Jute twine. It’s not just for gardening anymore. I’ve actually used it to make this doily for Mama following the “Chunky Doily Rug” pattern by Pamela Wynne from the Crochet At Home book. It certainly had its moment in the spotlight at our house this past few days since my whole family were here for the Holy Week and Easter. We all took some time off from the daily grind and social media to quiet down a bit and observe religious traditions we grew up with including church services and Visita Iglesia, hence, this post came out a little late.
You see, I have always loved the simplicity and rustic look of jute twine. It’s my go-to craft supply when I want to add some natural and classic appeal to a project. I can do almost anything with it and it has always given me a beautiful result. Budget wise, it is also way cheaper than bulky yarn. I only spent around Php100 ($2) for two rolls of jute and used 1 & 1/2 rolls to complete the doily, which means I still have enough to start a smaller project.
However, keep in mind that working with this type of material can be a bit of a challenge. It will require a lot of time and patience because the fiber is rough and hard to pull through. It actually took me more than a week to finish the project because I needed to stop crocheting for a day or two just to make sure my hands don’t get beat up in the process. Also, since jute twine is made with loose hard strands expect the doily to rumple and won’t stay flat unlike when using yarn. But of course there’s always a way to fix this and here I am going to share a simple method I used to flatten and make the jute doily look its best – Mama’s Almirol Recipe. Almirol is the Spanish-derived Filipino word for laundry starch which in the old days was also used as paste or weak glue for making paper pouches.
To make it, all you need are few materials:
- Water
- 1 tbsp of Cornstarch or Gawgaw
Finishing materials:
- Ironing board/towel/rug
- Flat iron
- Spray bottle (optional)
Note: I would recommend washing the finished jute doily with laundry soap and water, then rinse thoroughly before starching it to remove the weird smell of the jute.
HOW TO STARCH THE JUTE DOILY:
Step 1: Bring 2 cups of water to boil. In a separate container, mix 1 tbsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp tap water or just enough water to liquefy the cornstarch. Stir the mixture until the lumps disappear.
Step 2: Slowly add the mixture to the boiled water, continue stirring to prevent lumping. Add more tap water to cool and dilute the mixture.
Step 3: Soak the jute doily and press the work gently until all parts have been coated with the mixture. Consider this as your last rinse.
Step 4: Wring the jute doily and shake off excess starch mixture then line-dry.
Step 5: Once it has dried completely, find a sturdy work surface for ironing. If you are not using an ironing board, pick a safe place to set down the iron where it will not damage any surfaces then spread a towel or rug to place the jute doily.
Step 6: Use the steam setting on the iron to help remove the wrinkles. Alternatively, use a spray bottle.
Step 7: You would notice the fabric itself became stiffer, so pull the doily gently while ironing to stretch it a bit and ensure the pattern design will show properly afterwards. You may need to iron both sides because of the heaviness of other jute fabric. But with the jute I used, I ironed the right side of the work only and it already came out the way I want it!
The project may appear overwhelming. But really, there is something therapeutic about making this – the crocheting, Mama teaching me how to do the starching properly, and the first time I saw the finished doily, nothing like it!
I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something from it. You are free to make any jute doily pattern you like then please tag me a photo of your finished creation on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST. I would really love to see them!