Knitting Daily : Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Knitting and Pumpkin Pie: What do they have in common?

Kathleen Cubley — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:00:00 GMT

My sister doesn't like pumpkin pie, (I do not understand; does not compute) but her favorite color is orange. I was thinking about this yesterday as I was raking up orange and yellow and brown leaves, thinking about how pretty the fall colors are, even as I'm hating raking. There are so many beautiful colors of orange out there: pumpkin orange, saffron, tangerine, rust, ocher, that Crayola favorite Burnt Sienna, and so on!

I love orange, too, but it's not something that I knit with very often. In fact, I only have one knitted piece in orange—a lace vest that I made when I first started knitting. I think one reason I don't knit or wear much orange is because I think of it as going with black, and my high school colors are orange and black. When I wear orange and black I feel like I'm back in high school in the bleachers cheering for the Tigers!

Our special today is a bundle of magazines, and as I was flipping through my issues I was appreciating how well the editors choose projects that convey the feeling of the season. What jumped out at me this time was the color choices: nice, subtle color palettes for spring and summer, with just enough vibrant color choices to be exciting; and deep, warm, cozy colors for fall and winter. Take the Every Way Wrap in the Fall 2009 issue of Interweave Knits, for instance—it's the perfect fall orange: a dark, pumpkin pie orange.

So, in case you haven't gotten the memo, what knitting and pumpkin pie have in common is orange! It's fall, and orange is a fall color, and we're going to be making thousands of pumpkin pies in a couple of weeks, and today I'm going to conquer my high school demons and bring back the orange.

I've gone through our pattern store and picked out several patterns, plus a couple of free patterns that look great in orange, and here they are!


Citrus Yoke	Saffron Cables	Refined Raglan	Sienna Cardigan
Katie Himmelberg	Kathy Zimmerman	Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark	Ann Smith

Citrus Yoke is a beautiful pullover that's knit in the round from the neck down with an interesting eyelet rib pattern on the yoke. The Saffron Cables afghan will keep you warm while you're knitting it and after you're knitting it! The Refined Raglan is full of simple styling: an eyelet pattern on the raglan portion of the sleeves, and a neat knitted hem on the bottom and sleeves. The Sienna Cardigan is a quick, worsted-weight knit with pretty, feminine touches along the button bands and the collar. (And it's also part of our free e-book Knit Cardigan Patterns From Knitting Daily: 7 FREE Knitting Patterns!)


Washington Square Vest	Tangelo	Wavy Orange Scarf	Fountain Hat
Simona Merchant-Dest	Kate Kukra	Rebecca L. Daniels	Katie Himmelberg

I love the variegated orange of the Washington Square Vest. This pattern incorporates lace on the edges and basketweave waist detailing. Tangelo is just what you need in the fall—a bouquet of flowers (and a fun, quick knit, too).

And now for two free patterns! The Wavy Orange Scarf will keep you interested as you knit—the wave pattern is one of those that's fun to watch develop. And the Fountain Hat is a wonderful gift option and a stash-buster! It's a small project that takes just under 400 yards of sock yarn. (And it's also part of our free e-book Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 FREE Knitted Lace Patterns!)

Well, that about wraps up my vacation to the Land of Orange. For a side trip, check out our Facebook post about orange yarns (about halfway down our page). And become a fan to get updates on your Facebook newsfeed!

Cheers,

Kathleen

For the Love of the Small Project: Knitting Miniatures

Kathleen Cubley — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:27:00 GMT

A note from Kathleen: I think I can safely say that we all love a small project once in a while—something we can get done in a short time with a small amount of yarn. What comes to mind is a hat or a one-skein scarf, a dishcloth or a coffee cozy. But PieceWork magazine has taken the small project and given it that quintessential PieceWork spin: knitted miniature accessories for dollhouses and knitted heirloom pinballs in the tradition of 1800s Quaker schoolgirls.

Here's PieceWork editor Jeane Hutchins to tell you more about these special projects, coming up in the September/October 2009 issue of PieceWork magazine.

