Lion Brand Yarn TRON

How to Crochet Broomstick Lace

Home/CrochetingHow to Crochet Broomstick Lace
Lion Brand Yarn

How to Crochet Broomstick Lace

- Margaret
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Broomstick lace has a beautiful, open look that really shows off the character and texture of your yarn. Dating back to the 1800s, this technique creates large loops of yarn that gently twist to the left, giving the finished project especially elegant drape. For a long time I was intimidated by broomstick lace, so I wanted to share how easy it is to create this beautiful, reversible fabric!

Ready to get started? You’ll need:

  • Yarn for your project: Choose a yarn you want to show off. I chose Martha Stewart Crafts Extra Soft Wool Blend because I love the twist and soft luster.
  • Crochet hook: Use whatever hook you feel works best with your yarn. I used a US K10.5/6.5mm hook for larger, more open stitches.
  • Large knitting needle (or actual broomstick, if you dare!): You can use any large needle for this project; the larger your needle, the larger your loops will be. I used a needle from a pair of ‘Speed Stix’ (US 50/25mm). When making broomstick lace, this tool is often called the “pin.”

How to Crochet Broom Stick Lace

1. First, make a chain. For this sample I wanted to make repeats of 5, so I chained 15 stitches for 3 repeats. Draw the final chain up over the knitting needle.

2. Crochet back into the chain, drawing up a loop in each stitch and pulling it up over the knitting needle.

3. Repeat until you have drawn up a loop through every stitch in your chain and transferred them onto the knitting needle. This step creates the large loops of yarn you will see in the finished lace.

4. Slide your hook through the first group of loops (for this example that’s 5 loops per repeat) and pull them off the needle. At this point, if it is easier for you to manage, you can remove the large needle from your work altogether.

5. Yarn over and pull through the group of large loops on your hook. Work one single crochet for every loop in the group on your hook (I worked 5 single crochet into the group of 5 loops). Continue this process until all the loops have been crocheted into. Note: make sure to check how many loops you have in each group to avoid accidental increases or decreases.

6. This completes your first row of broomstick lace! You can now draw loops up through each of the single crochet stitches you made in step 5, and continue to repeat steps 1-5 till your project reaches the desired length.

What new techniques have you tried that looked tricky at first? What would you tell a crafter who was nervous about trying a new craft for the first time? Leave a comment to share!

Related Links:

Share this post

38 Comments

  • Thanks so much for the great tutorial.  Can’t wait to try this!!!

  • […] una puntilla preciosa que creo vale la pena hacer. Desde manteles, cortinas, cojines y hasta edredones… […]

  • To ALL new knitters & crocheters……
    Never be afraid to try something new!! It’s just yarn…you can take it out if it didn’t work the first time. There are so many tutorials & videos to help teach you anything you need to know. So just choose what you like & go for it!! The more you learn along the way, the happier you’ll be… Good luck and always remember to HAVE FUN!!
    Edna

  • I love the how-to posts. I’ve never tried broomstick and now I definitely want to give it a try.

  • […] blog.lionbrand.com via Leslie on Pinterest Filed under DIY Fun, Knitting, Lace | Leave a […]

  • […] blog.lionbrand.com via Anastacia on […]

  • How is Broomstick lace use?  It is beautful, but I’ve never heard of it.

  • Really love this broomstick lace and will give it a try after buying me a large knitting needle!

  • […] via Broomstick Lace is a fast, loose, loopy way of crocheting, using one big broomstick 'needle' and a crochet hook to manoeuvre the stitches.  It's super speedy and makes for a super soft result.  Find lots of Broomstick Lace (Or Jiffy Lace!) patterns here.  I think this would make a super soft blanket (Don't forget to check Ravelry for more Broomstick adventures.) […]

  • very nice thank you so much
    http://sewingbreakdown.blogspot.com/

  • […] High Notes as a SingerHow to Sing Higher – Molly's Music BlogLearn How to Sing- Chest VoiceMake Beautiful Lace with Simple Crochet Techniquessusan asks…layman instructionscrochetstitchcenter ringHow to Change Colors in Single CrochetHow to […]

  • I’ve never seen or heard of this one, it looks really different! What do you do after the first row, though?? Could you maybe show that? That would be very helpful!

    • Hi CdnErin, you’ll notice that the row of stitches has normal tops (the V you get at the top of any regular crochet stitch) that you can work into–you can repeat the process into that row for another row of lace or you can switch to regular stitches like sc or dc.

      You can see a good demo video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzzlVMwewnY

      • I really want to learn to do this! I just don’t understand the instructions.

