Do pianos really wear scarves? Yes, they do...or at least they used to wear them. Also called piano shawls, the placement of these square, triangular or rectangular pieces of fabric or lace was very common in the 19th century. Delicate tatted or bobbin lace pieces protected the grand pianos while more humble embroidered and edged linens covered the old family upright piano. This edging was suggested as a suitable adornment for one such piano scarf nearly 100 years ago.


I have said it before I am sure, but tatting is timeless.


Miss C.W.'s Tatted edging for Piano Scarf June 11, 1916 The Plain Dealer

This tatting is used for the piano scarf...








Begin edging with the upper cloverleaf.

R 5 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 5 close ring (clr) leave no bare thread space

R 5 + (join to last picot of first ring)3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 5 clr leave no bare thread space

R 5 + (join to last picot of previous ring)3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 5 clr leave no bare thread space reverse work (rw)



CH 6 rw

R 3 + (join to last picot of previous ring) 5 - 5 clr rw

CH 6 - 6; make inward facing or down picot;

CH 6 - 6 - 3 - 3 - 6 - 6 rw



Lower cloverleaf.


R 5 - 3 - 3 + (join to down picot) 3 - 3 - 3 - 5 clr leave no bare thread space
R 5 + (join to last picot of first ring)3 - 3 + (join to last picot of small ring) 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 5 clr leave no bare thread space

R 5 + (join to last picot of previous ring)3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 5 clr leave no bare thread space rw



CH 6 + (join to picot on opposite chain) 6 - 3 - 3 - 6 - 6 + (join to third to last picot of last ring of lower cloverleaf)

CH 6 - 6 rw

R 3 + (join to large ring of cloverleaf) 5 - 5 clr rw

CH 6



Repeat joining first ring of cloverleaf to the last small ring of the repeat.



To avoid the down picot you can make a ring to substitute for the first ring of the lower cloverleaf but it will look a little wonky.



Next, I am researching the term radio crochet. Anyone heard of that?