Irish crochet lace is a style of Irish lace. It was originally developed in mid-nineteenth century Ireland as a method of imitating expensive Venetian point laces. It was taught as part of famine-relief initiatives by charities and convents, and a lively house-industry evolved from there. The lace is made of small motifs, often flowers or shamrocks, each crocheted separately, and combined in a mesh with borders.
In this introductiory workshop we will look at some examples of Irish lace from the TRC lace collection, and look at the impact of needle and yarn size. Inspired by these examples we will create our own first small flowers, based on crochet instructions from c. 1900.
For this workshop you need to be able to do basic crochet stitches. Materials will be provided. But please bring along your own crochet needles, size 2 .0 or 2.5 mm (or thinner for the more experienced).
Example of Irish crochet lace (TRC 2007.0675).
The workshop is given by Alice van Duijnen, who is experienced in many textile techniques ever since she learned knitting at the age of 6. She has taught knitting, crochet and weaving. As volunteer at the TRC she works on the technique oriented Reference Collection.
Date: Wednesday, 15 October 2025. Time: 10.00 - 13.00 pm. Location: TRC Leiden, Hogewoerd 164, 2351 HW Leiden, The Netherlands. Instructor: Alice van Duijnen. Language: Dutch/English. Costs: 40 euros (to be paid at the start of the meeting). Equipment / coffee / tea are provided. Max. number of participants: 8. Please register in advance: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
