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Waltz Hairpin Lace Cape (1960): vintage crochet pattern
A shoulder cape made of five or six hairpin lace strips of graduated width, joined with metallic crochet cotton and finished with a crocheted neck band fastened with hooks and eyes. Originally published as "Waltz" in Stoles: Knitted; Crocheted; Hairpin Lace (Star Stole Book No. 133) by American Thread Co. in 1960, it is now in the public domain.
By the crochetpatterns.io editorial team · Updated · Editorial policy · pattern testing in progress
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Skill level | Advanced |
| Yarn weight | Bulky (#5) |
| Yardage | 7–8 oz (200–230 g) bulky yarn plus 2 balls metallic thread (as printed; yardage not given) |
| Hook | 3.75 mm |
| Gauge | No gauge printed. Loop counts per strip set the size; suggested check: the first (2 in) strip of 89 loops per side should reach comfortably around the neckline. |
| Finished size | Short cape 15 in (38 cm) long (5 strips); long cape 19 in (48 cm) long (6 strips) |
| Time | about 10 hours |
Materials
- Bulky (CYC #5) yarn: 7 oz (200 g) for the 15 in cape or 8 oz (230 g) for the 19 in cape; yardage was not printed, so check your yarn label
- Metallic crochet thread (the original was a mercerized cotton with metallic spangle): 2 balls — check ball yardage; a size 10 metallic thread is a close modern substitute
- Hairpin lace looms (forks) set to 2 in (5 cm), 3 in (7.5 cm) and 4 in (10 cm)
- Crochet hook for the yarn (original: plastic hook size F) and a fine steel hook for the thread (original: steel hook No. 7)
- 2 hooks and eyes
- Hook: Start with 3.75 mm (US F-5) for the hairpin strips and about 1.65 mm (steel 7) for the metallic joining; no gauge is printed, so check that your strips lie flat when joined
Yarn Kit & Substitution Options
This pattern calls for 350 yards of weight #5 yarn. Select a suggested yarn to see required skeins and estimated cost:
Premier Basics Chunky · 100% Acrylic
218 yds per skein · Fast make, dense pill-resistant body
2 skeins required
approx. $$9.98 total
Abbreviations (US terms)
- chain
- single crochet
- slip stitch
- space
- yarn over
- loop
- repeat
- fasten off
Notes before you start
- Source: "Waltz", Stoles: Knitted; Crocheted; Hairpin Lace (Star Stole Book No. 133), American Thread Co., 1960. Public domain in the USA.
- As printed — materials: AMERICAN THREAD COMPANY "DAWN" BULKY YARN; 7 ounces Buttercup for 15 inch length cape; 8 ounces Buttercup for 19 inch length cape and; The Famous "PURITAN" STAR SPANGLED MERCERIZED CROCHET COTTON, Article 40; 2 balls Gold Spangle or colors of your choice; 1—4 inch hairpin lace staple; 1—3 inch hairpin lace staple; 1—2 inch hairpin lace staple; Plastic crochet hook size F; Steel crochet hook No. 7; 2 hooks and eyes. Gauge: Not given.
- Modernisation note: Original is written in US crochet terms; kept as US terms (sc = single crochet, dc = double crochet).
- Modernisation note: Spaced period abbreviations (s c, d c, sl st) written as modern sc, dc, sl st; words spelled out where the original was ambiguous.
- Modernisation note: "Cut yarn" / "cut thread" / "break off" written as "fasten off"; "attach" written as "join".
- Modernisation note: Long printed paragraphs split into one row, round or step per line; stitch order unchanged.
- Modernisation note: The hairpin lace method paragraph split into numbered steps; wording unchanged apart from "yarn over" → "yo".
- Modernisation note: Each strip's joining and opposite-side edging given separate steps; the neck band's "Next Row" / "Next 5 Rows" / "Next Row" numbered as Rows 1–8 (same number of rows as printed).
- Modernisation note: Check: In the 4th Strip joining, the printed text reads "ch 3, sc through next 9 hairpin lace loops of 4th strip, ch 3, sc in next loop of 3rd strip, ch 3, sc in next hairpin lace loop of 4th strip, repeat from * 6 times" without the asterisk that the other strips have before the second "ch 3". Transcribed as printed; work it the same way as the 3rd and 5th Strips.
- Modernisation note: Corrected an obvious typo: "sc through next 13 hairpin lace loops of 6th strips" → "of 6th Strip".
- Modernisation note: "Weave in all ends" added as a finishing step (not printed).
- Modernisation note: Hook conversions (F → 3.75 mm, steel No. 7 → about 1.65 mm) are approximate; vintage steel hook numbering varied by maker.
- Modernisation note: Metric conversions added.
Row progress: 0 of 5 done (0%)
Hairpin lace (method)
0 of 5 done- Make a loop at the end of the yarn and place the left prong of the staple in the loop just made.Mark row complete
- Wind yarn around the right prong of the staple, insert crochet hook in the loop, yo and draw a loop through, keeping the work at the center of the staple.Mark row complete
- *Drop loop from hook, turn staple ½ turn to the left, pick up the dropped loop at the center, yo and pull through loop, insert hook through top part of loop on left-hand prong, yo and pull through (2 loops on hook), yo and pull through both loops to complete the sc; rep from * for desired length.Mark row complete
- All strips are worked with Buttercup and the size F hook.Mark row complete
- Note: When working strips, twists are taken out of all groups of loops and twist is left in all single loops. This will not be referred to again.Mark row complete
Working on:
Make a loop at the end of the yarn and place the left prong of the staple in the loop just made.
Continue this pattern
The rest of the Waltz Hairpin Lace Cape (1960) pattern is in the Vintage Crochet Stoles & Shawls
Still to come in the full pattern:
- Strips
- Short cape — joining
- Neck band
- Long cape
- Finishing
Included with 31 patterns for $12 — $0.39 per pattern.
Errata
No corrections have been published for this pattern. Found a mistake? Tell us and we will log the fix here with a date.
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Frequently asked questions
Where is the Waltz pattern from?
It was published as "Waltz" in Stoles: Knitted; Crocheted; Hairpin Lace (Star Stole Book No. 133) by American Thread Co. in 1960. The publication is in the public domain in the United States; this version is transcribed and modernised by crochetpatterns.io.
What yarn or thread do I need for the Waltz?
Metallic crochet thread, about size 10. Not printed — 7–8 oz (200–230 g) bulky yarn plus 2 balls metallic thread; check the labels
What hook should I use?
Start with 3.75 mm (US F-5) for the hairpin strips and about 1.65 mm (steel 7) for the metallic joining; no gauge is printed, so check that your strips lie flat when joined Gauge: No gauge printed. Loop counts per strip set the size; suggested check: the first (2 in) strip of 89 loops per side should reach comfortably around the neckline.
