Lacelets, Lacelets and more Lacelets

Donna Harvey, writer.

Billie Crumly had many talents and one of them was crocheting.  Over the years she developed a knack for crocheting lacelets and in her later years developed an edging all her own which made them even more beautiful and lacey.  Now you say what is a lacelet?  It is a series of crocheted squares, which has some squares filled with additional crochet, which will create a letter and added to one letter will create a series of letters.   After this name or word is first planned, and some math is involved, but Billie was very good with math and taught both daughters to have a love of mathematics, the crochet thread is held and the work begins.  Mathematics was not just for males, per Billie Crumly, but a game to be enjoyed because inside the math problem was the answer and the mathematics was nothing more than a puzzle to find the answer.  After her hip replacement on April 29, 2014, she spent three (3) weeks in Rehab Select and during this period of physical therapy, she worked on the last lacelet for a dear friend.  She told me after she went to ICU with an infection which had been contracted while at Albertville Nursing Home, that she had completed the name and begun the trim and it was up to me to complete the trim.  I have asked mother to create numerous lacelets for me over the years to give as wedding gifts, the most recent of which was the name Allison who was for my Director who just got married.  I was so proud to have had it framed by the master framer in Geraldine, AL, after it was completed.  I particularly like the dark triple matting with a gold frame.    Now, knowing how much these presents mean to the recipient and to the one who is giving the keepsake, I was determined to finish this lacelet for mother’s friend even though my mind races with millions of details.  Here is my completed work and I just had to include the beautiful crazy quilt pillow which mother made.  More about crazy quilts at another time, but for now I will try and stay on topic.

Lacelets that were crocheted were not just names.  Over the fireplace at the Windy Knoll, hangs a lacelet that she did for her home.  Home Sweet Home with wonderful trim added.   Also for her home she had made one with the word WELCOME which was horizontal and for my home at the entrance way, I wanted a vertical WELCOME.   When she was starting the one for CROWDEN at the nursing home she talked with me about how she goes about figuring the count to be able to have the edging come out correctly and now it is time for me to spread my wings a make it happen.  I will attempt to keep her legacy alive and if there are those who want a lacelet, I will make them.  I do not have the same amount of time to crochet as mother had, because I continue in a full time job but, I will attempt to fulfill those wishes of friends who have counted on her lacelets.    I have looked on the internet a number of times trying to find an alphabet to use for creating lacelets that I would like as well or better than mothers, but …  You guessed it, there has none been found that is 9 blocks high and equally as distinctive as the old alphabet which mother has utilized for years.  I believe at one time she shared it with a friend who also created a small personal business making lacelets.  I wish there were some record of just how many lacelets, Billie Crumly has crocheted.  I wish that any readers who have been recipients or purchasers of her lacelets would post. I know it doesn’t really matter because we all love our stuff, but it is one of those interesting tidbits which are just that, tidbits of somewhat useless information.  I had to laugh when mother said her crocheting the lacelets were a way for John to “have a little spending money.”

Earlier tonight I talked with a lady who had given a lacelet to her friend a number of years ago and that friends daughter is getting married and hoped that she would receive a lacelet.  Her dream will be fulfilled and I am sure the lacelet will be treasured for many years.  Beautiful crochet, lacelet names and ornamentation, while fulfilling dreams are yet another facet of country living.