Knitting in Miniature

Just seeing the word "miniatures" makes me smile. Suddenly, I'm transported back in time; memories of my dollhouse and its minute furnishings are so vivid. I wasn't lucky enough, however, to have an exquisite handknitted-lace tablecloth for its dining room table—darn!

So when we started to work on PieceWork's September/October 2009 Miniatures issue, I knew an elegant dollhouse-size knitted-lace tablecloth would have to be part of the mix. I love the result; if I still had my dollhouse, this tablecloth would definitely be front and center.

Using one strand of seven-strand silk thread and size 6-0 needles, Mary Frances Wogec created the tablecloth, which is 5½ inches in diameter (top tablecloth in photo at left).

To provide perspective on its diminutive size, we placed one skein of the silk thread on one of the dollhouse chairs in the photograph at left.

Also, to provide perspective, Mary Frances duplicated the tablecloth in size 100 crochet cotton; it's 6¼ inches in diameter (bottom tablecloth in photo above left).

Check out the in-process photo of the tablecloth (above right). Mary Frances, avid lace knitter that she is, discovered that fine-gauge soldered jump rings and rubber nuts for pierced earrings, both sold at bead stores, work perfectly as stitch markers and point protectors, respectively, in lace knitting. Ingenuity at work!

The Knitted Pinball

Another small-scale project is the knitted pinball. I absolutely love the story behind these tiny (2 inches in diameter) accessories: A Quaker boarding school in England has several eighteenth- and nineteenth-century examples in its collection; schoolgirls often knitted them as "tokens of love" for their classmates. I don't know if I could bring myself to actually keep my straight-pins in this little work of art!

The pinball, like the tablecloth, is knitted with one strand of silk thread on size 6-0 needles. These will make absolutely lovely gifts for family and friends.

I just can't help smiling every time I look at the miniatures in this issue. I hope they make you smile, too!

—Jeane
Editor, PieceWork

P.S. If you are intrigued by miniatures, the 2010 PieceWork contest—Heart-Shaped Ornaments—will be perfect, and you could win $500 in cash or $200 in product from our sponsors! The ornaments, for any occasion, cannot be larger than 4 inches. We would love to be inundated with knitted ornaments. Be sure to check our website on October 16 or see the ad in the November/December issue for all the details.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Are you addicted to lace knitting? Or maybe you've admired some of the gorgeous knitted lace patterns out there and want to give lace knitting a try? Here are seven of Interweave's top knitted lace patterns, gathered together in one FREE ebook for you.

Whether you are a first time lace knitter, or a seasoned expert, you'll enjoy the timeless beauty of knitting lace. Get these stunning projects that will continue to inspire, and be loved for generations to come. You'll want to make every one of these lace patterns, so download your free eBook now and get started (and don't forget to tell a friend so they can enjoy their own copy!)

Download Your Free Lace Patterns Today

Summer Knitting Project: Take-Along Lace Bookmark

Kathleen Cubley — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:50:00 GMT

I recently took a day-trip and the project I took with me was a tank top. I worked on it in the car, but it really took up too much room in my bag and in my lap and I was wishing for a small, purse-friendly project.

I can hear you all saying "How about a sock?" I know, I know--socks are the perfect traveling project (and I should be farther along on the KAL!). But I like to change things up a bit, and since it's getting towards time to start knitting holiday gifts, I thought I'd see what else was out there that would be car/park/lounge chair-appropriate.

I took a stroll through PieceWork's magazine's free pattern archive and I came upon this lovely bookmark pattern.

PieceWork has been one of my favorites for a long time. I love reading about the tradition and history of knitting and PieceWork does such an amazing job of keeping that tradition alive. I have a history with cross-stitch, too, and PieceWork almost makes me want to pick it up again! (So does the beautiful cross-stitch sampler Jeane Hutchins, the PieceWork editor, has in her office.)

Ave Coleman's Lace Bookmark is the trifecta of summer knitting: portable, gift-worthy, and a tiny bit challenging. There are four beautiful lace patterns in this piece, so you'll get a taste of lace on a small scale. And I love knitting with small needles, so this project is perfect for me.

