Schwarzarbeil Band 2

Schwarzarbeit Band 2 by Ulrike Voelcker
Languages – German and English
Size – A4, hardcover192 pages
Available from Barbara Fay
Interestingly enough there doesn’t appear to be an ISBN!

This book of Chantilly patterns is real eye-candy for anyone who loves this type of lace.  The book is full of gorgeous designs that have been printed on high quality paper, so it is a treat to look at.

There are 69 prickings, all with enlarged working diagrams and gimp movement diagrams where necessary.  Some of the pricking are at reduced size and instructions are given for how much they have to be enlarged.  Although some prickings and diagrams go across two pages consideration for photocopying has been given with spaces left around the edges of the prickings so they can be easily copied and butted together.  The author states in the introduction that this is not a techniques book, techniques are in a separate publication The Grammar of Point Ground published July 2008, although saying that there are a few illustrative diagrams of techniques in the book.  The most number of pairs needed I could find is 250 pairs, but there are plenty of patterns needing only 60-80 pairs and some using less than 30.

Very helpfully, patterns are graded into 5 levels from “Elementary – For point ground beginners, without any difficulties” to “Challenging – For the adventurous lacemakers, who like to puzzle”.
….Christie