Review: Lace Knitting for Beginners

For some reason, lace reminds me of spring. I guess because when it starts to get warm outside you can start thinking about wearing projects with eyelets again.

Whatever the reason, I have lace on the brain right now as we in America eagerly await spring, so I thought it was time to share a great little booklet full of lace projects for those new to lace knitting.

Lace Knitting for Beginners, compiled by Amy Palmer, is a little booklet with 11 projects for new lace knitters. It opens with a primer on reading lace charts, including what all those symbols mean and why sometimes the chart means nothing (in the case of a “no stitch” box).

Five of the patterns are for scarves. The others include a towel, tote bag, headband, book sleeve, poncho, shawl and hat. Most of the projects use charts but for the most part they aren’t very complex.

Some of my favorites include Molly’s Headband by Pam Allen, a rectangular headband with a lace panel running down the center and I-cord ties for an east fit; the simple Rain on the Prairie scarf, pictured on the cover and designed by Maureen Hefti; and the fun Peace Street Hat by Grace Akhrem, which uses a lace panel as the brim, from which stitches are picked up to knit the body of the hat in Stockinette. Accent buttons add a bit of whimsy.

There’s also a pattern by Ann Budd called A Scarf of Your Very Own, which shows several basic variations and includes information on how to design your own lace scarf, which is good information for the basics of designing just about any garment.

A glossary and techniques section round out the booklet, which is a great quick start guide for lace knitting. If you’re new to the genre and don’t want to be overwhelmed by a book full of complex projects, you should check this one out.

[Photo via Interweave/F+W.]

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Why should the fireplace get all the fun? Instead of knitting stockings this year, why not whip up a pair of Christmas themed socks? These Christmas sock knitting patterns are lots of fun to make and you can wear them to holiday gatherings for years to come.

For our friends in the southern part of the world, there are the Christmas in July socks from the Kiwi Lodge – Kylie (Ravelry link). These shorty socks are covered in Christmas trees and have bright pink heels and toes for a tropical feel. There’s also an option to make a longer sock if you celebrate somewhere it’s colder.

Twin Stitches Designs (Ravelry) has a fun pattern with mix and match colorwork motifs you can use to build your own cozy Christmas socks. From the sample socks I see Christmas puddings, trucks hauling trees, Santa belts, ornaments and a couple of different borders. There may be more patterns included but the listing doesn’t say. Make a pair that matches or use different motifs on each foot for extra holiday cheer.

If you want to stick to Christmas puddings on your holiday socks, check out this cute pattern from Stone Knits. These lovely socks feature a band of puddings around the leg and a bit of holly by the toes.

These vintage holiday light socks from Grey Owl Knits by Sarah are classic looking and lots of fun at the same time. I love this color combination but of course you can make your lights and stripes whatever colors you like or have on hand. They’re worked using stranded knitting.

And if you’d like even more of a mix of patterns for your socks, try Barbara Ceglédi’s Christmas Chaos socks, a free pattern on Ravelry. The pattern includes 25 little motifs you can choose from, ranging from snowflakes and Christmas trees to elf hats, reindeer and hearts.

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