I also appreciate the cotton thread called for in the bookmark pattern. It's all about cotton (or linen or hemp or silk) for my summer knitting. In hot weather I simply can't knit with wool or alpaca, unless I'm in an air-conditioned room (and there's not much AC in Spokane) or if I'm sitting directly in front of a fan (and then my pattern blows all over the place). So you see the terrible problems I face. I do make an exception for sock yarn, which is usually so tiny that I can handle the wool content.

(I think I've added two items to the trifecta: small needles and cotton yarn. The lace bookmark is now a five-fecta!)

Be sure and check out the July/August 2009 issue of PieceWork for even more wonderful ideas, including a whole article on "take-along" projects: a knitted scarf, an embroidered bookmark, and a pair of knitted wrist warmers. Sock knitters might like to try the mitten patterns in this issue, too. They're not socks, obviously, but the techniques are similar.

I think I'll make one of the lace bookmarks for each of the women in my family, and a couple for myself, too.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Download Your Free Lace Patterns Today

Free Pattern: Lovely Lace Shawl (Plus More Lace Tips!)

KD Sandi — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:36:00 GMT

Tips for Joining A Shawl Worked in Two Halves

Some long rectangular shawls or scarves are worked in two pieces and then joined at the center. Why? Because certain lace patterns produce a lovely scalloped or patterned edge at the cast-on end, but do not produce a matching pretty scallop at the bind-off end. If you were to work the shawl or scarf in a single piece, the two ends would look very different--and most knitters prefer the swoopy fancy cast-on edge to the comparatively plain bind-off edge!

Designers resolve this by knitting one half of the shawl which is then set aside while casting on and knitting another matching half. The two halves are then joined, usually by...no, no, don't run away, not yet anyway...grafting them together using the Kitchener stitch.

There's that dratted Kitchener stitch again. Just when we all were having so much fun, knitting a gorgeous lace shawl, that silly grafting thing had to go and sneak up on us at the very end. The existence of that sentence, "Now graft the two halves together using the Kitchener stitch" has stopped many a knitter from knitting certain perfectly lovely shawl patterns.

Methods for Joining the Two Halves and (bonus!) Saving Your Sanity

You can substitute a three-needle bind-off for the Kitchener stitch. This is easy and quick, but it can produce a pronounced ridge right down the middle of your shawl.

Another method, suggested by Alice Halbeisen, the designer of the Lace Shawl pictured above (and this week's free pattern!), is to bind off each half very loosely, and then stitch the halves together. This second solution works quite well, with only a minimal ridge if you do it carefully.

Here are some tips for seaming success:

1. If there is a "plain knitting" row, bind off on that row instead of a "lace knitting" row.
2. Bind off in pattern, meaning: If there are a mixture of knits and purls, knit the knits and purl the purls as you work the bind-off row.
3. Use the mattress stitch to sew the seam.
4. Carefully match column for column as you sew.
5. Use pins or locking stitch markers to "baste" the halves together to help keep the stitches and columns matched up.
6. Be sure to catch the legs of the very last stitch in each column, and alternate columns as shown in this tutorial.

Ultimately, however, every knitter sooner or later should become proficient at the Kitchener stitch. It seems to be some sort of scary monster that intimidates a lot of us; but really...it's just another knitting technique, just like entrelac or turning a heel or short rows. We're all knitters, and that means we're smart enough to Kitchener! I admit: I can graft when I need to, but I still have to look at the diagrams and in the process there's a lot of words coming out of my mouth that my momma wouldn't approve of. And so this summer, I'm making it one of my personal goals to conquer that silly grafting thing, once and for all. After all, who's the boss of my knitting? Me, that's who. So stay tuned! And don't forget to download the free Lovely Lace Shawl pattern.

