From About Crochet: Long-Tailed Dragon For Filet Crochet or Cross-Stitch

Above is my recharted chart (see what the early 1900's chart looked like, at left - chart is reduced 1/2 size here). In antique chart, filled in areas were solid black (no white or gray lines indicating squares in solid areas, making the chart much harder to follow). The antique pattern book had a chart only, with no instructions whatsoever. To make it easier for crocheters who are just starting with filet crochet, I've given the starting chain below, along with approximate finished sizes when made with various weights of yarn and sizes of thread.

The chart is 88 squares wide and 48 rows high. To make a crocheted background to cross-stitch the design on, starting chain is 88 chains for afghan stitch or 89 chains for single crochet. Make 48 rows.

Working the Chart in Filet Crochet For a 4 dc mesh, starting chain is 265, plus chain 3, (which will count as first dc of first row), plus chain 2 more (which is the ch-2 of the first open mesh). Total starting chain = 270. Chart is worked starting at the bottom right; work first row right to left. Second row is worked left to right. Continue alternating row directions in this same manner, following chart.

White square on the chart = an open mesh made by: chain 2, skip next chain-2 (if open mesh is below) or skip next 2 dc (if solid mesh is below), dc in next stitch.

Black square on the chart = a solid mesh made by: 2 dc in chain-2 space (if open mesh is below) or 1 dc in each of next 2 dc (if solid mesh is below), dc in next dc.

There were no instructions in the early 1900's pattern book. I've written instructions (in 4 dc mesh) for the first few rows to help you get started:
Row 1: Begin by working a double crochet in the 9th chain from the hook (first open mesh made). (chain 2, skip next 2 chains, dc in next chain) 87 times. (88 open mesh)
Row 2: Chain 5, skip chain-2, dc in next dc; (2 dc in chain-2 space, dc in next dc) 86 times; chain 2, skip chain-2, dc in next. (1 open mesh, then 86 solid mesh, then 1 open mesh)

With the first two rows crocheted, the pattern is established, so you can now continue, following the chart to see if each square is a solid mesh or an open mesh.

Once you know the basics of filet crochet, written instructions are not needed for each new chart.

Basics in How to Do Filet Crochet, here:
http://crochet.about.com/library/weekly/aa050298.htm

Approximate finished sizes in filet crochet
(once through the chart, worked in 4 dc mesh):
With size 5 thread (541 yards) and a size US 4 steel hook, finished size is about 24.4 inches x 15.2 inches.
With size 10 thread (482 yards) and a size US 7 steel hook, finished size is about 20.2 inches x 12 inches.
With size 20 thread (452 yards) and a size US 9 steel hook, finished size is about 19.4 inches x 11.5 inches.
With size 30 thread (422 yards) and a size US 11 steel hook, finished size is about 18.5 inches x 11 inches.
With fingering/baby weight yarn (1056 yards) and a size US F hook, finished size is about 61.6 inches x 34.6 inches.
With sport weight yarn (1225 yards) and a size US G hook, finished size is about 70.4 inches x 39.4 inches.
With worsted weight yarn (1394 yards) and a size US I hook, finished size is about 79.2 inches x 44.2 inches.

So that you would have a better quality chart to work from, I did the work of recharting it, using a chart-making software program, by counting squares and clicking within each square that should be filled in.

Recharted chart, my added instructions and image of finished filet copyright © 2001 by Sandi Marshall, licensed to About.com, Inc. Do not redistribute.

Antique chart was originally printed in Filet Crochet and How to Use It, Book Number Three, by Augusta Pfeuffer. No copyright date in the book, but definitely circa early 1900's (now copyright-expired). Info on Length of Copyright Terms

This is the printing page. Do not post the chart itself or my instructions on your own web site or on an Internet Bulletin Board. Do not sell chart/instructions or otherwise redistribute. You've been able to receive this chart for free, for your own personal use. In return, if others would like to have the chart, please give them the URL of the Free Charts Index (URL is on chart) or the URL for the main page of this pattern:
URL of main page for this pattern is http://crochet.about.com/library/bldragon5.htm Thank you.

Please extend the same courtesy to other webmasters when you are at other sites on the Web. You will like to have the same done for you when you are the one with the work and expense of preparing items to put on your own web pages.

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