It’s a long time since doilies have been considered in vogue. The small crocheted decorative mats were used to protect surfaces such as arm and headrests in homes of grandmothers the world over. These days, however, with the help of crafty platforms such as Pinterest, people all over have reignited their interest in this skilful craft, and you too can learn how to crochet a doily.

Crochet is making a comeback in a big way. On the whole, the context of this craft has broadened immensely. No longer kitschy, the crochet patterns are now re-imagined in the form of jewellery, thick chunky rugs, scatter cushions, lamps, bowls, framed art, handbags, clothing, dream-catchers, skull patterned shawls… Even using a wide array of colours, yarn, cotton and strips of old fabric, the crochet doily is no longer just a crochet doily.

Inspired yet? Perhaps it’s time to learn how to crochet a doily? We’ll show you how.

Hold the crochet hook in your dominant hand and begin with a chain stitch. Every pattern starts with a chain stitch.

Step 1: First you form a slip knot around the hook by wrapping the yarn around the hook and making a loop with your yarn, leaving the long end of the yarn hanging behind the loop.

Next, thread the hook through the loop under the tail, then threading it back again out of the loop. Next pull the tail, the yarn will tighten around the hook and now have a slip knot.

Step 2: Using your thumb and middle finger on your non-dominant hand, hold the slip knot. With your index finger on the same hand thread the yarn from back to front around the handle of the hook.

Use the hook to pull the yarn through the loop on the hook, forming your first chain link. Repeat this step until you have 6 links.
Step 3: To form a slip stitch, slide the hook through the first chain link furthest from the hook. This will form a ring. Using your non-dominant hand wrap the yarn around from the back of the hook towards the front. While you are wrapping the yarn, rotate the hook until the tip of the hook is facing you.

To complete the slip stitch pull the yarn back through the stitch then through the loop on the hook.

*A slip stitch joins different stitches, reinforces edges, binds stitches and moves the yarn to a different crocheting position.

Step 4: To make a single crochet form a new loop through the chain stitch only. Now that you have two loops on your hook, pull a new loop of yarn through both of the previous loops. This will leave you with a single loop with which you can repeat this step.

Step 5: To make a double crochet stitch, start with a 15 link chain. Wrap the yarn over the hook from front to back and slide the hook between the two front loops and then under the fourth chain link from the hook.

Wrap the yarn over the hook as above, now pull the yarn through the chain gently, stitch by stitch, threading the wrapped hook through the chain.

With three loops on the hook, pull the hook through the first two loops. Wrap the yarn over the hook again and then pull the hook through the last two loops on the hook. Repeat this step to finish your project.

And now you know how to crochet a doily!