  • […] Broomstick Lace gets its name from the original tools used to create it back in the 1800s. While now crafters often use large knitting needles, like our size 50 Speed Stix, the craft began by utilizing the long, narrow top of the broomstick, along with a crochet hook. It is also known as “jiffy lace” or “peacock eye crochet” because of how speedily it works up and the texture it creates. For a detailed tutorial on broomstick lace, click here. […]

  • […] Make Beautiful Lace with Simple Crochet Techniques | Lion Brand Notebook. […]

  • […] Create beautiful lace stitches with just your basic single crochet and a large knitting needle (or a handle…like that of a broomstick)! Find out how in this easy photo tutorial. […]

  • Lion Brand has picture instructions for making ‘broomstick’ lace. It looks so beautiful but I am still intimidated. I learned to crochet with my Grandma peering over my shoulder giving step by step instructions. I can’t seem to learn any other way. Maybe I am a slow learner or maybe I am just not a visual learner. Do any crocheters out there know ?

  • […] Source: blog.lionbrand.com […]

  • […] http://blog.lionbrand.com/2012/04/26/how-to-crochet-broomstick-lace/ […]

  • Can any of you lovely ladies help me? I have a pattern that calls for a Size 30 Broomstick do you know what diameter that would be. US, UK and Australia sizes are a bit different.

    Thanking you in advance

    • Hi Cathie, I’m not 100% sure what it would be, since we don’t have a standard US Size 30, but I imagine it’s somewhere around 16-17 mm. Here’s a link to the FAQ from LionBrand.com’s learning center so you can see equivalents in the future: http://www.lionbrand.com/faq/97.html

      • Hi Zontee, thank you so much for your really quick reply and information that really helps. The pattern is from Interweave Crochet Spring 2013 Edition it’s just a jewellery item so I assumed it would be a US pattern and size but seemingly not, so it’s a little perplexing. It’s no problem for my husband to make me something but even a wooden dowel size in Australian would be either 15 mm and then 20 mm nothing inbetween. I have a size 15 mm knitting needle but I think that would be a bit small but then again will 1-2 mm make any difference, With your help and the information I’ve read I hope I can get on with my project.

        Thanks again for replying.

  • Anyone know how to do this for Left handed crocheting??

    • Hi Liz, there are a bunch of great videos on YouTube which should help:
      http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=left handed broomstick lace

    • As a lefty crocheter myself, I can tell you, I find it easiest to do my foundation, turn, and then pull my loops up left to right, then turn and work my loops left to right. But, I’ve seen some work their foundation, pull up the loops right to left, work the loops left to right and never turn their work. Both ways look the same in the end.

  • this is something i have been wanting to do but nut understood it i think this is cool i would like to wear a shirt or vest with this.

  • I like to learn to this

  • I like totry it

  • […] How to Crochet Broomstick Lace […]

  • Broomstick Lace Article is a competition item for our Free State Woman’s Agricultural Union in South Africa. Many members will visit this website to learn more. Best wishes to each of them.

  • I have been doing broomstick lace for years. For the big afghans, I use a #50 broomstick and I also do baby afghans. I use #35 broomstick for them. In the olden days, a real broomstick was used.

  • I think it is a #30, but it could be a @35. These can be purchased at craft stores.

  • This is from someone who has made many,many broomstick afghans. It would be a better idea to use an actual broomstick because then you will have something long enough to work on. If you use a needle then you will have to keep taking it off and putting it back on because the needle is not long enough. The only problem with the broomstick is that you have find one with a smooth top so that your yarn doesn’t snag on it. You could always coat it with polypropylene available in small cans at the hardware store. That is also where you can find replacement wooden mop handles so you don’t have to saw off the bottom of your broom !

  • I have tried this before and it is beautiful, however when I make a blanket out of this it comes out uneven. What am I doing wrong?

  • Have been working on a baby blanket (leisure arts booklet pattern) – strips of pastel exsc separated by a double row of broomstick lace. Their directions require a first row of loops, then inserting the crochet hook from Left to Right to remove each set of 5 loops. I find that terribly awkward, and the resulting lace pattern very tight. Your instructions, inserting the crochet hook from right to left to remove those groups of 5 loop each time from the knitting needle, pinching to create the “hole” and proceeding, much easier. Any reason why I can’t do it your way and be true to the beautiful design?

    • Leave A Comment

    You must be <a href="https://blog.lionbrand.com/wp-login.php?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.lionbrand.com%2Fhow-to-crochet-broomstick-lace%2F">logged in</a> to post a comment.