of the stick.
Loop Row (RS): At the end of a regular crochet row, do not turn. Slip the last loop on hook onto the stick (counts as first loop). Moving from left to right (backward across the row of regular crochet), skip first sc, *insert empty hook through back loop only of next sc, yarn over and draw up a loop long enough to fit over the stick. Slip the loop onto the stick as described above, without twisting; repeat from * across the row as directed, do not turn.
Return Row (RS): Insert empty hook from right to left in the first 5 loops on stick, keeping loops seated in same direction. Holding the 5 loops in a group and working the group as one, slide the group off the stick. Pick up the feeder yarn from the back of the row, bring yarn loosely up to the level of the hook, yarn over and draw a loop through the group, ch 1 to lock the edge (1 loop on hook). This is the only place you will need to ch 1 before making a stitch. Working the group as one, make 5 sc in the same group. *Insert hook in next 5 loops on stick, slide group off the stick, 5 sc in group; repeat from *across, turn.
NOTES
Capelet is roughly a half-circle, crocheted from the collar edge down, with increase shaping in stitch pattern to form the shoulders and flare the body.
All increase shaping is done in the rows of regular crochet stitches. All Broomstick loop rows and return rows are straightforward and even.
To alter the length of the capelet, you may omit or add repeats of the 8-row stitch pattern (Rows 11–18, alternating increase ch-sp rows with even ch-sp rows) as established.
Instructions
85 (95) Fsc. Turn foundation over so sc edge is on top and to begin work across sc edge.
Row 1 (loop row) (RS): Following broomstick loop row instructions above, pull up a loop for each sc across—85 (95) loops on stick. Do not turn.
Row 2 (return row) (RS): Following return row instructions above, work 5 sc in each group of 5 loops—85 (95) sc in 17 (19) groups of 5. Turn.
Row 3 (ch-sp row) (WS): Ch 5 (counts as dc and ch 2), skip first 2 sc, sc in next sc (at center of group), *ch 5, skip next 4 sc, sc in next sc (at center of group); rep from * across to last 2 sc, ch 2, skip next sc, dc in last sc—16 (18) ch-5 sps plus edge sps. Turn.
Row 4 (shell row) (RS): Ch 1, sc in first dc, *Sh in next sc, skip next 2 ch, 2 sc in next ch (at center of ch-5 sp); rep from * across to last sc, Sh in last sc, sc in 3rd ch of t-ch—17 (19) shells, 85 (95) sts. Do not turn.
Row 5 (loop row): Work Broomstick loop row—85 (95) loops on stick. Do not turn.
Row 6 (return row): Work 5 sc in each group of 5 loops—85 (95) sc in 17 (19) groups of 5. Turn.
Size Average Only
Row 7 (Inc ch-sp row): Ch 5 (counts as dc and ch 2), skip first 2 sc, sc in next sc (at center of group), [ch 5, skip next 4 sc, sc in next sc (at center of group)] 3 times, *[skip next 4 sc, (ch 5, sc) 2 times in next sc for increase] 4 times*, ch 5, skip next 4 sc, sc in next sc (at center back neck); rep from * to * once, [ch 5, skip next 4 sc, sc in next sc] 4 times, end with ch 2, skip next sc, dc in last sc—24 ch-5 sps plus edge sps, 25 sc. Turn.
Mark the 6th, 10th, 16th, and 20th sc, move markers up as you go into the center at each location.
Size Plus Only
Row 7 (Inc ch-sp row): Ch 5 (counts as dc and ch 2), skip first 2 sc, sc in next sc (at center of group), [ch 5, skip next 4 sc, sc in next sc (at center of group)] 3 times, [skip next 4 sc, (ch 5, sc) 2 times in next sc for increase] 11 times, [ch 5, skip next 4 sc, sc in next sc] 4 times, end with ch 2, skip next sc, dc in last sc—29 ch-5 sps plus edge sps, 30 sc. Turn.
Mark the 7th, 12th, 19th, and 24th sc, move or wrap markers up as you go into the center at each location.
All Sizes
Rows 8–10: Repeat Rows 4–6—125 (150) sc in 25 (30) groups of 5. Turn.
There are markers in the center sc of the 6th, 10th, 16th, and 20th (7th, 12th, 19th, and 24th) groups of 5.
Make increase ch-sps in the groups before and after each marked group as folls:
Row 11 (Inc ch-sp row): Ch 5 (counts as dc and ch 2), skip first 2 sc, sc in next sc (at center of group), *[ch 5, skip next 4 sc, sc in next sc (at center of group)] to the group before next marker, skip next 4 sc, [ch 5, sc] 2 times in next sc for increase, ch 5, skip next 4 sc, sc in next sc at marker, skip next 4 sc, [ch 5, sc] 2 times in next sc after marker for increase*; rep from * 3 times more, [ch 5, skip next 4 sc, sc in next sc (at center of group)] across, end with ch 2, skip next sc, dc in last sc—32 (37) ch-5 sps plus edge sps, 33 (38) sc. Turn.
Rows 12–14: Repeat Rows 4–6—165 (190) sc in 33 (38) groups of 5.
Row 15 (ch-sp row): Repeat Row 3.
Rows 16–18: Repeat Rows 4–6.
Row 19 (Inc ch-sp row): Repeat Rows 11–40 (45) ch-5 sps plus edge sps, 41 (46) sc.
Rows 20–26: Repeat Rows 12–18—205 (230) sc in 41 (46) groups of 5.
Row 27 (Inc ch-sp row): Repeat Rows 11–48 (53) ch-5 sps plus edge sps, 49 (54) sc.
Rows 28–34: Repeat Rows 12–18—245 (270) sc in 49 (54) groups of 5. Fasten off.
Finishing
Weave in ends.
Block capelet by dampening capelet with cool water, then spread out flat in a half-circle. It will be necessary to fold back the collar to make the neckline lie flat. Ease into shape and to measurements. Allow to dry completely.
