A Great Lacy Pattern for New Lace Knitters: Feather and Fan

Whenever I talk about lace knitting I always bring up Feather and Fan, a term which is sometimes used interchangeably with Old Shale, though technically they’re different patterns.

Whatever variation of the pattern you use, it combines a series of increases and decreases that aren’t right next to each other, which makes the edge of the fabric scallop in a really pretty way.

About a year ago I did a roundup of some pretty patterns using Feather and Fan (including a washcloth and scarf that I “designed”). There’s also a simple scarf on Knitter’s Review that is a great introduction to the stitch.

This is a nice gateway to more complex lace stitches because it’s still a really easy repeat but it looks fancy and is just a lot of fun to knit.

Have you ever made a project with Feather and Fan or Old Shale stitch? I’d love to hear about it!

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Some knitters have trouble coming up with projects they can both knit and wear when it’s warm outside. Especially if you’re not ready for garments (thought tank tops and summer tops are great first garment projects!) it might seem like there’s nothing to do when it’s hot outside.

One way to remedy this situation is by knitting headbands. Headbands are great any time of year to keep hair out of your face and make you look a little more pulled together without any effort. Wider headbands double as ear warmers when it gets colder, but skinnier ones are great throughout the year.

A couple of great examples are from designer Elly Donner, who has a set of headband knitting patterns on Ravelry you can buy individually or as an ebook. Homebody, shown here, is worked in garter stitch (the ties are crocheted but you could also use I-cord), while Slipstream uses slipped stitches and garter ridges, and Sounds of Spring has little cables. The patterns use DK weight yarn and are a great way to use a little leftover yarn from another project.

I also recently came across the lovely Plush Braided Headband by Yevgeniya Li. A free pattern on Ravelry, this wider design is covered in lush cables for a sleek and fancy look. It uses worsted weight yarn and you can customize the length for a perfect fit.

Celeste Knitwear’s Spikelet is a simple twisted headband with columns of eyelet lace to keep it from being too heavy. It’s worked flat and sewn together to make the twist, and uses DK weight yarn. It has three sizes available.

This skinny lace headband from Lusi Knits is another cute choice. It calls for fine weight cotton yarn, but you could use heavier yarn if you have it on hand to make a wider headband (or use any fine yarn you have available). It uses ties to customize the fit.

And if you want to go super basic but still really cute, try the easy ring headband from Lulu Pattern. The sample is knit pretty wide, but you could make a narrower version if you want, and the little ring turns it from a plain loop into a bow with very little extra work. It calls for worsted weight yarn but you could also use whatever weight you like for this one to change up the look and size.

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