Unusual Vintage Edgings
with Crocheted Rings in the Design

I found these interesting vintage patterns which use rings within the design. Although you may enjoy just looking at these old crochet photos, the real fun is in making the designs for yourself, so the patterns are below for you to try.

Note: I have rewritten these instructions in today's crochet terms.
--Sandi Marshall

No size of thread given in original pattern. I made a sample with size 20 thread, using a size 10 steel crochet hook, which resulted in a rose that's 2 inches round; just to give you an idea of finished size. Use whatever size thread you desire.

Large Ring - chain 40, join with slip stitch to form a ring.
Rnd 1: Chain 1, work 67 sc in ring. Slip stitch in first sc of this round.
Rnd 2: Chain 1, sc in each sc around. Slip stitch in first sc of this round.

Small Rings - chain 30, loop through large ring, then join with a slip stitch in first chain of small ring.
Rnd 1: Chain 1, 48 sc in ring. Slip stitch in first sc of this round.
Rnd 2: Chain 1, sc in each sc around. Slip stitch in first sc of this round.

Repeat the above instructions to make number of rings needed, which you join-as-you-go, in this order (refer to photo at top of page): 3 small, one large, 7 small, one large and 3 small rings.

Rose - Chain 9, join with slip stitch to form a ring.
Rnd 1: 12 sc in ring.
Rnd 2: (ch 5, sc) in each sc around.
Rnd 3: Skipping each ch-5 of previous row, (ch 5, skip next sc, sc in next sc) 6 times.
Rnd 4: (sc, 6 dc, sc) in each chain-5 space around. At end of round, slip stitch in first sc. (6 petals)
Rnd 5: (ch 7, sc) in each sc (skipping the 6-dc group of stitches each time). When you have finished, be sure each chain-7 is positioned behind each petal. (Just pull the chain-7 to the back of the petal with your fingers, if it isn't.)
Rnd 6: (sc, 3 dc, 3 treble, 3 dc, sc) in each chain-7 space. At end of round, slip stitch in first sc. (6 petals)
Rnd 7: (ch 9, sc) in each sc (skipping the dc/tr group of stitches each time). When you have finished, be sure each chain-9 is positioned behind each petal.
Rnd 8: (sc, 3 dc, 5 treble, 3 dc, sc) in each chain-9 space. At end of round, slip stitch in first sc. (6 petals)
Fasten off.

Hand sew to the piece you are edging. In this example, a cloth piece was cut in a wide zig-zag shape to accomodate the shape of the rings and roses. The cloth piece was hemmed with a 1/4" hem, then the rings and roses were sewn to it. As you can see by the photo, only the top edge of each of these rings are sewn down: 1st, 2nd, 6th through 10th, 14th, 15th. The three rings directly below each rose are not sewn down; they hang freely. Only the top half of each rose is sewn down, the bottom half of each rose hangs down below the edge of the piece you are attaching it to. (None of this sewing information was given in the 1914 pattern. In those days the crocheter was expected to just *know* how to do it.)

My rewritten instructions for Rings and Roses not to be redistributed ("shared"), with or without charge. For your own personal use only. If someone else wants the instructions, please give them the URL to this web page, so that they can come here and explore everything this site has to offer, for themselves. Thank you. URL of this page is http://crochet.about.com/library/weekly/aa060599.htm

That's it! That's all the instructions that were printed in the original 1914 pattern. As you can see, I added a lot of instructions to help you in recreating this vintage design.

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Fancy Rings Edging:

From the book easy-to-make Edgings,
published 1951 (copyright is expired)

Note: These instructions are as they appear in the original pattern. By 1951, crochet terms were written closer to the way we know them today.

Abbreviations used

No hook size given. Size 12 steel crochet hook is the suggested size for use with size 30 thread.

Size 30 thread is the suggested size given in this pattern, for an edging about 1 5/8 inches wide; however, you can make this edging in any size thread you choose. (Using size 10 thread, the edging will be wider; using size 50 thread the edging will be narrower, just for example.)

Ch 25, join (with slip st) in first ch to form ring, ch 3(= 1 dc), 35 dc in ring, ch 1, 14 more dc in ring, join in top of ch-3, fasten off.
2nd ring - Leaving 3 ins. of thread free, ch 25, from right side insert end of 3-in. thread down thru previous ring made and draw chains thru, join in first ch to form ring, ch 3, 35 dc in ring just made, ch 1, 14 more dc in ring, join in top of ch-3, fasten off. Continue to work as for 2nd ring until desired length.
EDGING - Row 1 - 1 sc in ch-1 of first ring, * [ch 3, skip 2 dc, sc in next dc] 3 times, ch 2, sc in ch-1 of next ring, ch 3, skip 4 dc; to make shell, 1 tr in next dc, [ch 5, sc in 5th ch from hook, 1 more tr in next dc] 4 times, ch 3, skip 4 dc, sc in next dc, ch 2, sc in ch-1 of next ring; rpt from *, fasten off.
Row 2 - Skip first Lp on first ring, * [1 dc, ch 4, 1 dc] in next Lp, dc in first tr of Shell, [ch 3, 1 dc] in each of next 4 tr of same Shell, skip first ch-3 Lp on next ring; rpt from *, fasten off.
Row 3 - * 5 sc in ch-4 sp, ch 5, drop loop from hook and draw loop thru first sc of 5-sc just made, [4 sc, (ch 4, slip st in 5th st from hook Picot made), 3 sc] in ch-5 Lp, 5 sc in first ch-3 sp of Shell, [3 sc, (ch 4, slip st in 5th st from hook Picot made), 2 sc] in each of next 2 sps, 5 sc in next sp; rpt from *, fasten off.
HEADING - (Mesh = ch 2, skip 2 sts, 1 dc in next st) Work a row of mesh as shown, 3 mesh to each ring and catching rings together with every 3rd dc.

A closer look at the stitches to help
you in crocheting the Fancy Rings pattern.

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Another variation of the above pattern, also from easy-to-make Edgings, published 1951:

Just Rings:

Just Rings Directions: (Size 30 thread = a 1 inch wide edging) Make and attach rings (as for Fancy Rings Edging above), to desired length. Work as for Heading (of Fancy Rings Edging) on both edges of rings as shown.

Hope you'll enjoy making these vintage edgings!

Note: These patterns weren't named in the original vintage publications (just assigned numbers), so I gave them names for this article.

Bookmark of this page is http://crochet.about.com/library/weekly/aa060599.htm

How long does copyright last? See US Government Copyright Office web site at http://www.loc.gov/copyright. Under "Publications" heading, click on "Information Circulars": Circular 15 (Renewal of Copyrights), Circular 15a (Duration of Copyrights) and Circular 15t (Extension of Copyright Terms)