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Review: New Lace Knitting

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new lace kntiting book reviewI have a strange relationship with lace. I like the idea of lace knitting, I love the look of a lot of it, and yet I resolved long ago that my lifestyle is not that of a person who knits or wears a lot of lace. I don’t have the patience for complicated patterns, long repeats or the seemingly unending length of time an intricate lace knitting project would require.

Yet I still love the idea that you can make shapes with holes, and I can get behind using lace as an accent on projects (and though completely unrelated to knitting I just today bought two shirts featuring lace trim).

If you like the look and the idea of lace but maybe not so much the traditional patterns like giant lace shawls that take forever to knit, check out Rosemary (Romi) Hill’s book New Lace Knitting: Designs for Wide Open Spaces.

In it, she looks at some traditional lace motifs like waves, leaves and diamonds and uses them in different ways, sometimes enlarging or editing the pattern, other times leaving it like the original. The motifs are then used on tops, sweaters, cowls, shawls, hats and other projects.

These designs are pretty and often a great way to use a little bit of lace to great effect (though there are some larger, detailed and more advanced patterns here, too). A couple of my favorites include the sweater on the cover, called the Manzanita Tee, featuring a chevron lave pattern on the yoke and picot edgings; the Hope Valley Flounce, a knit denim skirt; and the Crystal bay Shawl, which uses a Print o’ the Wave edging on an otherwise Garter Stitch shawl.

You can check out all the patterns on Ravelry. You’ll also love Romi’s rules for lace knitting, which are important for new lace knitters and those with experience.

This is a fun book for people who like lace but who maybe don’t want another lacy shawl (though there are some of those here, too) or who want to knit a project that’s a little different from traditional lace. If you’ve looked at this book or knit anything from it, I’d love to know what you think!

About the book: 168 pages, paperback, 19 patterns (no skill levels given, but some knowledge of lace knitting is helpful, garments have between five and seven sizes). Published by Interweave/F+W, September 2015. Suggested retail $24.99.

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Comments

  1. I really love his book, but haven’t purchased it yet. I like to knit (and wear) lace garments… During the past couple of years I have made a number of lace tops (with sleeves) to wear during the summer over a tank. I think it’s a good modest look with a little glamour. Like the top on the cover, it’s pretty and feminine even if you’re wearing it with capris.

Have you read?

Add a Little Lace to Your Knitting Patterns

If you’re new to lace knitting or just aren’t sure how to incorporate the technique into garments, check out these tops and sweaters that use lace as a decorative element.

The easiest lace out there is eyelets, and you can practice them plenty with this eyelet covered sweater from Knitcro Addict. It uses light/DK weight yarn and is worked in four pieces knit flat. It’s intended to be a little cropped and a little oversized, and includes sizes XS to XXL in the pattern.

If you’re in parts of the world where it’s getting colder as you read this, the Nora sweater from Bummbul might be a good choice. This is actually a great one for learning lace because it’s worked in super bulky yarn, which makes it easier to see what you’re doing and makes the lace super graphic. This one just comes in one size, with a 42 inch (106) cm bust, but that could fit a variety of people depending on how much ease you like.

Minimi Knit Design has a cute allover lace cardigan worked in one piece from the bottom up. It’s worked in lace weight mohair held double, which maybe isn’t the best for those new to lace (because it can be hard to rip out) but it sure is pretty. Sizes range to fit from 30 to 66 inches/76 to 168 cm bust measurements.

If you’d rather not have lace all over your sweater, you can knit the Lumi sweater from Originally Lovely, which has a chevron lace pattern on the yoke and is otherwise worked in reverse stockinette stitch. (It’s worked inside out so you don’t have to purl every stitch.) The pattern has 9 sizes from XS to 5XL and uses worsted weight yarn.

Or try the super romantic sookie blouse from Trust the mojo (available on Ravelry). This sweet top is started working flat from the bottom up and has a V-neck and I-cord edgings. The sleeves are worked separately in the round, and the pieces are all joined together to work in one piece to finish off the top. It comes in eight sizes and is available in English and French.

You can also pair lacy sleeves with an otherwise plain top, like on the Starflower Wrap from Annelise Driscoll Gingrow. This intermediate pattern makes a wrap sweater with generous lacy sleeves and a double wrap belt. The pattern has nine sizes, from XS to 5XL, and is available for free from Hobbi.