The Roses Poncho is done! I wore it at Stitches West, and many people gave me compliments on it. Thank you! It is made with Oval Center Roses, Rose Leaves, and Simple Fives, all of which are in Crochet Bouquet.
I learned about Irish Crochet lace in the early 1980s. I gathered as many books on the subject as I could find. Almost all of them were reprints of much older books. These were the original inspiration to me for the flowers and leaves of Crochet Bouquet.
One of my favorites was and still is The Irish Crochet Book No. 2, reprinted by The House of White Birches in 1981. The original source was not mentioned in this reprint, but it is probably available for download at www.antiquepatternlibrary.org or as a reprint from Lacis.
One of the projects in the book was a “Collar in Wheels, Roses, and Leaves.” I crocheted it from a linen thread, much heavier than the thread used in the book. Instead of using it as a collar, I sewed around the dropped waist of my wedding dress, as you can see in the photo.
Most Irish Crochet Lace is made from motifs joined by a crocheted mesh. The collar was unusual, because its motifs were simply sewn together. And that is how the Roses Poncho is made, too.
