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Vintage pattern · Priscilla · 1915

Old Centrepiece

Free vintage crochet table cover pattern, about 30 in across

Old Centrepiece — original 1915 photograph of the round crochet table cover
Original photograph, The Priscilla Crochet Book — Centrepieces and Doilies (1915), Fig. 5, pp. 6-7.
Finished size
about 30 in (76 cm) across, as the original
Hook
US Steel #5 (1.70–1.90 mm)
Thread
Original: No. 10 knitting cotton — no verified modern equivalent; choose a cotton that suits your hook
Level
intermediate (estimate)
Rounds
46
From
The Priscilla Crochet Book — Centrepieces and Doilies (1915)

✓ Stitch counts checked row by row — all 46 rounds were replayed by our stitch simulator and every count below comes from it. This pattern has not been crochet-tested: tension and final size are up to your hands.

Materials

Original (1915): Eight balls No. 10 knitting cotton; No. 5 steel crochet needle.

Modern hook: US Steel #5 (1.70–1.90 mm, Craft Yarn Council range).

Notes

  • Each round is joined with a sl st in the top of the beginning chain.
  • Work through both loops of the stitches below (the original says « through two threads »).
  • US terms. The 1915 text used d = sc, t = dc, dt = tr, tt = dtr.

Center

Rnd 1 to Rnd 38 — tick each round as you go.

