Crochet Cabin Lace
Crochet lace is one of many forms of lace, some dating back
through the centuries. Crochet lace is made using thread (usually cotton) and a
crochet hook. Different thread sizes and thicknesses and different hook sizes
will result in a tighter or looser, finer or larger lace. Each type of lace
also has many variations within its ‘type’.
Cabin lace was produced by boatwomen to decorate and
personalise the cabins of their narrowboats and horse-drawn working boats
dating, I believe, from the late 1800s, when many families moved onto their
boats during times of hardship, to the present day. The consensus of those
writing about Cabin Lace seems to be that the boatwomen would have copied
pieces of contemporary lace that house dwellers used to edge pillowcases, table
and tray cloths, and other household items. Many of the boatwomen were not able
to read and created their lace by copying samples and adding their own designs.
The lace would be used to decorate the spaces between ceiling and walls, shelf
edges, to make curtain ‘pelmets’, and to decorate curtain edges, and it
appears, virtually anywhere it would provide decoration. Cotton thread, coarser
than that traditionally used for household linens, was often used so it would
endure the washing and boiling needed to clean it of the dust and soot from the
stove, cooking and cargo being carried.
It seems to be a tradition among current cabin lace workers
to show where a pattern came from and how or why they have given it a name.
Janet Reeve, in her pattern book ’Cabin Crochet of the Inland Waterways’
describes how crochet workers often referred to the patterns given to them by
other women by the name of those women. Other lace has been named after the
boat it decorated. 
Currently, lace is often used as a window dressing on
Narrowboats. My work is
mainly sold to boat owners. Meeting boat owners face-to-face enables me to
discuss their ideas with them, adapting or designing patterns for lace and
porthole covers to match their boat name or theme, or to fit non-standard size
windows. A new departure for me is take part in the 'Pop-in' shop at 3 Market
Place, North Walsham, Norfolk. The Waterways Craft Guild provides an accreditation scheme to
maintain the standards, support and encourage this wonderful tradition. Their
website shows six accredited Cabin Lace Makers, but not all of these sell their
lace professionally, and not everyone selling lace is accredited (http://www.waterwayscraftguild.org.uk/costume.html).
My fascination
began with seeing the window lace and porthole covers on passing Narrowboats
during a holiday on one. My brother and sister-in-law own a narrowboat and
wanted me to make some shelf-edging lace for their cabin when I shared my
thoughts about making-to-order with them. After contact with a ‘Master’ in the
craft of Cabin Lace and some research, my work and the shop began. However,
because fine work is quite labour intensive, I earn very little at present. Like
many other artisans starting out, I think I also undervalued my work and have
slowly increased my prices. Since starting out I have also started selling
cotton, crochet hooks, patterns and developing my own patterns for sale to
encourage others to keep this traditional canal craft alive, and to support my
business. I have also branched out into making other items, such as my own
design cushion kit, a Christmas Banner, and Bride's Purse, which still uses the
finer cotton not so commonly used today. My plans for the future are to tutor
crochet classes for beginners, and provide online tutorials for the same and in
Cabin Crochet, for the growing numbers of narrowboat owners who want to
decorate their boat in a traditional manner.
By Sarah Welsh, Senior Journeyman in the art of Cabin
Crochet
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