Hello! Welcome back to our exploration of retro doily design.
In our last lesson, we learned to see doilies through a designer's eye by identifying their three main architectural zones: the center, body, and border. This framework helps us break down complex designs into manageable parts.
Today, we're diving deeper into the body of the doily to understand the two fundamental ways it can be structured to grow outwards. This lesson addresses how to distinguish between radial (wedge-based) repeats and concentric (band-based) structures. Understanding this is like learning the difference between building with pie-shaped wedges versus building with circular rings—both can create a circle, but they result in vastly different visual effects and require different approaches to pattern construction.
The Engine of Growth: Distributing Increases
To make a crochet circle lie flat, you must add stitches in each round. The core difference between radial and concentric structures lies in how and where those increases are placed. Let's start by looking at the most basic approach.
1. Radial (Wedge-Based) Structure
A radial structure is the most direct way to build a circle. The design is divided into identical, repeating "wedges" or "pie slices" that radiate out from the center.
- How it works: All the increases required for a round are clustered at the same point within each wedge. As the rounds grow, these increases stack on top of each other, forming visible lines or "seams" that travel from the center to the edge.
- Visual Effect: This stacking of increases naturally creates points, resulting in a shape that is more like a hexagon, octagon, or star than a true circle. Many vintage doilies lean into this effect, using the radial lines to create beautiful, star-like or floral geometry.
The simplest way to see this is in a basic, unadorned crocheted circle.
The Secret Crochet Circle Formula (and how to tweak it)
To understand the visual effect of a purely radial structure, let's look at what happens when increases are stacked without any adjustments. Please read the following article by Shelley Husband.
First, read the section 'The Formula for a flat circle' to understand the standard increase pattern. Then, focus on the section 'When hooking up a circle...', specifically looking at the picture under the heading 'Not really a circle is it?'. This image clearly shows the 'points' created by stacking increases in a single crochet circle.
As you saw in the article, stacking increases creates a distinct polygon. This is the hallmark of a radial structure. The number of wedges (and points) is determined by the number of stitches in your starting round.
Let's look at a chart that uses this structure for a decorative effect.
Look at the Bottom Left chart in the image above. You can clearly see the doily is built from 8 repeating wedges. If you were to trace one of these wedges from the center out to the edge, you'd find it's identical to the one next to it. The entire design is just that one wedge, repeated 8 times. This is a classic radial structure.
2. Concentric (Band-Based) Structure
A concentric structure aims for the opposite effect: a smooth, perfect circle without obvious points. The design is built in continuous circular "bands" of pattern.
- How it works: Instead of stacking the increases, they are intentionally staggered or distributed across different locations in each round. This "hides" the increases within the fabric, preventing the formation of radial lines.
- Visual Effect: The doily looks like a series of nested rings. The visual focus is on the continuous flow of the stitch pattern in each band as it wraps around the circle, rather than the repetition of a wedge. This is ideal for creating fields of texture or patterns that shouldn't be interrupted by radial seams.
Now, let's return to the same article to see the solution for achieving this smooth circle.
The Secret Crochet Circle Formula (and how to tweak it)
The key to a concentric structure is staggering the increases. The same article demonstrates this simple but powerful tweak.
Please re-examine the article, this time focusing on the section 'How to make a real circle'. Notice how the author suggests moving the increase stitches to the middle of the repeat on alternate rounds. Compare the 'Not really a circle' photo with the 'It makes a big difference' photo to see the result.
The technique of shifting the increase placement is the practical basis for creating a concentric design. Now, look again at the image with the four charts. The Top Left chart is a good example of a concentric structure. While it has 12-fold symmetry, the pattern is presented as a series of distinct rings: a solid center, a band of V-stitches, a band of textured puff stitches, and so on. The increases are distributed to keep the overall shape circular rather than creating sharp points.
3. Hybrid Structures: The Best of Both Worlds
This is where the true artistry of vintage doily design shines. Most intricate doilies are not purely radial or purely concentric; they are hybrid designs that combine both structures to achieve sophisticated effects.
A designer might:
- Start with a radial center to create a flower or starburst effect.
- Transition to a few concentric bands of simple mesh stitches to create an open, airy feeling and provide a "frame" for the next motif.
- Introduce another set of motifs, like pineapples, in a radial placement.
- Finish with a concentric border to create a smooth, round edge.
This mixing-and-matching allows for immense variety and visual interest.
This chart is a beautiful example of a hybrid design.
- Rounds 1-4: Clearly radial, forming a small central star.
- Rounds 5-9: These rounds have a more concentric feel, creating simple, expanding bands of mesh that smooth the design into a circle.
- Rounds 10-18: A strong radial structure returns, forming the large, fan-like motifs that give the doily its character.
- Rounds 19-22: The border is again more concentric, designed to create a uniform scalloped edge.
By switching between these structural approaches, the designer creates rhythm, texture, and complexity. As an experienced crocheter, you can likely see how following this chart would involve shifting your mental model from "working the next wedge" to "working the next band" and back again.
Test your understanding!
Let's return to the image with the four charts. We've analyzed the Top Left (concentric) and Bottom Left (radial) charts.
Now, look at the Top Right and Bottom Right charts. For each one, decide if its primary structure is radial, concentric, or hybrid, and briefly explain why.
Show answer
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Top Right Chart: This design is primarily concentric. It's constructed as a series of distinct bands: a pinwheel-like center, followed by a band of mesh, then a band of solid clusters, another band of mesh, and finally a decorative border. The overall impression is of nested rings, not radiating wedges, even though there is an underlying 8-point symmetry.
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Bottom Right Chart: This is a hybrid design. It begins with a distinctly radial 8-pointed star in the center. However, the outer rounds transition into a more concentric structure, creating a wide band of geometric lacework that flows continuously around the piece before the final pointed border. The strong radial lines of the center do not continue into the outer body of the doily.
Conclusion
In this lesson, we dissected the two primary growth strategies used in circular crochet: radial and concentric structures. You learned to identify them by analyzing how increases are placed and the visual effect this creates.
Key Takeaways:
- Radial (Wedge-Based) Structure: Built from repeating wedges. Increases are stacked, creating visible lines and points. Excellent for star and flower motifs.
- Concentric (Band-Based) Structure: Built from continuous circular bands. Increases are staggered, creating a smooth, round shape. Ideal for fields of texture and flowing patterns.
- Hybrid Structure: Combines both methods, offering the greatest design flexibility and visual complexity. Most vintage doilies are hybrid designs.
Recognizing these structures is a critical step in deconstruction. When you look at a vintage doily now, you can go beyond identifying the center, body, and border, and begin to analyze how the body expands and creates its patterns.
In our next module, we will move from analysis to creation. The first lesson, "Explain the relationship between Pi, stitch height, and the number of increases," will equip you with the fundamental mathematics that governs why these structures work. You'll learn the precise formulas needed to ensure your own circles lie perfectly flat, whether you choose to stack your increases radially or stagger them concentrically.