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| Rock Island by Brooklyn Tweed |
But when you contemplate your first lace pattern it can seem
that the whole process is full of arcane secrets you have winkle out the clues
to.
So here are our top tips for lace knitting from knitters and
designers who love it.
Choosing your first lace project
Start with something in 4ply rather than laceweight yarn. It
will be easier to see your stitches while learning new techniques and easier to
correct mistakes. Other than that the main criteria is something that you will
definitely want to finish even if you get frustrated.
Charts
Most lace patterns will have charts. While you need to learn
what the symbols mean, charts are useful because they give you an idea of what
your lace should look like.
On a chart each square is a stitch and the symbol in the
square tells you what to do – k2tog, yarn over, knit, etc. Rightside rows are
read right to left – the same way you work the stitches – and wrongside rows go
back the other way, left to right.
It is a good idea to tick off each row as you work to keep
track of the pattern but it can be also be useful to find a way to only look at
the chart row you are working on, for example photocopying the charts so they
are larger and folding the complete rows under, or using Post-its to underline the
row you’re working on. Or you can buy magnetic chart markers and chart keepers
like these where you use a magnetic strip to mark your place.
Repeats
Most lace patterns are made up of a set of stitches repeated
across the row or part of the row. On your chart the stitches and rows in a
repeat will be outlined by a thick or coloured line.
One tip is to place a stitch marker at the start of every
repeat and at the end of the final one. This means you will always know when
you are starting the repeat and it is a lot easier to keep track of five sets
of 20 stitches than 100. And if you make a mistake you are more likely to spot
it.
Life lines
Life lines are another great way of keeping track of your
lace and reduce the risk that a mistake will involve ripping out large amounts
of your project. A life line is a fine thread (such as sewing cotton) run
through all the stitches in a row so that if you have to rip back, the stitches
from that row will be held by the cotton and easily slipped back on your
needles.
Traditionally life lines are put in by threading a darning
needle with the cottom through each stitch. But if you use KnitPro
interchangeables there is an easier way. Before starting the row, thread the
cotton through the hole in the right hand needle and knit as normal. As your
stitches slide down onto the cable, the cotton will be fed through them.
Add a life line at the end of a repeat or chart or when you
are starting a new stitch pattern.
Blocking
Blocking brings out the beauty of your lace. It means
stretching out your lace when damp so the pattern is flattened out and you have
a lighter looking finished piece. It would take a blog post on its own so here
are a couple of tips.
Firstly, “be brave”, your lace will stretch out a lot.
It is a good idea to block with an inch tape in hand so that
you can check your piece is symmetrical. You can pin your damp piece to dry
towels on a flat surface but your will get a more professional finish using
blocking wires and foam blocking mats. You can thread the wires through stitches on the straight edges of your
piece and secure them with pins at regular intervals giving you’re a straighter
finish and a firmer base to stretch from.
So be brave – learning to knit lace opens up a whole new
world of knitting.
We’d love to hear of any tips you’d like to share with us
We are running a KAL for the Lace Ribbon Shawl on our Ravelry Group and we love you to join us.
We are running a KAL for the Lace Ribbon Shawl on our Ravelry Group and we love you to join us.
Good tips! thank you!
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