There is a lot to love about knitting lace. It can be challenging to learn at first, but once you’ve gotten used to the rhythm and the moves, it becomes quite meditative and therapeutic. Not to mention how gratifying it feels to finish a fancy lace project. 

I enjoy knitting simple lace from time to time, but my coworker Laura loves knitting lace. We got together for this week’s episode of the Knitting Nerdcast to chat about why lace is cool and how it’s been used in some interesting ways. We talked about the lace fences of Anne Eunson (and how Laura might make her own!),  and I shared that I had come across an intricate lace shawl that had been given by Queen Victoria to Harriett Tubman (check out those images here). 

If you have never tried knitting lace, want to improve upon your lace knitting skills, or just want to learn more about lace, we have a plethora of resources for you right here.  A few tips Laura offered during our chat include: 

• Learn how to read your lace 
• Use stitch markers between repeats in your lace to keep track of stitches more easily 
• Use lifelines in your lace, so you never have to rip back to the beginning
• For those just starting out, try out a pattern that pairs a lace edging with a more familiar stitch, so you can have a “lace snack” 
• Use pointy needles! 

If you’re looking to try out one of the Interweave knitting patterns mentioned in the episode, we mentioned the Beech Leaf Shawl, Flower Basket Shawl from Interweave Knits Fall 2004, and one that I didn’t specifically call out, but the lace-back top I made is the Golden Tamarin Tee.

If you want to see some seriously complicated and fine lace shawls, check out the work of Galina Khmeleva. She creates traditional Russian lace shawls that will blow your mind.  

One more way to get into some lace knitting action is to join Interweave this month for our lace hat knit-along! We are all knitting the Phyllotaxis Hat,  which takes a small amount of DK-weight yarn. Along the way we’ll be providing videos and tips for knitting this project, and the discussion will be in the Knitting Daily Facebook group. So go through your stash and let us know what you are knitting your hat with! 

We at Interweave hope you enjoy celebrating lace with us this month. Tell us what you love about lace!