Round Hairpin Lace Place Mat Pattern

COATS & CLARK'S O.N.T. "Speed-Cro-Sheen" MER­CERIZED COTTON, Art. C.44: 2 balls of No. 49-A Killarney.
Milwards Steel Crochet Hook No. 2/0 (double zero).
A hairpin lace staple, 2 inches wide.

Doily measures 14½ inches in diameter.

FIRST STRIP … Make a strip of hairpin lace, see Round Hairpin Lace Place Mat, patternbook page, having 35 loops on each side of staple. Break off.

To Form Center: Keeping the twist in all loops, attach thread through first 7 loops, make a sl st in same place, * make a sl st through next 7 loops. Repeat from * around. Join to first st made. Break off. Sew ends of hairpin lace together at center.

SECOND STRIP … Make another strip, having 70 loops on each side.

To Join Strips: Keeping the twist in all loops, insert hook in first free loop on First Strip, insert hook through first 2 corresponding loops on Second Strip, draw the 2 loops from Second Strip through the single loop on First Strip (a sl st and an inc made), * insert hook in next loop on First Strip, draw loop through both loops on hook, insert hook through next 2 loops on Second Strip, draw both loops through loop on hook (another inc made). Repeat from * around. Tack last loop on hook in place on wrong side. Make 3 more strips of hairpin lace, having 35 loops more than on each previous strip. Join as before, increasing in every other loop on Third Strip, every 3rd loop on Fourth Strip and every 4th loop on Fifth Strip. Block to measurements.