Small Pineapple Doily (1940s–50s): vintage crochet pattern

Materials

• Puritan Mercerized Crochet Cotton or Puritan Star Spangled Crochet Cotton (Article 40) — size not printed; choose a mercerized cotton crochet thread that matches the finished size
• Yardage: 2 balls White, Cream or Ecru (or 4 balls Silver Spangle) as printed — check the ball band for yardage
• Tapestry needle, rustproof pins and starch for blocking
• Hook: Start with a 1.65 mm (US 7) steel hook — the printed hook is a No. 7 steel — and change size to reach the printed diameter.

Abbreviations (US terms)

ch

chain

sl st

slip stitch

sc

single crochet

dc

double crochet

tr

treble crochet

st

stitch

rnd

round

Notes before you start

• Source: "Small Pineapple Doily", Ruffled Doilies (Star Doily Book No. 143), American Thread Company. Public domain in the USA.
• As printed — materials: . Gauge: Not given.
• Modernisation note: Transcribed from the original publication; stitches, repeats and their order are unchanged.
• Modernisation note: Run-on paragraphs split into one round, row or step per line.
• Modernisation note: The source leaflets already use US crochet terms; only abbreviations and wording were modernised.
• Modernisation note: “tr c” → “tr”
• Modernisation note: Round/row labels rewritten in modern form (e.g. “2nd Round.” → “Rnd 2:”, “7th to 10th rnds incl:” → “Rnds 7–10:”)
• Modernisation note: “cut thread” → “fasten off”
• Modernisation note: Page numbers, page-continuation notes and illustration references removed.
• Modernisation note: No gauge is printed. Suggested check: work to the printed finished size (AMERICAN THREAD COMPANY The Famous “PURITAN” MERCERIZED CROCHET COTTON, Article 40 2 balls White, Cream, or Ecru Approximate size: 12 inches in diameter without ruffle or The Famous “PURITAN” STAR SPANGLED MERCERIZED CROCHET COTTON, Article 40 4 balls Silver Spangle or color of your choice Approximate size: 13½ inches in diameter without ruffle Steel crochet hook No. 7) and change hook size if your piece is noticeably larger or smaller.
• Modernisation note: The leaflet is undated; its “New York 13, N. Y.” postal-zone address places it between 1943 and 1963.
• Modernisation note: The general starching directions printed in the leaflet are included under finishing.
• Modernisation note: The original begins by referring to the Pineapple Ruffle Doily for rounds 1–21; work those rounds from the Pineapple Ruffle Doily pattern in this collection.
• Modernisation note: Stitch counts have not been added; where the original prints a count it is kept as printed.

Finishing

1. Starch: Dissolve ½ cup starch in ½ cup of cold water. Boil about 1¼ cups of water, remove from flame, then slowly stir the starch mixture into boiling water stirring constantly. Place back on flame until it thickens.
2. As soon as starch is cool enough to handle, dip doily and squeeze starch through it thoroughly. Wring out extra starch. The doily should be wet with starch but there should be none in the spaces. Pin center of doily in position according to size and leave until thoroughly dry. If steam iron is used iron ruffle after it is dry. If regular iron is used dampen ruffle slightly before pressing. Pin folds of ruffle in position and leave until thoroughly dry.