Broomstick Lace Crochet

Broomstick Lace

This crochet technique from the 1800s is also known as jiffy lace or peacock eye crochet. Broomstick lace crochet is made using a crochet hook and another long item, such as a broomstick.

Historically, a broomstick was used as the long tool, which is how this lace got its name. Now a plastic knitting needle or a wooden dowel is used along with the crochet hook.

A broomstick, with a large circumference, would yield a lacier and more open textile. The large knitting needle and dowel create a more closely woven fabric.

In traditional crochet, each stitch is completed before the next stitch is started.  However, this is not the case in broomstick lace.  Like knitting and Tunisian crochet, there are many stitches that are left open.

Broomstick Lace Projects

This technique can be used to make many things that would be made with traditional crochet.

• Scarves
• Shawls
• Baby blankets
• Afghans

The finished project is an open and lacy material, lending itself to the items above or other items where this unusual lacy effect is desired. See many broomstick lace crochet patterns to crochet lovely and lacy projects using this creative crochet technique.

Broomstick Lace Technique

This unique crochet stitch uses the crochet hook to pull large loops of thread or yarn up on the dowel or large plastic knitting needle.  The loops are made in a row from left to right and then looped together.

They are looped together in clusters using single crochet stitches.

There are several variations of broomstick lace crochet, and once the basic technique is learned, it is easy to learn the other versions.

Just like other types of crochet, the foundation of the pattern is a chain stitch. The crocheter decides the number of stitches in this first chain depending on the desired effect.

The broomstick or knitting needle is used in the next row, as each loop in row one is picked up and moved from the crochet hook to the knitting needle or dowel.

This is a lot like knitting since all of the stitches in the row are picked up and held on the knitting needle or dowel.

Once a loop has been pulled up through every stitch, the crocheter then works the loops back off of the dowel by sliding them in groups of 3, 4, 5, or 6 loops at a time.

The same amount of single or half-double crochet stitches are worked through the top of each group of loops at the same time depending on how the crocheter wants the lace to appear.

Do you want to learn how to broomstick lace crochet? Scroll down this page to find many tutorials on how to make this historic broomstick lace.