  1. Ch 6, sl st in first ch to form a ring. Ch 3 (counts as dc here and throughout), 11 dc in ring; join with sl st in top of beginning ch-3. 12 dc
  2. Ch 3, dc in same st, 2 dc in each st around; join. 24 dc
  3. Ch 3, dc in same st, *dc in next st, 2 dc in next st; rep from * 10 more times, dc in last st; join. 36 dc
  4. Ch 3, dc in same st, *dc in each of next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st; rep from * 10 more times, dc in each of last 2 sts; join. 48 dc
  5. Ch 3, dc in same st, *dc in each of next 3 sts, 2 dc in next st; rep from * 10 more times, dc in each of last 3 sts; join. 60 dc
  6. Ch 3, dc in same st, *dc in each of next 4 sts, 2 dc in next st; rep from * 10 more times, dc in each of last 4 sts; join. 72 dc
  7. Ch 3, dc in same st, *dc in each of next 5 sts, 2 dc in next st; rep from * 10 more times, dc in each of last 5 sts; join. 84 dc
  8. Ch 3, dc in same st, *dc in each of next 6 sts, 2 dc in next st; rep from * 10 more times, dc in each of last 6 sts; join. 96 dc
  9. Ch 3, dc in same st, *dc in each of next 7 sts, 2 dc in next st; rep from * 10 more times, dc in each of last 7 sts; join. 108 dc
  10. Ch 3, dc in same st, *dc in each of next 8 sts, 2 dc in next st; rep from * 10 more times, dc in each of last 8 sts; join. 120 dc
  11. Ch 3, dc in same st, *dc in each of next 9 sts, 2 dc in next st; rep from * 10 more times, dc in each of last 9 sts; join. 132 dc
  12. Ch 3, dc in same st, *dc in each of next 10 sts, 2 dc in next st; rep from * 10 more times, dc in each of last 10 sts; join. 144 dc
  13. Ch 3, dc in each of next 11 dc, ch 1, *dc in each of next 12 dc, ch 1; rep from * around; join. 144 dc, 12 ch-1 sps
  14. Sl st in next dc (first dc of the point is skipped), ch 3, dc in each of next 10 dc, ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, *skip next dc, dc in each of next 11 dc, ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1; rep from * around; join. 144 dc, 24 ch-1 sps
  15. Sl st in next dc (first dc of the point is skipped), ch 3, dc in each of next 9 dc, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp] 2 times, ch 1, *skip next dc, dc in each of next 10 dc, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp] 2 times, ch 1; rep from * around; join. 144 dc, 36 ch-1 sps
  16. Sl st in next dc (first dc of the point is skipped), ch 3, dc in each of next 8 dc, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp] 3 times, ch 1, *skip next dc, dc in each of next 9 dc, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp] 3 times, ch 1; rep from * around; join. 144 dc, 48 ch-1 sps
  17. Sl st in next dc (first dc of the point is skipped), ch 3, dc in each of next 7 dc, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp] 4 times, ch 1, *skip next dc, dc in each of next 8 dc, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp] 4 times, ch 1; rep from * around; join. 144 dc, 60 ch-1 sps
  18. Sl st in next dc (first dc of the point is skipped), ch 3, dc in each of next 6 dc, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp] 5 times, ch 1, *skip next dc, dc in each of next 7 dc, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp] 5 times, ch 1; rep from * around; join. 144 dc, 72 ch-1 sps
  19. Sl st in next dc (first dc of the point is skipped), ch 3, dc in each of next 5 dc, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp] 6 times, ch 1, *skip next dc, dc in each of next 6 dc, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp] 6 times, ch 1; rep from * around; join. 144 dc, 84 ch-1 sps
  20. Sl st in next dc (first dc of the point is skipped), ch 3, dc in each of next 4 dc, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp] 7 times, ch 1, *skip next dc, dc in each of next 5 dc, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp] 7 times, ch 1; rep from * around; join. 144 dc, 96 ch-1 sps
  21. Sl st in next dc (first dc of the point is skipped), ch 3, dc in each of next 3 dc, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp] 8 times, ch 1, *skip next dc, dc in each of next 4 dc, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp] 8 times, ch 1; rep from * around; join. 144 dc, 108 ch-1 sps
  22. Sl st in next dc (first dc of the point is skipped), ch 3, dc in each of next 2 dc, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp] 9 times, ch 1, *skip next dc, dc in each of next 3 dc, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp] 9 times, ch 1; rep from * around; join. 144 dc, 120 ch-1 sps
  23. Sl st in next dc (first dc of the point is skipped), ch 3, dc in next dc, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp] 10 times, ch 1, *skip next dc, dc in each of next 2 dc, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp] 10 times, ch 1; rep from * around; join. 144 dc, 132 ch-1 sps
  24. Sl st in next dc (first dc of the point is skipped), ch 3, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp] 11 times, ch 1, *skip next dc, dc in next dc, [ch 1, dc in next ch-1 sp] 11 times, ch 1; rep from * around; join. 144 dc, 144 ch-1 sps
  25. Sl st in next ch-1 sp, ch 4 (counts as tr), ch 1, *tr in next ch-1 sp, ch 1; rep from * around; join with sl st in 3rd ch of beginning ch-4. 144 tr, 144 ch-1 sps
  26. Rep Rnd 25. 144 tr, 144 ch-1 sps
  27. Sl st in next ch-1 sp, ch 3, dc in same sp, 3 dc in next ch-1 sp, *2 dc in next ch-1 sp, 3 dc in next ch-1 sp; rep from * around; join. 360 dc
  28. Ch 7 (counts as dc and ch 4), *skip next 3 dc, dc in next dc, ch 4; rep from * 88 more times, skip last 3 dc; join with sl st in 3rd ch of beginning ch-7. 90 dc, 90 ch-4 loops
  29. Sl st in next ch-4 loop, ch 7 (counts as dc and ch 4), *dc in next ch-4 loop, ch 4; rep from * around; join with sl st in 3rd ch of beginning ch-7. 90 dc, 90 ch-4 loops
  30. Rep Rnd 29. 90 dc, 90 ch-4 loops
  31. Rep Rnd 29. 90 dc, 90 ch-4 loops
  32. Sl st in next ch-4 loop, ch 3, 4 dc in same loop, 5 dc in each ch-4 loop around; join. 450 dc
  33. *Ch 5, skip next 3 dc, sc in next dc; rep from * 54 more times, ch 5, skip next 4 dc, sc in next dc, **ch 5, skip next 3 dc, sc in next dc; rep from ** 54 more times, ch 5, skip last 4 dc; join with sl st in base of first ch-5. 111 sc, 112 ch-5 loops
  34. Sl st in each of next 3 ch (center of first loop), *ch 5, sc in next ch-5 loop; rep from * 110 more times, ch 5; join with sl st in center of first loop. 111 sc, 112 ch-5 loops
  35. Rep Rnd 34. 111 sc, 112 ch-5 loops
  36. Sl st to center of first loop, *ch 6, sc in next loop; rep from * 110 more times, ch 6; join with sl st in center of first loop. 111 sc, 112 ch-6 loops
  37. Rep Rnd 36. 111 sc, 112 ch-6 loops
  38. Rep Rnd 36. 111 sc, 112 ch-6 loops

Border

Rnd 1 to Rnd 8 — tick each round as you go.

