Broomstick Lace and Hairpin Lace: What's the Difference?

Broomstick lace and hairpin lace both produce airy, loopy fabric, and both use a tool besides your crochet hook — which is why beginners often mix them up. The similarities mostly end there.

Broomstick lace uses a large cylindrical object (traditionally a broom handle, though a big knitting needle or dowel works fine) to pull up oversized loops from a row of stitches. You slide several loops onto the "broomstick," then crochet them together in clusters, usually with single crochet. The result is a fabric with vertical columns of large, open loops — great for shawls and scarves with dramatic drape.

Hairpin lace, on the other hand, uses a special forked tool called a hairpin loom (or hairpin lace fork). You wrap yarn around the two prongs and crochet a single stitch in the center to hold each loop in place, building a long strip of lace with loops on both sides. These strips are typically joined together afterward to form larger pieces like wraps or table runners.

In short: broomstick lace makes wide loops in one direction from regular stitches, while hairpin lace makes narrow strips with loops on both edges using a dedicated forked tool. Both are worth learning if you like open, textured lace work.