Introduction to Filet Crochet: Making Letter OM and Heart

Hello friends, Hope that you are all well. Since last two days I was making this Door decor based on Filet crochet technique. Some important points I have noted about this technique - Filet Crochet, are, 1. This is one of the techniques in crocheting just as Tunician crochet, C2C crochet etc. 2. It is one of the old techniques and is used in making table cloths, curtains etc 3. Generally only one colour is used for this. Preferably it is crocheted by cotton thread. 4. Only two crochet stitches are used in this, chain and double crochet. 5. The designs to be worked out by filet crochet are given by diagram or graphs and not in written pattern.

6. The filet crochet designs are made up of boxes, called MESH. 7. Open box consists of (dc1, ch1, dc1) and Close box consists of (dc1, dc1, dc1). Let us call this type as 3by3 type. 8. There is another type of filet crochet in which open box means (dc1, ch2, dc1) and close box means (dc 1 in 4 sts) and call this as 4by4 type.

9. We can also work close box in place of open and open box in place of close as in next fig

10. Any design in cross stitch or diagram in boxes can be made by using this technique just as,

But some designs (though given in squares) which are specially for kids shall not be worked by this technique because it is done in single colour, where as kids like multicolour designs.

11. How many chains to start with for any design? is another question. Count the number of boxes at base, say "x". Then start with 2x+1 for 3x3 type and for 4x4 type make 3x+1 chains.11. 12. Then if you want, write the row wise. As I have written below the picture of OM, Row 1 and Row 2. In which O means open box and C means closed box. 12. When we make close box on open, we have two coice either make dcs on dc and chain or make middle dc in ch1-gap. 13. Two consecutive open bozes means (dc1,ch1,dc1,ch1,dc1) on 3by3 type. Two close box means dc3+dc2 and not dc 6. Then just to begin this technique I made one heart and one letter OM in Sanskrit (in first picture). OM is the special letter used in India. About this letter you can read here, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om#:~:text=The%20Om%20symbol%20is%20a,ancient%20coins%2C%20in%20regional%20scripts. Please see this video with English subtitles.