-- Sandi

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Download Your Free Lace Patterns Today

Free Pattern: Lace Scarf from Feminine Knits

KD Sandi — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:08:00 GMT

I'm taking several summer trips in the near future, and of course, like any knitter, I'm planning what projects to take with me. It may sound daft, but my favorite airplane knitting is lace knitting. Really! I make sure I have a paper copy of the chart in a nice plastic sleeve, and I pin or clip that to the headrest of the seat in front of me. My project (always on circulars for travel), yarn, a small tin of markers, and some highlighter tape to mark my place on the chart all go into a small drawstring bag. I thread the seatbelt through the loop of the drawstring so the bag won't "go a-visiting" without permission, buckle up, and voila! Hours of losing myself in my knitting, completely oblivious to the snores of the man next to me or the nattering of the lovely lady behind me. Add an audiobook and it's almost as if the vacation starts early!

But a large lace shawl can be unwieldy on a trip--too many charts, and too much knitting to wrangle in a small airplane seat. So I'm always on the lookout for great lace scarf patterns, particularly those that use a single skein of a precious yarn that's been sitting in my stash just waiting for the right project to show it off.

This lace scarf from Interweave's book Feminine Knits fits the bill perfectly--it's light and airy in your lap, it takes only one skein of a gorgeous yarn (plus a second if you choose to add the elegant crocheted edging), and the chart is tiny and easy enough to take anywhere. Oh, and the pattern for the Lace Scarf is this week's free pattern from Knitting Daily. What could be better for a summer travel treat?

Download the free pattern for the Lace Scarf now.

For more more lacy, charming knitting patterns, look for Feminine Knits at your local yarn shop, or order it here.

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Download Your Free Lace Patterns Today

The Icelandic Lace Shawl & 6 More Free Lace Knitting Patterns

KD Sandi — Fri, 29 May 2009 11:35:00 GMT

I had the honor of being invited to speak to Toronto's Downtown Knit Collective last week, and one could not have asked for a more gracious and delightful audience. (Thank you, DKC knitters!) One of the highlights for me was an elderly woman in the front row, whose nimble fingers worked on a knitted lace shawl--and a rather intricate lace shawl at that--throughout the entire meeting. She was listening closely to everything, but she was somehow still able to keep the precise rhythm of those countless lacy yarnovers going without pause. (She's my new hero. I can't imagine having a hundred other people around me as I try to remember if I'm supposed to be doing an ssk or a k2tog.)

Watching her knit--and knit so effortlessly...and did I mention she wasn't using a printed pattern?--I was reminded of all the women who have gone before us, needles clicking in the creation of gorgeous knitted lace shawls that history has often relegated to a footnote--or worse, to a stereotyped, nondescript garment for old women to wear.

So when we get to pull an actual lace shawl out of history, and have a modern knitter write up the pattern for us, and publish it for everyone to enjoy...that gives me a deep sense of joy and pride. Joy, that not all the creations of women are lost to time and footnotes; pride, that I got to have even a tiny, teensy part in helping bring these patterns to you.

The Story of the Icelandic Lace Shawl

Called the Thórdís shawl, the original of this traditional Icelandic lace shawl is part of the Icelandic Craft Council’s collection of textiles. It is thought to have been knitted by Thórdís Egilsdóttir, a resident of a small fishing village on the west coast of Iceland who was well known for her craftsmanship and skill with handspun yarns.

I asked Jeane Hutchins, the editor-in-chief of PieceWork magazine, if she would like to write up a little piece about how the shawl came to Knitting Daily:

I am so pleased that the Icelandic Shawl from PieceWork’s out-of-print July/August 1996 issue has become a part of Knitting Daily. The list of people responsible for bringing this to fruition is lengthy and begins with PieceWork’s first editor, Veronica Patterson, who assigned the project, followed by Carol Noble who adapted the design and wrote the instructions. Next comes the member of the knitalong who let Amy Sapp, a member of our customer support staff, know that there were people who wanted to make this shawl. Amy forwarded the e-mail about the knitalong to me, and I talked to several people to see how best to get this material into the hands of those who wanted it: Knitting Daily would be the perfect venue. So next on the list is our fabulous technical editor, Lori Gayle. And then there’s Sandi, Kat, and the rest of the web team who made it all happen. So there you have it! My personal thanks to each of one on my list. To those of you who will knit the shawl—enjoy!

