How to Do Lace Patterns
Many knitters are afraid to knit lace thinking that it is harder than other knitting. But if you can make a yarn over, execute a decrease and read a knitting chart, you have all the skills you need to follow a lace knitting pattern. Lace knitting does take a bit more concentration the some other types of knitting, but the results are worth it.
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Instructions
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Read through your lace knitting pattern to get familiar with the terms and techniques. There is no standard vocabulary for all knitting stitches. For example U.S. patterns generally use the term "yarn over," but patterns from the U.K. use "yarn forward."
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Familiarize yourself with the chart. Most knitting lace patterns use charts, but the symbols are not standard. Make sure that you know the stitch that corresponds to each symbol.
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Knit a swatch. Although gauge in lace knitting is not critical, knitting a swatch for a lace project gives you a good idea of how the finished piece will look. You can also use the swatch to practice stitches or techniques that you are not familiar with and experiment with needle sizes. Also take the time to wash and block the swatch.
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Cast on for the project and start knitting. Use a "lifeline" at the start of each pattern row repeat. A lifeline is temporary piece of yarn that you thread through a row of finished stitches. If you make a mistake, you can easily rip the knitting back to the lifeline.
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Use ring markers to mark the beginning and end of each lace pattern repeat. After every few rows, count the stitches between the markers to make sure that the stitch count is correct.
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Tips & Warnings
If the chart is small or hard to read, consider using a photocopier to enlarge it.
The most common mistakes in lace knitting are forgetting a yarn over or making a single decrease instead of a double decrease.
There are two guidelines for reading charts. First, charts are a graphic representation of the right side of the knitting, and second you read them in the direction of the knitting.
