Sunday Smiles

Are you smiling today?  I sure am, because I FINALLY tried a little Irish crochet lace!  I picked up that new book I bought awhile ago, and started right on page 1.  I've made just these couple of "wheels", but it's a start!  And I can't wait to keep going with the next ones in the book, and work may way up to the "flowerets," "leaves," "sprays," "calyxes" and then the "groundings."



I've made a few mistakes so far, but I'm learning!  I'm crocheting with a size 13 steel hook (which I think is a .75mm), using size 30 thread for the motifs, and size 3 thread as the padding cord. (Crocheting over padding cord gives the piece some extra dimension in places.)  The size 3 thread might be a bit too big, but I didn't have the suggested No. 5 pearl cotton, and I was too anxious to start!  I just ordered some size 70 crochet thread for when I reach a point to experiment with crocheting them all together with mesh (or grounding).



What's really neat to me about Irish crochet lace, is that once you get the basics down, what you can create is really up to you!  Having no clear pattern in putting all the motifs together is a bit out of my comfort zone, but having limitless possibilities in design is pretty exciting. And this book does have some loose patterns which I think is great for the beginner like me!

Do any of you have any Irish crochet lace tips for me?!