Enjoy, indeed--from all of us at Interweave Press.

Get full instructions and charts for the Icelandic Lace Shawl in our free lace knitting ebook--Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns.

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Download Your Free Lace Patterns Today

A Day With the Orenburg Lace Shawls

KD Sandi — Wed, 27 May 2009 12:07:00 GMT

Note from Sandi: When I worked in the Colorado offices of Interweave, one of my favorite things to do was to pop into the PieceWork office and see what kind of knitted glories the editor, Jeane Hutchins, had there. I loved when Jeane would let me put on white gloves and gently examine the stitches, done by some woman whom I will never know, but whose work I got to admire for a few moments. Jeane emailed me when the Orenburg shawls came in...but I was in Canada. I think my wails at missing the chance to see these lace artworks were heard for miles.

However, here's Jeane to tell you all about the day the Orenburg shawls came to visit Interweave:

A typical workday for me is filled with juggling: e-mails, correspondence, and phone calls; editing; deciding whether objects will be sent here for photography or will we need to contact the museum in Cairo for rights and fees; contacting authors/designers with questions that must be answered before moving on; answering questions from authors/designers who are working on future issue projects; fact checking (was Marie Antoinette actually born in 1755, for example); communicating with our production coordinator (“I promise I will have the file for you in five minutes!”); and so on. But then there are days like “My Lace Shawl” day.

In early January, I met with Galina Khmeleva to go over her article and project for PieceWork's May/June 2009 Special Lace Issue. Galina and I live in the same town about 30 minutes north of Interweave, so I often stop by to pick up or drop off a project, but this time was a little different. While we were in total agreement that her article should be a tribute to her late friend, mentor, and master Orenburg lace knitter, Olga Alexandrovna Fedorova, and that the project would be an Orenburg shawl inspired by Olga and her work, I had no clue about the treat that was in store for me that day.

We started by looking at photographs of Olga that Galina had, some taken in Russia, others during Olga’s trip here in 1996 for Galina’s first Orenburg Knitted Lace workshop tour. Then we paged through Orenburgskii Pukhovyi Platok [The Orenburg Down Shawl], a limited-edition book published in Russia in 2005, which examines the centuries-old tradition of Orenburg lace knitting. We also looked at a catalog that documents the lace collection, including work by Olga, of the Orenburg Museum of Fine Arts. Both books are filled with beautiful examples of this art. Then came the icing on the cake for me: Galina opened up a trunk and extracted a quite large bundle wrapped in muslin. Inside the muslin were dozens of shawls made by Olga, including the last shawl she completed. Exquisitely made knitted-lace shawls in all shapes and sizes surrounded me; I could hold them, drape them over my shoulders, and twirl around like a small child playing dress up; I could examine them closely and marvel at Olga’s workmanship. Sheer joy. After much deliberation, I selected six to borrow for our photo shoot. Then I saw Galina’s finished project, which is magnificent. My cake wouldn’t even hold more icing.

Both putting together all the pieces of the puzzle that becomes each issue of PieceWork and special days such as mine with Galina are indications of why I truly love my job! Throw in the fact that I am totally smitten by knitted lace, and you’ll see why this May/June issue is a favorite. I do hope it will provide some icing for your cake!

-- Jeane Hutchins
Editor, PieceWork magazine

Ask for the latest PieceWork at your local yarn shop, or purchase it online from us. Or think about it--wouldn't you like it delivered right to your door? Why not subscribe and then you know you would never miss an issue!

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

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Free Pattern: Knitted Lace Sachet

KD Sandi — Fri, 08 May 2009 12:12:00 GMT

Note from Sandi: Here's the third in our series of "heirloom" staff projects from the Summer 2009 issue of Interweave Knits. This time, Eunny Jang, editor of Knits, gives us a lovely yet quick knitted lace pattern--just in time for a last-minute Mother's Day gift!

"Heirloom" can mean a lot of things; I tend to think a lot about the old-fashioned urge to make the simple functional items of our daily lives beautiful and worth looking at as well as useful. I love fresh-smelling linens but hate heavy or chemical-based scents and sprays. So simple sachets do the trick nicely. This little lace version is so quick to make that I've got one now in every drawer: I lke filling mine with lavender and dried bergamot rind.

