Charting Edgings: Picots & Scallops

1. The Anatomy of a Finishing Stitch

The most common finishing elements in vintage doilies are picots and small scallops. While they seem simple, understanding their construction is key to using them effectively.

The Picot Stitch

A picot is a small, decorative loop created from a few chain stitches. It adds a delicate, beaded texture to an edge. There are subtle variations in how a picot is made, each producing a slightly different effect.

To see the most common construction, let's look at a clear tutorial.

The resource shows the classic Ch3, sl st in the base stitch. Other common variations include:

• Ch 3, sl st in the first ch: This creates a tiny loop that sits slightly more freely on top of your work.
• Varying the chain count: Using ch 2 will create a tiny knot or "bobble," while ch 4 or ch 5 will create a larger, more open loop.

The Scallop Edging

A scallop edging is a series of small, shallow shells worked as the final round. It's different from the larger shells you might have designed for your main border. A scallop edging is typically composed of simple, short stitches like single and half-double crochet to create a gentle, wavy finish. For example, (sc, hdc, sc) worked into a chain space would form a mini-scallop.

2. Integrating Edgings into Your Design

A finishing round isn't designed in isolation; it's designed to complement the border structure you've already created. Let's explore the three main ways to do this.

Method 1: Adding a Picot to the Peak of a Motif

This is a classic technique, especially for shell and fan borders. You simply interrupt the shell at its highest point to add a picot.

The resource from Crafting Happiness demonstrates this perfectly. It builds a border where each scallop is crowned with a picot.

This method is elegant and efficient, as it combines the main border round and the finishing round into one.

A fascinating vintage variation of this is to make the picot on top of the stitch at the peak.

Method 2: Creating a Picot Netting Over the Top

Perhaps the most common method in mid-century doilies is to add an entirely separate final round of delicate chain loops and picots that drapes over the main border structure.

This creates a light, airy finish that softens the edge of the doily. This technique is especially effective over substantial, solid borders.

This method is incredibly versatile. By changing the number of chains (e.g., ch 5) or the stitch you slip stitch into (e.g., skipping stitches to create longer loops), you can dramatically alter the final effect.

Method 3: Placing Picots within Chain Spaces

If your border design includes chain-space transitions between motifs, these spaces are the perfect place to add picots. This can break up long chains and add points of interest.

For example, if your border repeat includes a ch-7 space, you could modify the final round to be ch 3, picot, ch 3 instead. This maintains the same stitch count but adds a decorative point in the middle of the chain.

3. Design and Charting Walkthrough

Let's return to the shell border we designed in the last lesson. The repeat was: * (7 tr) in next st, skip 3 sts, sc in next st, skip 3 sts; rep from *.

The final doily edge has a series of 7-treble-crochet shells, separated by single crochet stitches. Now, let's design and chart a final "polishing" round using Method 2: Picot Netting.

Step 1: Analyze the Foundation
Each shell has 7 treble stitches. There is 1 single crochet stitch between the shells. We have plenty of anchor points for our netting.

Step 2: Design the Edging Repeat
We want a delicate loop over each stitch of the shell. A ch-3 loop is a good choice.
The instruction for the final round could be:
`* sl st into the first tr of the next shell. (ch 3, sl st into next tr) 6 times. Now we need to cross the gap to the next shell. We could do ch 3, sl st into the sc, then ch 3 and sl st into the first tr of the next shell. Or, for a simpler drape, we can simply do ch 5, sl st into the first tr of the next shell. Let's try the simpler version.

Revised Instruction: sl st to the first tr of a shell to begin. * (ch 3, sl st in next tr) 6 times across the top of the shell. ch 5, sl st in the first tr of the next shell; rep from * all around.

Step 3: Chart the Edging
Now, get out your charting paper. You would have already charted the main border. The final step is to draw this new round on top of it.

• Draw your chain-3 loops connecting the tops of the treble stitches in your shell.
• Draw the longer chain-5 loop that elegantly leaps from the last stitch of one shell to the first stitch of the next.

This final round will look very similar to the outermost round of the doily in the chart below.

Your finished chart section for one repeat would show the 7-tr shell from the previous round, with this new layer of chain loops gracefully following its contour.

Conclusion

You have now reached the final step in designing a complete doily from center to edge. By adding a decorative picot or scallop edging, you give your design a polished, professional, and authentically vintage finish.

Key Takeaways:

• Picots and small scallops are the finishing touch for a doily border.
• They can be integrated into the main border stitches (e.g., at the peak of a shell).
• They can be added on top of the border as a final, delicate netting of chain loops.
• The key is to ensure the edging complements the main border structure, enhancing its shape without causing distortion.

Next Lesson:
You have now designed a complete doily on paper! The next stage is to bring it to life. In our next lesson, we will begin Module 8, "Pattern Finalization and Testing," with the crucial first step: Swatch a key section of the design to test for gauge, drape, and flatness. This is where your pen-and-paper theory meets the reality of yarn and hook.