Hoop Skirts

What i have here is a hoop skirt complete with ‘hoops’. You can't see them as they are embedded in sc rows. The hoops are made of 40 lb. test fishing line or leader line for fishing line. This is very flexible and will collapse when Barbie sits.
This will work for those styles that are done in the 1840’s-60’s and Southern Belles of Annie’s Attic and Paradise patterns. This has not been tested under each and every skirt but at leat you have something to go on. I think you will like this pattern very much. You will not have to count each row and increase after the initial rows. And the placement of the fishing line is nice and clear. All you have to do is watch for the inc made on the previous tr row. Some people already know this but I put it here for those who don’t.

Materials

• Size 10 crochet thread
• #7 hook
• 40 lb (.60mm or .024 inch thickness) fishing line

Stitch Notes:

Make your inc in the first of the 2 sts of prev rows; this will make them less obvious. If you make you increases on the second of the 2 sts it make an obvious angle showing where you made the increase.

• 1^st piece 12 inches and goes on row 3
• 2^nd piece 16 inches and goes on after 6^th tr row
• 3^rd piece 18 inches goes on after 8^th tr row.
• 4^th & 5^th piece cut 24 ½ inches long goes on after 11^th & 18^th tr row

I found that those little wooden clothes pins came in very handy for holding the fishing line to the row as I crocheted otherwise it curl around and gets in the way. Also cut your fishing line about 2 inches longer; it can be trimmed off later but you may need it for adjusting the row and this may be better done when finished with the whole petticoat.
You want to leave about an inch or more extending past the beg of the row which you will crochet over at the end of the row and overlap the beg and end of the fishing line. Work sc stitch over these rows; they are not in the row count.

Instructions

working over a 20 inch length of thread attach thread with sl st and ch 4, work 47 tr, ch 4, turn. (48 tr)
Row 2: 2 tr in next st, tr in next st, rep from * across join with sl st to top of beg ch. (24 inc; 72 tr)
1st piece of fishing line goes here; holding the fishing line to the back side of work just do a row of sc over the fishing line after row 2.
Row 3: Ch 4, tr in next tr, * 2 tr in next tr, tr in next 2 tr, rep from * around, join. (24 inc; 96 tr)
Rnd 4: Tr in each tr around with an inc every 12^th st {8 incs; 108 sts}
Rnd 5 -12: Tr in each st with 8 inc sts every tr row. 2^nd length of fishing line goes between rows 5 & 6; 8 & 9, 12 & 13 and after the last row.
From 13^th – 18^th row work even = 7 ¼ inches long
Make 1 more row of sc with fishing line and fasten off. I row of a ruffle could be added for some styles (like the Paradise patterns).