Some other sachet recipes you might like are:

Your favorite potpourri, crushed (obviously);
Dried herbs and spices - seasonal sachets can be nice; whole cinnamon and cloves for winter, dried lemon and lavender for spring;
Essential oils dropped on some cotton wadding;
Loose tea leaves you like the scent of;
Soap shavings (dry!) or leftover slivers, nestled into cotton wadding;
Sawdust or shavings from wood (cedar is nice!).

For more ideas for last minute heirloom gifts for the mother in your life, check out the Summer 2009 Interweave Knits. (If your local yarn shop doesn't have a copy, you can order one here.)

-- Eunny

Download the free pattern for Eunny's Lace Sachet

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Download Your Free Lace Patterns Today

Using Blocking Wires to Block Lace Shawls

KD Sandi — Wed, 06 May 2009 12:11:00 GMT

For years, I have used pins to block my lace shawls--dozens and dozens of T-pins, painstakingly placed and then adjusted one by one until every single point was just right, and every single motif was shown off to its best advantage.

I'd heard of blocking wires, but never given them much thought, until a friend at knit night said, "Oh, you really ought to try them if you do a lot of shawls--they make blocking the shawl go so much faster, and you can get all the points even fairly quickly."

That got my attention. I'm pretty meticulous when I pin out my shawls, and it can take me a really long time to get a large shawl with lots of points pinned out to my liking. So I bought a set of blocking wires, and tried it out on the next shawl...and Oh. My. Goodness. What a difference the wires made! All the points, exactly the same length, all even, without me pinning and unpinning and re-pinning them over and over again.

I will say, however, that the obsessive in me misses that deep connection that is formed between a knitter and her shawl during the process of pinning and adjusting a gadzillion pins. I'd lovingly pat out every motif, every point, and pin everything Just So. The blocking wires do a lot of this work for me...so I do sort of miss that precise, detailed, pin-every-yarnover-into-submission-for-an-entire-morning sort of experience. However, for speed, and overall consistency, blocking wires cannot be beat.

You can get the general idea of how to use blocking wires from the photos here; but I've also put together a step-by-step photo tutorial just in case you'd like the whole glamorous process shown in living color.

About the green shawl: I needed a shawl to use for this tutorial, and I did not have one available; so I knit a mini-shawl in the Estonian style, using patterns and techniques from Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush. The inner triangle is the Leaf Motif from Nancy's Triangular Leaf Scarf seen here, and the border is the Modern 16-Round Lace Edge from the stitch dictionary at the back of the book. I had a lot of fun choosing the stitch patterns for this little shawl--and it took me only four evenings to knit!

If you'd like to knit your own Estonian lace shawl, Knitted Lace of Estonia is a great resource for techniques and patterns. It has 14 stunning shawl patterns, plus a library of traditional stitch patterns at the back of the book that you can use to customize your own creations. Look for Knitted Lace of Estonia at your local yarn shop, or order it here.

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Download Your Free Lace Patterns Today

Video: Blocking A Large Lace Shawl

KD Sandi — Mon, 04 May 2009 12:10:00 GMT

If I am knitting a piece of lace in public, friendly strangers will ask, "What are you knitting?" When I tell them it is a lace shawl, they get this very polite, back-away-slowly-from-the-crazy-woman look on their face. I look down at what I am knitting and realize that to them, the rumply thing on my needles looks more like some bit of knitting my cat may have mauled than the gorgeous lace shawl I can see in my mind. Lace doesn't look like much when you are knitting it--in fact, on the needles, lace looks a bit of a crumpled mess!

But add the magic of blocking, and voila: That crumpled, rumpled mess spreads out to reveal its true beauty.

I've heard so many knitters wistfully say that they would love to try lace--"but where would I block it? I don't have a blocking board!" Most have heard stories of blocking a large shawl on one's bed, but don't have any clue about how to get started.

