I've been crocheting spool pin doilies for my vintage Singer sewing machines. These little doilies are quick to make and do a good job of replacing the felt pads that are normally used. eta: The pad (or doily) keeps the thread spool stable so it doesn't jerk when you start sewing which causes the thread to wrap around the pin and break. This one is the really dark purple from the first picture, but I had to use the flash on my camera, and poof - it washed the color out. I'm a throwback from another era, methinks. Give me these any day instead of those felt disks like the one in the center here. This gold crochet thread from JoAnn's has a metallic strand in the twist looks good on these old black machines. I made these 2 to 21/2 inches in diameter. If you'd like to crochet a spool pin doily for your own vintage sewing machine here's the pattern I came up with for the blue one. Blue Hydrangea Spool Pin Doily Materials: No. 5 crochet thread 2.25mm crochet hook (or whatever size you like to use with crochet thread) Ch 5, slip st tog to form ring. Round 1. Ch 4 (serves as first dc and ch1), *dc in ring, ch 1, repeat from * until there are 12 dc, slip st in 3rd ch of beg dc. (12 dc) Round 2. Slip st to ch after first dc, *ch 4, slip st in next ch, repeat from * to end of round, slip st in ch space beside beg ch. (12 loops) Round 3. Slip st to middle of first ch loop, *ch 4, slip st in next loop, repeat from * to end. 12 loops Round 4. Slip st in loop, *sc 4 in next loop, repeat from * to end. (12 loops) Bind off and weave in ends. For picot edge variation on the last round: Round 4. Slip st in loop, *sc 2, ch 3, slip stitch in first ch, sc 2, repeat from * to end. (12 loops) Copyright © 2014 Toni in the Foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, All Rights Reserved Share at: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, The Homestead Barn Hop, The Backyard Farming Connection