A linen cloth is a useful thing! My father is an avid bread maker and foodie so I made him this multi-purpose cloth for the kitchen. It can cover bread, be a table mat, be used for rolling pasta, or can line a bread basket at table setting.

I purchased this piece of Irish linen in the DMC Extra Large format (sold for stitching) and it was ridiculously expensive even at Len’s Mills (20$!!!). Next time, I will source linen by yardage, or use an evenweave cotton for pretty napkins with edgings.

To start, I made all edges of the linen cloth flush by pulling out the loose strands and trimming them to 1/4 inch. The depth of my first round would be a single crochet, so I removed the 5th strand in along each edge, making a wider row to punch my stitches into. Then, I start single crochet around, placing 4 strands in between each st, except at the corners, where I went into every second st so that they would not cup in and would lie flat. With the bound edge complete all the way around, I could choose any edging I liked, provided it started with a base chain. I choose something really easy, and I had to make a few little st adjustments across the first row. At the corners, I flared the design so that they would drape right. I was pleased with the results.

I love the final look of the edging yarn, but I think a smooth cotton would have been easier and less splitty. It was my first time using steel crochet hooks and I found I got more accurate as I went along. But I have no doubt fine mercerized crochet cotton would be best in the future- easier to manage with smoother results….Time to add to my stash I think!

I have a couple of vintage edging books like this and I will cherish them! They are surprisingly easy to follow, even for a newbie to crochet like me. I look forward to doing the fancier kinds of edgings in the future!