July 8, 2013
Section VII - Lace
There are so many hundreds of beautiful lace patterns in knitting. Knitted lace is prettiest when worked with fine yarn on small needles. It also gives very nice effect with worsted-weight yarn on medium-sized needles. Almost any lace pattern may be used to make lovely scarves, shawls, overskirts, stoles, summer sweaters and baby things.
When working with lace, remember to cast on and bind off loosely, and stretch each lace pattern when blocking or pressing, to open up the holes.
All lace patterns are actually increase-and-decrease patterns, of a special ind. Every yarn-over is an increase. It makes a hole; and it also places a new stitch on the needle. Therefore in every lace pattern there are decreases to compensate for the increases created by the yarn-overs, and to maintain the same number of stitches. One single decrease compensates for a single yarn-over, or one double yarn-over is compensated for by two single decreases or one double decrease.
July 9, 2013
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Square 49
Tilted Trellis |
The Trellis formation - a yarn-over and single decrease - made every right-side row - is the basic constituent of most lace patterns. There are two general types of Trellis, one in which the decrease comes before the yarn-over, and the other in which it comes after. The first half of this pattern shows the former, the second half the latter.
This square demonstrates the fact that when the same kind of Trellis is worked in the same spot for several consecutive rows, it draws the fabric into a bias slant. Notice the blocks of plain Stockinette Stitch here, in which the stitches lie at two different angles instead of running straight up. This tilted effect is created by alternating the two different types of bias Trellis.
When the Trellis is moved one stitch over to the right or left every other pattern row, the bias is eliminated.
July 10, 2013
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Square 50
Arrowhead Mesh |
In this pattern the two types of Trellis are shown alternating in panels without bias, because the yarn-over-and-decrease units are moved one stitch over, every other pattern row. The left-slanting and right-slanting decreases are placed in opposition to each other, which gives a herringbone effect. Many other lace patterns make use of the same principles.
July 11, 2013
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Square 51
Faggoting and Fancy Rib |
Faggoting is a basic lace stitch, typically exhibiting panels of zigzag openwork. It is nearly always constructed of yarn-overs and decreases worked on both right-side and wrong-side rows. It is used in borders, decorative insertions and lacy articles such as scarves.
July 12, 2013
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Square 52
Lace Diamonds |
Innumerable variations on the Lace Diamonds pattern exist; some have diamonds of different sizes, some have decreases centered instead of placed at the sides of the diamonds, some have more or less openwork placed between diamonds, some have certain pattern rows repeated several times together. This version is one of the simplest and most basic of all, showing the diagonal lines of yarn-overs and paired decreases without embellishments.
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Square 53
Bumblebee Pattern |
This pattern is a cute one and was simple to knit. As you can see, I finished two today. This square completes all but 10 of the squares required to complete the afghan.
July 13, 2013
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Square 54
Seafoam Pattern |
Believe it or not, this lacy pattern is really nothing but Striped Garter Stitch - with multiple yarn-overs added to elongate some of the stitches and make the stripes wave up and down. This makes a light, fluffy fabric that is ideal for shawls, baby blankets, scarves and stoles.
July 14, 2013
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Square 55
Single-Strand Lace |
Compare this pattern with Lace Diamonds. Notice that the yarn-over holes here are divided form one another by a single strand of yarn, while in Lace Diamonds, and many other lace patterns, they are divided by two twisted strands. Single-Strand Lace like this is worked by making yarn-overs and decreases on both right-side and wrong-side rows, instead of on right-side rows only.
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Square 56
Elkhorn and Fleurette Panels |
Lace patterns can be used in panel combinations just like cables. Here is a panel of Elkhorn lace, flanked by two panels of Fleurette. A panel of lace can be inserted in any plain Stockinette fabric, simply by placing 2 markers on the needle and working the lace pattern between them.
This completes Section VII and only leave one more section to complete - Section VIII - Special Techniques.
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