The Art of Knitted Lace!

Knitted Lace! Whether it’s a gossamer weight shawl delicately draped over a long evening gown, a sturdy shawl to keep you warm, gloves or sock for either utilitarian or decorative purposes, knitted lace evokes thoughts of romance and far away places.

While, I’m not so much the decorative, long evening gown type of gal (come on, really?) I can totally relate to warm aran socks with a lace pattern, fingerless mitts or a nice sturdy shawl to help chase away the Northern Michigan weather. And this book has it all and then some, in between!

Dozens of patterns and complete lace how-to, really, if you can knit, you can knit lace. It’s just knitting, purling, decreasing and increasing.

This book also includes a thorough explanation of pattern and chart reading, defines special terms, explains the best ways to block, and offers guidance on choosing the right yarn and needles. This collection of patterns, from authors including Clara Parkes, Annie Modesitt, Phoenix Bess, Berta Karapetyan, Melissa Matthay and Lisa Lloyd will have you knitting lace in no time.

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I know that my posts can be read at different times of year and in different years by different people, but as I write this we’re on teh cusp of summer. And I know a lot of people don’t knit as much, and certainly don’t wear a lot of knits in the summer, but I want to encourage you to make and to wear your makes no matter the temperature.

To introduce you to the joys of summer garment knitting, I offer the Tied Vest from Lion Brand Yarn.

This easy project is great to make and wear throughout the year but it’s especially good for summer. It’s worked flat in one piece from the bottom up, mostly in stockinette stitch with a seed stitch edging. The I-cord ties are worked directly onto the garment so you don’t have to sew them on.

The project uses worsted weight yarn, and calls for a blend of cotton and hemp that’s great for warm weather.

There are eight size options, ranging from a finished chest measurement of 35 to 62.5 inches, or 89 to 159 cm. That makes it sound like it should be worn with at least a few inches of positive ease, but the pattern doesn’t specify.

The ties at the front give it a casual look and make it great to wear over a tank top or T-shirt when the weather is warm.

I also think this one would be good to knit in wool or a warmer fiber, too, to make a version you could wear more comfortably in the winter months, too. Though of course you could layer the summer version over a long-sleeved shirt and wear it throughout the year, too.

The tied vest is a free pattern available from Lion Brand. You can also purchase a kit that includes the yarn and optional needles and stitch markers if you need them.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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Knit Vests to Help Transition to Warmer Weather

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