Ballerina Motif Cloth (1941): vintage crochet pattern

Materials

• Size 20 six-cord mercerized crochet thread (printed: Clark's O.N.T. or J. & P. Coats Best Six Cord, size 20)
• Yardage: About 46 yd per motif plus fill-ins, as printed
• Tapestry needle, rustproof pins and starch for blocking
• Hook: Start with a 1.4 mm (US 9) steel hook for size 20 thread and change size so one motif measures 5 inches (the printed hook is Milward's No. 10).

Abbreviations (US terms)

ch

chain

sl st

slip stitch

sc

single crochet

dc

double crochet

tr

treble crochet

sts

stitches

st

stitch

sp

space

rnd

round

yo

yarn over

Notes before you start

• Source: "Ballerina" (674), Old and New Favorites (Book No. 172), The Spool Cotton Company, 1941. Public domain in the USA.
• As printed — materials: CLARK’S O.N.T. or J. & P. COATS BEST SIX CORD MERCERIZED CROCHET, size 20. See thread information on page 22.; Milward’s Steel Crochet Hook No. 10.. Gauge: Using the materials recommended, each motif measures 5″ in diameter and requires approximately 46 yds. of thread. Fill-in requires about 2½ yds..
• 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: Round/row labels rewritten in modern form (e.g. “2nd Round.” → “Rnd 2:”, “7th to 10th rnds incl:” → “Rnds 7–10:”)
• Modernisation note: “thread over” → “yo” (yarn over)
• Modernisation note: Page numbers, page-continuation notes and illustration references removed.
• Modernisation note: Hook numbers in the original are Milward's steel hook sizes; a starting size is suggested from the thread weight instead of converting the old numbering.
• Modernisation note: The original lists: recommended uses — Tablecloths, bedspreads, luncheon sets, runners.
• Modernisation note: Stitch counts have not been added; where the original prints a count it is kept as printed.

Motif

1. Starting at center, ch 8, join with sl st.
2. Rnd 1: Ch 5, * dc in ring, ch 2. Repeat from * 6 more times. Join to 3rd st of ch-5 (8 sps).
3. Rnd 2: Sl st in next sp, ch 5, 4 d tr in same sp, holding back the last loop of each d tr on hook; yo and draw through all loops on hook (a cluster); * ch 8, 5 d tr in next sp, holding back the last loop of each d tr on hook; yo and draw through all loops on hook (cluster). Repeat from * around, ending with ch 8, sl st at tip of 1st cluster made.
4. Rnd 3: 10 sc in each sp (80 sc in rnd).
5. 4th to
6. 7th rnds incl: Sc in each sc, ending 7th rnd with sl st in next st.
7. Rnd 8: * Ch 5, skip 1 st, sc in next st, ch 5, skip 2 sts, sc in next st. Repeat from * around (32 loops).
8. Rnd 9: Sl st to center of next loop, 2 sc in loop, * ch 5, sc in next loop. Repeat from * 2 more times, ch 5, 2 sc in next loop, and continue thus around, ending with sl st in 1st sc made.
9. Rnd 10: Ch 1, sc in next 2 sc, * 2 sc in next loop; (ch 5, sc in next loop) twice, ch 5, 2 sc in next loop, sc in next 2 sc. Repeat from * around, ending with 2 sc in last loop, sl st in ch-1 first made.
10. Rnd 11: Ch 1, sc in next 4 sc, * 2 sc in next loop, ch 5, sc in next loop, ch 5, 2 sc in next loop, sc in next 6 sc. Repeat from * around, ending with sl st in ch-1 first made.
11. Rnd 12: Ch 1, sc in next 6 sc, * 2 sc in next loop, ch 7, 2 sc in next loop, sc in next 10 sc. Repeat from * around, ending rnd as before.
12. Rnd 13: Ch 1, sc in next 8 sc, * in ch-7 loop make 2 sc, ch 5, 2 sc; sc in next 14 sc. Repeat from * around; join.
13. Rnd 14: Ch 1, sc in each sc, making 5 sc in each ch-5 loop; join.
14. Rnd 15: Ch 1, sc in each sc, making 2 sc in center st of 5-sc group; join.
15. Rnd 16: Sc in next sc, ch 6 (to count as dc and ch-3), dc in same place as last sc, * ch 6, skip 5 sc, sc in next sc, ch 6; in center sc at tip of next point make dc, ch 3, dc; ch 6, skip 5 sc, sc in next sc, ch 6, skip 5 sc; in next sc make dc, ch 3, dc. Repeat from * around, joining last ch-6 to 3rd st of ch-6 first made.
16. Rnd 17: Sl st in next ch, sc in sp, ch 6, dc in same sp, * ch 6, sc in next sc, ch 7; in sp at point make dc, ch 3, dc; ch 7, sc in next sc, ch 6; in next sp make dc, ch 3, dc. Repeat from * around. Join and fasten off.
17. Make necessary number of motifs. With over-and-over stitches sew 3 points at 1 side of motif to corresponding 3 points of adjacent motifs, thus leaving 1 point free on each motif between joinings.