5 Essential Tips for Lace Knitting
Does the idea of lace knitting scare you? I get it, I’ve been there! My first lace project left me feeling under-prepared, but now lace is one of my favorite things to knit. Follow these five essential tips to ensure your first lace knitting project is a success!
5 Essential Tips for Lace Knitting
1/ Block Your Swatch
Creating a swatch is crucial, especially for lace knitting. The combination of yarnovers and decreases causes the stitch pattern to "bloom" after wet blocking. Wet blocking involves soaking your knit piece, then laying it flat to dry using pins or blocking wires to enhance the stitch pattern and reach the desired measurements. This process allows lace stitches to bloom and softens the yarnovers and decreases. Bonus tip: use blocking wires to create crisp edges, making seaming easier.
2/ Understand Pattern Repeats
Knitting stitch patterns are broken into repeatable sections called multiples. At the start of any stitch pattern, you'll see a guide for how many stitches to cast on. For example:
Multiple of 7 + 2
Mult of 7 + 2 + 4 (where the +4 is additional selvage stitches along each side of the pattern)
Ensure your gauge swatch includes more than one repeat of the lace pattern, ideally where your gauge swatch can measure at least 6” by 6”.
This helps you measure accurately, learn to "read your knitting," and see if your yarn and needle combination suit the lace pattern.
3/ Use Selvage Stitches
Add 4 selvage stitches to your lace pattern's required stitches. For example, "Multiple of 7 + 2 + 4" becomes "Multiple of 7 + 6." These extra 4 stitches create a stockinette stitch and garter stitch at each edge. Stockinette stitch is used for seaming, and garter stitch is used for blocking wires, which glide easily through garter stitch bumps.
4/ Measure, Measure, Measure!
Measuring your swatch accurately is crucial. A few stitches off per inch can result in a big fit issue over a large sweater. Wet block your swatch, let it dry completely, then measure the middle 4” of your 6” swatch for the most accurate result. Ensure the swatch is fully dry before measuring to avoid gauge discrepancies.
5/ Use the Same Tools
Knit your swatch the same way you'll knit the final piece, whether flat in rows or in the round on circular needles. Different needle types can produce different gauges, so consistency is key.
By following these tips, you'll be well-prepared for your first lace knitting project and create beautiful, confident pieces every time.
Some beginner-friendly lace knitting projects:
