Hairpin crochet/lace tutorial

Having had some success with the wire crochet yesterday, I thought I'd go for another technique today.

I already have a very small hairpin crochet loom, which really is too small to be of much use but its a start.  I've ordered myself a new loom this morning which is much bigger so hopefully I'll have the techniques mastered when it arrives.

Its a bit of a performance to do hairpin crochet, and quite a difficult process to explain.  Having said that, once you know the technique its really quick.

To do hairpin crochet you need, yarn, a hook & a hairpin crochet loom.  The loom is simply 2 pins held in position with end pieces.

Start off with a slipknot, in the same way that you would start any crochet chain.  The slipknot is passed over one of the pins and positioned centrally between the 2 pins

The yarn is draped over the second pin and taken behind the loom, tension is taken up with your non hook hand.  I am right handed so the loom & tension is held with my left hand.

To start the hairpin crochet, insert the hook through the loop made with the slip knot & grab the yarn.

Pull the yarn through & complete a chain.  This is the first stitch in your hairpin crochet.

How we need to work through the technique for continuing the crochet.  This involves flipping the hook & the loom.  The hook flips front to back and the loom side to side.

Firstly, flip the hook.  Take the hook and turn in so that it points downwards.

Now you are going to "flip" the hook through to the other side of the loom.

Completing the flip backwards means that the hook is completely at the back of the work.  As you look at the loom the hook is facing away from you and is the right way up.

Now we need to flip the loom.

Starting from the position above, with the hook at the back.  Turn the loom side to side so that B moves to position A.  Do this by flipping the loom so that B comes towards you & A away.

This means that the hook is now at the front of the work again, and the yarn wraps around pin A.

Now you have the hook & the loom in position to make your next stitch.

Pass the hook through the top most loop, and make a single crochet.

Continue like this, flipping & single crochet until the piece is as long as you need it.