Designing a Basic Net Vandyke Edge

While making net edges from older books and magazines, I encountered square-mesh net Vandyke Edges. Some needed one final Vandyke, some needed two final Vandykes, one was a basic Vandyke with one square at the bottom and one column of squares between Vandykes, one had more points on the outer edges than on the inner edges, one had a curved scallop at the bottom, and one had two squares at the bottom and two columns of squares between Vandykes. The other two I made were basic Vandykes with one square at the bottom and one column of squares between Vandykes, but they needed two final Vandykes to finish the last vertical edge.

It was these last two (see one and two) that really frustrated me. They looked the same - one square at the bottom of the Vandyke and one square between Vandykes and they both needed two Vandykes to finish the last vertical edge - but I was unable to use the same instructions to finish them. I wanted to know why I could not.

After working many hours with my mathematically-gifted husband (who knows only a little about netting), we discovered that there were 4 types of instructions that might be used to finish the final basic Vandykes. Which type needed to be used depended on which row the corner was turned. If we took 2 times the number of points along one side, subtracted 1, and then subtracted the number of squares in the border, we got one of four answers, one for each type:

• 0 - Start decreasing immediately, alternating decrease and plain rows (until the last decrease row, which has no plain row following it). You can tell it is the last decrease row because it has the correct number of loops on the last side of the final Vandyke. 
• 1 - Start with two rows of plain netting, then alternate decrease and plain rows (until the last decrease row, which has no plain row following it). You can tell it is the last decrease row because it has the correct number of loops on the last side of the final Vandyke. 
• an odd number greater than 1 - Alternate increase and plain rows (which combined equal one less than the odd number), then net two plain rows, and finally alternate decrease and plain rows (until the last decrease row, which has no plain row following it). You can tell it is the last decrease row because it has the correct number of loops on the last side of the final Vandyke. 
• an even number - Alternate increase and plain rows (which combined equal the even number), then alternate decrease and plain rows (until the last decrease row, which has no plain row following it). You can tell it is the last decrease row because it has the correct number of loops on the last side of the final Vandyke. 

Of course, once we finished working out the formulas for the basic Vandykes that used only one final Vandyke, we discovered that the four formulas needed tweaking for each of the other styles of Vandykes.

For the next several weeks I will be writing about different types of endings in each of at least 6 styles of Vandykes.


The pattern for today is a basic Vandyke. It has 5 squares in the border, 3 points along each side of the Vandyke, 1 square at the point, and 1 column of squares between Vandykes.

The pattern for this Vandyke is:

First Vandyke with straight, vertical side

Tie the thread from the netting needle onto the foundation loop, leaving a 6" tail.

Row 1: Net 2 knots in the foundation loop. (2 loops in row)
Row 2: Net 1 knot in the first loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (3 loops in row)
Row 3: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (4 loops in row)
Row 4: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (5 loops in row)
Row 5: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (6 loops in row)
Row 6: Net 1 knot in each loop. (6 loops in row)
Row 7: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (7 loops in row)
Row 8: Net 1 knot in each loop. (7 loops in row)
Row 9: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (8 loops in row)
Row 10: Net 1 knot in each loop. (8 loops in row)
Row 11: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last loop, net 2 knots in the last loop. (9 loops in row)
Row 12: Net 1 knot in each loop for 6 loops; turn and net back across those loops.

Repeating Vandyke
Repeat from Row 7 to Row 12 until the netting is as long as desired.

Last Vandyke with a straight vertical side

Row 1: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last 2 loops, net the last 2 loops together. (5 loops in row)
Row 2: Net 1 knot in each loop. (5 loops in row)
Row 3: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last 2 loops, net the last 2 loops together. (4 loops in row)
Row 4: Net 1 knot in each loop. (4 loops in row)
Row 5: Net 1 knot in each loop except for the last 2 loops, net the last 2 loops together. (3 loops in row)


Finishing the first square of the netting

1. Remove the foundation loop from row 1 of the netting.
2. Tie the tail onto a tapestry needle, which is used in place of the netting needle.
3. Place the foundation-loop cord through another row of meshes.
4. Tie the foundation-loop cord into a circle and attach it to a tension device.
5. Net the first two loops together without using a mesh stick.

If you would like to know the math involved, here it is.


To find how many final Vandykes are needed:

1. If the number of squares in the border is less than or equal to 2 times the number of points -1 then you have just 1 final Vandyke. 
2. If the number of squares in the border is greater than 2 times the number of points -1 then you need more than 1 final Vandyke. 

Example:

1. number of squares in the border 5 
2. number of points is 3 then 2 times 3 subtract 1 = 5 
3. since the number of squares in the border is equal to the other number we will need 1 Vandyke. 

To determine which of the 4 types of instructions to use for the final Vandyke:

1. Double the number of points along one side of the Vandyke (for this example the answer is 6) 
2. Subtract 1 (for our example the answer is 5) 
3. Subtract the number of squares in the border from the result (for this example 5-5 = 0)