  1. Sl st in first ch-6 loop, ch 6 (counts as dtr), 7 dtr in same loop, ch 7, *skip next loop, 8 dtr in next loop, ch 7; rep from * 54 more times, skip last loop; join with sl st in top of beginning ch-6. 448 dtr, 56 ch-7 loops
  2. Sl st in next dtr (first dtr of the group is skipped), ch 6 (counts as dtr), dtr in each of next 6 dtr, ch 7, *skip next ch-7 loop and next dtr, dtr in each of next 7 dtr, ch 7; rep from * around; join with sl st in top of beginning ch-6. 392 dtr, 56 ch-7 loops
  3. Sl st in next dtr (first dtr of the group is skipped), ch 6 (counts as dtr), dtr in each of next 5 dtr, ch 8, *skip next ch-7 loop and next dtr, dtr in each of next 6 dtr, ch 8; rep from * around; join with sl st in top of beginning ch-6. 336 dtr, 56 ch-8 loops
  4. Sl st in next dtr (first dtr of the group is skipped), ch 6 (counts as dtr), dtr in each of next 4 dtr, ch 9, *skip next ch-8 loop and next dtr, dtr in each of next 5 dtr, ch 9; rep from * around; join with sl st in top of beginning ch-6. 280 dtr, 56 ch-9 loops
  5. Sl st in next dtr (first dtr of the group is skipped), ch 6 (counts as dtr), dtr in each of next 3 dtr, ch 10, *skip next ch-9 loop and next dtr, dtr in each of next 4 dtr, ch 10; rep from * around; join with sl st in top of beginning ch-6. 224 dtr, 56 ch-10 loops
  6. Sl st in next dtr (first dtr of the group is skipped), ch 6 (counts as dtr), dtr in each of next 2 dtr, ch 11, *skip next ch-10 loop and next dtr, dtr in each of next 3 dtr, ch 11; rep from * around; join with sl st in top of beginning ch-6. 168 dtr, 56 ch-11 loops
  7. Sl st in next dtr (first dtr of the group is skipped), ch 6 (counts as dtr), dtr in next dtr, ch 12, *skip next ch-11 loop and next dtr, dtr in each of next 2 dtr, ch 12; rep from * around; join with sl st in top of beginning ch-6. 112 dtr, 56 ch-12 loops
  8. Sl st in next dtr (first dtr of the group is skipped), ch 6 (counts as dtr), ch 13, *skip next ch-12 loop and next dtr, dtr in next dtr, ch 13; rep from * around; join with sl st in top of beginning ch-6. 56 dtr, 56 ch-13 loops

Finishing

Fasten off and weave in the ends.

What we changed from the 1915 text

The original wording is kept wherever it works. These are the only changes, each one checked by the stitch simulator:

  • Rnd 15 — the repeat needs « miss one st » and TWO « 1 t over ch, ch 1 », like the first point of the same round
  • Rnd 33 — 450 t do not divide by 4: miss 4 instead of 3 twice (at the half and at the end) to get the 112 meshes the text expects
  • Border Rnd 1 — « 56 groups » on 112 meshes: each ch 7 passes over the next mesh, 8 tt go in every other mesh
  • Border Rnd 2 — each ch 7 passes over the ch 7 loop of the round below (not written)
  • Border Rnd 3 — each ch 8 passes over the ch 7 loop of the round below (not written)
  • Border Rnd 4 — each ch 9 passes over the ch 8 loop of the round below (not written)
  • Border Rnd 5 — each ch 10 passes over the ch 9 loop of the round below (not written)
  • Border Rnd 6 — each ch 11 passes over the ch 10 loop of the round below (not written)
  • Border Rnd 7 — each ch 12 passes over the ch 11 loop of the round below (not written)
  • Border Rnd 8 — each ch 13 passes over the ch 12 loop of the round below (not written)
  • Rnd 14 — « miss one st » written once but needed at every point: the literal repeat also counts right but would decrease at the END of each point and twist the star (simulator cannot see this)
  • 1st-12th rounds — « Ch 3, 2 t over 1 t » = the ch 3 and 1 t in the same st form the first increase
  • 29th-31st rounds — « Ch 7 » of the honeycomb rounds sits over the first ch-4 of the round below
  • all — 1915 British-style terms → US: d = sc, t = dc, dt = tr, tt = dtr

Source and copyright

The Priscilla Crochet Book — Centrepieces and Doilies, The Priscilla Publishing Company, Boston, 1915, Fig. 5, pp. 6-7. Scan: https://archive.org/details/priscillacrochet01robi. Published 1915 — public domain in the US (published before 1931).