identification

Many techniques are used to make lace; bobbin, knitted, crocheted lace are some of the most well known. There are books and websites dedicated to lace identification. For example, The Rook and The Raven by Sharron Bassano provideds definitions to help people identify what kind of lace they have. Please note that images of Armenian needlelace on Bassano’s site are presented in the “Knotted Lace” section.

On this page, we provide information and imagery highlighting the difference between needlelace and crocheted techniques; we have found them to be the two most common lace-making techniques used by Armenian women worldwide and are often confused.

Differences between needlelace and crocheted lace:

• Needlelace is made with a needle, whereas crocheted lace is made with a hook.

• Needlelace is a knotted technique with secure connection points, but crochet is a looped technique that can be easily unraveled.

• Both are typically made with cotton: needlelace is often made with thinner thread (40 to 100 gauge) while crochet is made with heavier thread (10 to 40 gauge).

• Patterns in both techniques can be similar, but in general, needlelace is finer in quality and more intricate in design.

• Needlelace tends to be diaphanous with open loops punctuated with dainty knots, whereas crochet lace tends to have areas of density.

The images below show Armenian needlelace in the left column and crocheted lace in the right column. All pieces, both needlelace and crochet, are from the Azadig Bidanian Archive. Photo credits: Deborah Valoma.