Broomstick Granny Top with Flower

Broomstick Granny Top with Flower

What Is Being Made

This is a crocheted sleeveless gilet (vest) featuring an openwork broomstick lace construction combined with a felted flower embellishment. The design creates a lightweight, textured garment suitable for layering, with a contemporary aesthetic that blends traditional crochet techniques with fiber art elements.

Craft and Primary Technique

The project uses crochet as the primary construction method, specifically employing the broomstick lace technique. Broomstick lace is an advanced openwork method that combines crochet with a large-diameter tool (traditionally a broomstick, but any appropriately sized ruler or rod works). This technique creates distinctive elongated loops and airy patterns characteristic of lace-like fabrics. The garment also incorporates felting as a secondary technique for creating the decorative flower element, adding dimensional texture and visual interest to the finished piece.

Stitches and Construction Methods

The pattern uses fundamental crochet stitches as the foundation for the broomstick lace work:

• Chain stitch (maille en l'air) – used to create the initial foundation loops
• Slip stitch (maille coulée) – used to join rounds and close circular foundations
• Yarn over and pull through – the basic mechanism for creating the elongated loops that are then transferred to the broomstick tool

The broomstick lace construction involves mounting multiple crochet loops onto a wide ruler or broomstick-width tool, then manipulating these loops to create the characteristic openwork pattern. The garment is constructed from square motifs for the front and back panels, which are then assembled into the finished gilet shape.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The pattern calls for Katia Love Wool yarn, a premium natural fiber blend consisting of 85% virgin wool and 15% alpaca. This composition provides warmth, elasticity, and a luxurious feel suitable for a statement piece. The yarn is classified as super chunky weight, with a yardage of 100 grams per 50 meters, allowing for quick project completion despite the openwork construction.

Yarn quantities specified:

• 2 balls in colorway 118 (turquoise) – Color A
• 2 balls in colorway 116 (fuchsia) – Color B

The color combination creates striking visual contrast, with the turquoise and fuchsia tones complementing each other in the broomstick lace pattern.

Tools and Equipment

Essential tools include a 10 mm crochet hook for working the yarn, and a 4.5 mm width ruler or broomstick tool for the lace construction. The pattern notes that any suitable support can substitute for a traditional broomstick, including cardboard strips, making the project accessible with improvised materials.

For the felting component, materials needed are:

• Hot water in a bowl or container
• Liquid soap or dish soap
• Bubble wrap
• A wooden or metal roller or rod for agitation
• Yarn scraps in the same colors as the main project
• A towel for drying

Difficulty Level

This project is rated as intermediate difficulty. While broomstick lace requires understanding of the technique and careful loop management, the pattern provides clear foundational instructions. The combination of crochet and felting techniques means crafters should have basic crochet competency before attempting this design, though detailed guidance for the broomstick lace process is included in the pattern instructions.