The variety of netting that can be made is amazing. From fine lace to sturdy bags and from recreation to industry, examples of netting are all around us — doilies, sun-catchers, snoods, lace for clothing, bookmarks, curtains, string bags, hammocks, basketball nets, volleyball nets, and fishing nets to name a few. Enjoy browsing the different categories.
This section of the website is still being updated. When everything is added, this paragraph will disappear.
Bags
Net bags have several advantages over cloth or plastic bags. They are light-weight. They can stretch to hold a variety of different shapes. They can scrunch up into a small ball. You can see through them to discover what you have stored without opening them.
The bags are divided into the categories and types of bags under each category. Click on the type of bag to see photos of each type:
| Direction Made | Type of Netting | Handles | Bottom of the Bag | Other | |
| Bottom Up Sideways Top Down |
Circular Diamond-Mesh Spiral Square Mesh |
Drawstring One Sidestrap Tied Two |
Apple Chain Circle of Diamond-Mesh Diamond-mesh Rectangle Draw-string Elastic Grommet Hexagon Joining Medieval Split Ring Square-mesh |
Klein-Bottle Bag Hole in the Side of the Bag |
Bowl and Cup Covers
Several years ago I saw a small fish bowl filled with potpourri and tiny Christmas tree lights. Over the top of the bowl was a piece of lace, tied on with a ribbon. I decided it was a perfect way to display some small circular pieces of netting.
Net covers can also be used over cups, sugar bowls, candy dish, or anything else you don’t want flies to get into. Besides using ribbon to hold the lace to the container, you can use cord elastic, or tie glass beads to the outside round of the netting.
Doilies
These pieces of lace add beauty to the surfaces they cover. They are found in three different shapes: round, square, and rectangular. The doilies can also have a cloth center. The doilies designed by my grandmother and great-grandmother are found in Grandmothers’ Legacy. The round doilies are listed below and sorted by:
| Size | Designer | Number of Knots | |
| Tiny (under 6″) Small (6 – 10″) Medium (10″ – 15″) Large (15″ – 20″) Extra Large (20″ – 30″) Jumbo (30″ or greater) |
Rita F. Bartholomew Cecelia Rasmusson Petersson Bott Esther Peterson Bott Freeman Lucy B. Willingham |
under 1000 knots 1,000 knots 2,000 knots 3,000 knots 4,000 knots 5,000 knots 6,000 knots 7,000 knots 8,000 knots 9,000 knots over 10,000 knots |
Edgings
Netting attached to the edge of an item can add beauty. Netted edgings can be added to handkerchiefs, pillow slips, curtains, collars, cuffs, and other clothing.
Any of the decorative stitches may be used as well as many of the increase and decrease stitches. The edge stitches can also be used either alone or with some of the other stitches.
The netting can be made separately and then sewn onto the cloth or attached and made right on the fabric. Instructions for netting on circular fabric and netting on rectangular or square fabric are found on Rita’s Netting Nook, my other netting site.
Fishing Nets
The only fishing nets I have made were specific, custom-made nets where the person ordering them provided me with a sample. Because of this, I don’t have any patterns I can share. The following resources have instructions on how to make fishing nets:
Ludgate, H. T. Make Nets, Here’s How. Maumee, Ohio: Jann’s Netcraft, 1976.
(illustrated; patterns for making fishing nets, hammock, and bags; also lists supplies available for netting with twine)
This book and necessary supplies can be purchased through Jann’s Netcraft
by internet: www.jannsnetcraft.com
or phone an order: 1 800 NETCRAFT (1-800-638-2723)
or write: P.O. Box 89, Maumee, Ohio
Morton, Barbara M. Down East Netting. Camden, Maine: Down East Books, 1988.
(instructions for netting for string/twine, patterns, and variety of lace stitches)
Games
Many games use a net: basketball, volleyball, tennis, table tennis (ping pong), badminton, Net Toss (similar to Discovery Toy’s Net Catch). Different games require nets are made with circular netting, or square-mesh netting
Pattern: Basketball Net
Pattern: Mesh Poi
Hammocks
Hammocks are one of the best known examples of netting.
The following sources all have hammock instructions. The patterns are varied, but all are net hammocks.
Brittain, Judy. The Bantam Step-by-Step Book of Needle Craft. London:Bantam, 1980.
(ISBN 0-553-01221-5 contains history, basic techniques, string bag, and hammock.)
Holdgate, Charles. Net Making. Buchanan, New York: Emerson Books, Inc., 1972.
(instructions, diagrams, and patterns for string netting including hammock and bags)
Ludgate, H. T. Make Nets, Here’s How. Maumee, Ohio: Jann’s Netcraft, 1976.
(illustrated; patterns for making fishing nets, hammock, and bags; also lists supplies available for netting with twine)
Morton, Barbara M. Down East Netting. Camden, Maine: Down East Books, 1988.
(instructions for netting for string/twine, patterns, and variety of lace stitches)
“Netted Hammock.” Harper’s Bazar, Vol. 8, p. 716.
(pattern)
Links to commercial hammocks and hammock supplies
Pattern: Narrow Hammock
Pattern: Toy Hammock
Ornaments
One year I was trying to figure out how to do different stitches in circular netting; I did not want to make doilies since those rounds keep getting more loops. I asked myself one of my favorite questions. “What would happen if…”
These ornament balls are what happened.
Scarves
When I first heard of a scarf made with netting, I laughed. Surely a scarf with holes could not keep me warm. But the person who gave me the pattern had made many, so I made one and was amazed. It did keep my neck warm. Since then I have made many.
Scarves allow me to make sure I have correct directions for a stitch in diamond-mesh netting rather than circular netting. They also work up quickly for a gift.
Snoods, Hairnets, and Cauls
Cauls, hairnets, and snoods are terms used to describe various hair coverings. They can hold loose hair, cover braided hair, or hold hair at the nape of the neck. The hair coverings can be made with beads attached or just plain thread or yarn.
Sun Catchers
A sun catcher can be made from any doily. Choose a metal ring slightly larger than the doily. Make the doily. Take crochet thread or elastic thread and wrap it through a loop on the edge of the doily and then around the ring. Then move to the next loop on the edge of the doily and repeat. Continue all around the doily. Be sure to pull the thread or elastic fairly tight so that the doily is stretched. When finished attach a loop of thread to the ring to hang the sun catcher up.
I’ve made sun catchers that were 3 inches, 4 inches, 5 inches, 6 inches, over 6 inches. You can see also all the sun catchers I’ve made.