Freehand Lace follows a pattern but does not utilise a ‘pricking’. The pins are usually placed down the two edges of lace the stiches and pattern in between is maintained through the tension of the lace.

I first encountered Freehand Lace through my visits to the Kunstindustrimusset in København and reading Danske Frihåndskniplinger by  Bodil Tornehave.

Apart from examples from Denmark, which Jana Novak and Bodil Tornehave referred to as ‘Bird Lace’ in their book of patterns ‘Fuglefletskniplinger’ , you also find examples of Freehand Lace in other areas of Europe including Skåne in Southern Sweden (please see Wivi-Ann Nordström’s books Skånsk Knyppling and Pettersson Lace).

To find out more about Freehand Lace visit the Freehand Lace Research group website.

I believe that the techniques of Freehand Lace are relevant today. In current contemporary lace practice you find the same aspirations of Freehand Lace being executed in the irregular grounds first used in the Benelux countries.

I learnt these techniques with Reinhilde Vermeulen at the OIDFA Congress held in Ghent. The pins are place down the two edges and tension etc is down to the lacemaker as with traditional Freehand Lace.

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Freehand Lace