Amazing Lace: Lace Knitting History & Expert Tips

A History of Knitted Lace

The precise history of knitted lace is lost to the mists of time, but any knitter who has ever struggled with accidentally creating extra stitches in their work can probably imagine its roots! After all, the foundation of lace knitting is probably the simplest knitting stitch of all – the yarn over – formed by wrapping the yarn around the needle without working a full stitch. This creates a small hole in your knitting and produces an extra stitch on the next row. With careful planning, these holes can be formed into intricate stitch patterns, creating the enormous variety of lace stitches we know and love today.

The counterpoint to the yarn over is the decrease. Unless you want your work to grow bigger with every row, the lace stitch pattern will include one decrease for every yarn over worked. The placement of the decreases can create slanted shapes within the knitted fabric, making for even more stunning options in lace patterns.

FREE LACE KNITTING PATTERNS ON CRAFTWORLD

• Antique lace stole
• Leaf lace cover-up
• Little Flowers DK lace shawl

Types of Lace Knitting

In Europe, several distinct lace knitting traditions emerged, gaining enormous popularity in the nineteenth century when lace shawls became fashionable for ladies to wear and also as Christening shawls.

Shetland Lace Knitting

Fine lacework was highly prized, and this required extremely thin yarn. One of the places where lace knitting took off was the Shetland isles, where the beautifully soft wool of the Shetland sheep lent itself to being spun into light and airy laceweight yarn. This style of yarn is still available today from companies such as Jamieson & Smith, based in Lerwick. Shetland shawls are often worked with no “wrong” side – using a base of garter stitch (knit every row) rather than stocking stitch (alternating knit and purl rows).

Estonian Lace Shawls

Estonian knitters took to texture in their lace shawls in a big way, using tiny bobbles (known as nupps) to create an extra dimension in their work. They also developed a unique style of increase known as star stitches, which gives the lace patterns a really unique look. These stitches can be fiddly and time-consuming to work at first but once you get the hang of it, they’re wonderfully satisfying.

Orenburg Lace

Orenburg lace doesn’t use wool yarn – it uses an extremely fine mohair, which gives the finished shawl an incredible shine. These Russian knitters developed ten basic elements which could be combined to create the distinctive Orenburg shawl, which was known to be so fine it could pass through a wedding ring, giving it the name “the wedding ring shawl”.

Japanese Lace Stitches

More recently, Japanese knitters have developed their own distinctive style of lace knitting, which is characterised by denser stitch patterns, often using twisted stitches. Japanese lace is more often used in garments and the patterns are frequently presented in the form of a chart, which means that even those of us who can’t read Japanese can follow the pattern. I’m a big fan of Hitomi Shida’s books – they’re jam-packed full of beautiful lace stitch patterns.

Lace Knitting Tips & Tricks

As you’ve seen, when you break lace knitting down to its most basic elements, each individual stitch is easy to manage but the stitch patterns can become more complex. However, you can make the process easier for yourself by following a few simple words of wisdom. We asked designer Lana Jois (whose lace designs have often featured in Knit Now) for her top tips.

• Your choice of tools makes a huge difference – look for needles with a smooth finish and a sharp point, such as KnitPro Symfonie or Addi Lace
• Use stitch markers between each repeat of a lace pattern to help you keep track of your place – but when working a yarnover next to a marker, be careful that the yarnover stays on the correct side of the marker
• Make sure to read your pattern thoroughly before you begin
• Knit a swatch – this will not only make sure your garment comes out the right size, but also gives you a chance to practice any new stitches
• Even if you’re working flat, you might find it easier to use a circular needle to accommodate a larger number of stitches
• Choose a knitting pattern which includes a chart as well as written instructions, as this will help you visualise your work
• Take the time to block your work when it’s finished - the stitch patterns will really open up and bloom when they’re blocked

About Lana Jois

Lana Jois is our featured Knitting Designer of the Month for August 2021. She published her first pattern in Knit Now magazine in 2014 and has grown to become one of our favourite designers, specialising in stunning lace patterns. You can now find her patterns in a wide range of publications including Interweave Knits and Pom Pom Quarterly, as well as in her own Ravelry store.

During August 2021, two of her beautiful lace patterns (worth over £10) are available for free for CraftWorld Premium members!