Bruges lace is an original and easily recognizable crochet technique, during which the ribbons are laid out with a pattern and connected by small chains of air loops. Similar patterns are also called Brussels, Flemish or Vologda.
Brugge lace: a bit of history
The technique of their creation became known in the sixteenth century. At that time, the Flemish craftswomen weaved their precious bobbins.
West Flanders, which, in fact, originated the art of Brugge lace, was part of the Netherlands at that time. The country flourished due to active profitable trade and income from the colonies. In addition, the Flemings have always been distinguished by a love of a beautiful and cheerful disposition.
All these components have led to the emergence of a filigree technique of hand knitting, which has become the hallmark of the region. In terms of beauty and high cost, Flemish lace was equated with real jewelry.
Bruges lace: knitting technique
Currently, Bruges crochet lace is a very accurate imitation of the bobbin knitting technique. Therefore, the specific terms “nasovka”, “vilyushka”, “lattice” and others are widely used in the description.
The execution of Bruges lace begins with the knitting of a braid, which consists of rows of columns with a crochet and air loops. Vilyushka is knitted in straight and reverse rows and can be either more openwork or more dense in appearance.
The width of the braid can also be different - this is regulated by the number of air loops and columns with a crochet between turns. Most often, its width is four columns.
A distinctive feature of the wilderness braid is that on the side when knitting the lifting loop, an arch (air loop) is created with which it will subsequently be connected in patterns. In more complex works, the villus can be expanded with air loops, oblique mesh of arches, and other additional elements.
When the braid is ready, the creation of a lace pattern begins. The spade can be stacked in a circle, snail, snake, wide rings, rotate in various ways.
The scheme always indicates how to connect the fragments and the sequence of knitting. The lace pattern can consist of several motifs that are connected directly during the knitting process. In such cases, in a good pattern, the beginning of knitting of individual motifs is indicated by numbers or letters. The sequence can be easily determined by the alphabetical order of letters or by increasing numbers.
The scheme traditionally distinguishes the beginning of knitting the frogs of each individual motive: the air loop of the initial row, the columns of the first and second rows and the air loop of the arches for subsequent connection. After this are repeated rows, which are indicated by solid lines.
As mentioned above, the patterns laid out from the braid-fillet are connected using the side arches. The connection itself is carried out with single crochet columns, columns without it and air loops.
To get a bend of the braid, you need to knit the columns of different heights and connect or not connect the arches that are on the inside of this bend. Various combinations of alignments and columns will give a different degree of curvature of the pattern, but this row must always be knitted from the outer edge to the inner. In this case, the reverse row must be knitted even in height so that the wrong bending boundary is neat. If a sufficiently large free space is formed between the turns of the vilyushka, then it is closed with chains of air loops that are interwoven into an openwork web, but always with some kind of symmetrical geometric pattern.
The beginning and end of the vilyushka always close together, forming an inextricable contour. The edges are sewn with a needle or knitted with a connecting lace technique.
When enough experience has been accumulated, patterns can be created independently, guided only by your imagination, and then the work will become truly unique.
Bruges lace allows you to decorate the house with cozy tablecloths, pillows, curtains. A dress, top or jacket, made in this unique technique, will become a real decoration of the wardrobe.