A Simple Narrow Edging

This pattern is from "The Home Art Crochet Book" edited by Flora Klickmann. The book is available freely at The Antique Pattern Library. The edging is found on page 9, Section I, Edgings for the Average Worker/Pretty for Toilet Covers.

I reproduce the original antique pattern here (above) and provide a version I have edited for the modern crocheter. For the sample shown, I used crochet cotton thread size 8 and steel hook size 1.2mm.

A Simple Narrow Edging
UK crochet terminology

Ch 6, sl st in first ch to make a ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 6, keeping last loop of each stitch on hook, make 3 triple tr in ring (thread three times over the needle), draw loop through all 5 loops on hook, *ch 7, keeping last loop of each stitch on hook, make 4 triple tr in ring, rep fr * four times more to make 6 triple tr clusters; ch 7, dc in top of first cluster.

Rnd 2: Ch 5, 1 tr into same st, ch 5, 1 tr into fourth ch, ch 5, 1 tr into same ch, ch 5, 1 tr in top of next cluster, ch 2, 1 tr in same st, ch 5, 1 tr into fourth ch, ch 5, 1 tr in top of next cluster, ch 5, 1 tr in same st, ch 5, 1 tr into next fourth ch, ch 5, 1 tr in top of next cluster, ch 2, 1 tr in same st, ch 5, 1 tr into fourth ch, ch 5, 1 tr in same ch, ch 5, 1 tr in top of next cluster, ch 2, 1 tr in same st, ch 5, 1 tr into fourth ch, ch 5, 1 tr in top of next cluster, ch 5, 1 tr into same st, ch 5, 1 tr into fourth ch, ch 5, 1 dc into third ch of the first 5-ch.

Rnd 3: Make 5 dc in each 5-ch sp and 3 dc in each 2-ch sp all around with a 5-ch picot in the centre of the 5-ch sps where there are triple tr clusters. Fasten off.

Each motif is joined to the preceding in the center of a picot.

To fill in the spaces at the top:

To fill in the spaces at the top, working from right to left of the motif strip, join the thread with dc to the first picot, ch 20.

Sl st in 8th ch fr hook to form a ring, turn.

Ch 6, triple tr in 6th ch fr hook.

Dc in dc bet first two triple tr on motif.

Ch 6, triple tr in 6th ch fr hook, turn, sl st in top of previous triple tr made, 3 dc in ring, turn, ch 6, triple tr in 6th ch fr hook.

Dc bet 2 dc above next tr on motif, ch 6, triple tr in 6th ch fr hook, turn.

Sl st in top of previous triple tr made, 3 dc in ring, turn.

Ch 6, triple tr in 6th ch fr hook, dc bet 2 dc above next tr on next motif.

Ch 6, triple tr in 6th ch fr hook, turn, sl st in top of previous triple tr made, 3 dc in ring, ch 6, turn, triple tr in 6th ch fr hook, dc in dc bet next two triple tr on motif, ch 6, triple tr in 6th ch fr hook, turn.

Sl st in top of previous triple tr made, 1 dc in ring, turn, ch 12, dc in 5-ch picot on top of same motif.

Repeat this procedure across the strip of motifs.

To make the straightening row at the top:

Work a row of dc closely over the ch stitches (I used 13 dc in each 12-ch sp), then make the straightening row of 2 ch, 1 tr into every 3rd dc. Finish with a row of dc into each sp.