Positioning the Strips for Joining

Joining hairpin lace strips is a crochet activity, not a "finishing" activity, and you can hold the work in your normal crochet position as you join. It is a portable activity that can be done on your lap once you get comfortable with your joining technique and it is where the real creativity in hairpin lace comes into play.

Always join strips starting from "starting side" of strip. You can identify the starting side by examining your guide line, or by the marker that was placed on the starting strip of the loop. If using Guide Lines, you will be able to identify the starting side as the "U" side where the guide line runs from one side of the strip to the other without a tie.

Start by laying 2 strips side-by-side lengthwise with marked starting ends facing the same direction.

Overlap the strips by bringing one strip over the other as pictured. Ensure that the loops of the back braid are a little higher than the loops of the front braid so that you can easily see them as you work. You will join the strips by working alternating loops from the top and bottom strip.

Take care to keep the strips from twisting as you join. Again, the guide lines will help to keep the work untwisted, as well as help you identify whether a loop you are joining belongs to the front or back braid.