How to Knit a Scarf in Random Lace

I once read a book (called Crazy Lace) that was all about using random lace stitches to make awesome, one-of-a-kind lace shawls. I loved the look of the projects and really wanted to try it, but so far I haven’t done it. It just seems like a really daunting project and like it might not actually turn out as beautifully as her samples did. Or maybe I don’t trust my ability to actually knit randomly.

One way to try random lace on a somewhat smaller scale is to try knitting a random lace scarf, which you can see a tutorial about at Knitting and do on. She counted her stitches every row to make sure she had the same number she started with, which admittedly sounds a little maddening, and she notes that it’s hard to track your progress when there are no visible repeats.

But the results are beautiful, and you could do this on a smaller project (washcloth? iPad cover?) to see how it works before embarking on a larger project.

I’m almost convinced I want to try it. What about you? Have you ever knit random lace? I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo via Knitting and so on.]

Fall will be here before we know it, and that means there are holidays coming right behind where we might be entertaining at home. It’s always fun to have a hand knit touch in your home for other people to see, and if you’re going to be in the kitchen all day you might as well have some nice knit dish cloths to use.

I love this little plaid hand towel from Darling Jadore. Use a little bit of leftover cotton yarn from another project for the plaid portion. It looks like the horizontal stripes are worked as you knit and the vertical stripes are done with duplicate stitch, making this a quick and easy project even newer knitters can make.

Combine garter stitch and an easy eyelet pattern worked sideways to make the Annette Dish Towel from Cluck Cluck Boots, which is meant to be reminiscent of flour sack towels. It calls for DK weight yarn and you can work it in one color or two (or even three!).

Add a little more texture with this set of kitchen towels from Whileberry Creative. They’re mostly worked in garter stitch with borders in easy knit/purl patterns, and you can work them in sport or worsted weight yarn.

Two of Wands Shop has another cute allover knit and purl pattern they call the Seersucker Textured Tea Towel. It’s an easy repeating pattern worked in worsted weight yarn, and there’s a chart in the pattern you can use, but don’t have to, if you want to practice knitting from a chart.

The Classic Cloth dish towel from Handmade Home by Connie is another one that can use a little leftover yarn in a contrasting color, or you could color block it our use stripes throughout the pattern. This one uses worsted weight yarn and another easy repeating knit purl stitch pattern.

If you like to hang your towel on the oven handle or elsewhere but it’s always falling off, try the Stay Put kitchen towel from Fancy Step Knits. This project is worked in garter stitch and includes a hole partway through so you can pull the towel through itself over a rod or handle. Stripes are optional but a nice addition.

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