Today, I have a great video to show you how it's done--a clip from Knitting Daily TV Series 200, where Kathy Elkins demonstrates how to block a large circular shawl.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

If you have trouble watching the video above, click here to view it.

Looking for a great knitted lace shawl pattern? There are some pretty ones, from beginning to advanced, in the Interweave Store! Browse the lace shawl patterns in the store. (You might also check out the scarves and the wraps, too. You never know what might catch your eye!)

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Download Your Free Lace Patterns Today

Knitting An Heirloom (in just two weeks!)

KD Sandi — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:58:00 GMT

Note from Sandi: The staff projects are always one of my favorite parts of the new issue! I love seeing how each staff person takes a single idea and interprets it in her own way. In the Summer 2009 issue of Interweave Knits, the assignment was to "knit an heirloom"--not an easy assignment! The first of these staff heirloom projects is today's Bride's Sachet Purse, designed by Laura Rintala, Knits' managing editor. Here's Laura to tell you the story behind her family's new heirloom:

Bride’s Sachet Purse
by Laura Rintala

When the “Let’s do an heirloom knits staff project” request came just days after the “I’d like to marry your daughter” phone call, my brides-and-babies vision of heirloom, and conflict of which to focus on, was already settled. As the “something old, something new” verses rolled through my mind, along with visions of gossamer and slightly iridescent lace shawls, a new challenge was added to the project.

The U.S. military’s personal request to have our future son-in-law comfortably stationed on a base over 5000 miles away, and on another continent, expedited the engagement to a fraction of what any knitting mother should have to work with. The wedding date was set a scant 2½ months after the engagement—those 2½ months being the busiest in our year: the Christmas holidays. Considering several other deadlines, my knitting time was about two weeks.

So the ideas of a lovely knitted lace shawl for the bride, phfft! Out the window—along with any notions of something for the bridesmaids. But it had to be lace! It was for the bride, on her wedding day. The only girl we’d be giving away, ever. How fair was two weeks—particularly when you’re already over your head with impending Christmas projects?

But there are two things in life that just don’t wait… love and the U.S. military’s personal requests to its employees.

My shawl ideas turned to lace: lace that would be necessary for the wedding day, and still feasible within the time constraints. A little pocket for the bride in which to carry those few little necessities (something old, something new at least!) on her wedding day. The knitted lace purse (complete with beaded cinching wrist strap and iridescent beads at the tips of the lace edging) is worked in the round from the bottom up to the lace edging and features all the elements of the shawl I’d have liked to make. This heirloom came together in a fraction of the time and went down the aisle tucked into her hand, under a bouquet of stargazer lilies and a radiant—nay, dazzling—smile. Ah … young love.

-- Laura

Download the free pattern for the Bride's Sachet Purse

Sandi Recommends: Knitted Lace of EstoniaWant to make your own family heirloom, and have a bit more time to plan ahead?

There are few books better for creating your own lace heirlooms than Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush. Each shawl and scarf in this book is rooted in generations of tradition from the Estonia people, and Nancy brings them to life vividly, with gorgeous color photographs, extensive step-by-step instructions, and an entire illustrated section on the techniques that make these shawls so special. Since getting my own copy of Knitted Lace of Estonia, I have already completed one of the beautiful stoles for my mother--the Leaf and Nupp Shawl--and have started on a second. (My sister is not-so-subtly hinting that maybe she'd like one too.) Knit the bride in your life the shawl of a lifetime; or a new babe a christening blanket to pass down through the generations.

Ask for Knitted Lace of Estonia at your local yarn shop, or purchase it online here.

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Download Your Free Lace Patterns Today

Step-by-Step Video: The Stella Shawl

KD Sandi — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:49:00 GMT

Sometimes a gorgeous lace shawl can seem totally intimidating, whether it is crocheted or knitted. You might look at the graceful motifs, the interplay of spaces and fabric, and think, "I could never do that." But all knitting and crocheting is simply one stitch built upon another, one round looped through the one before it. Like life, a lace shawl is only done one stitch at a time.

The Stella Shawl, from our book Wrapped in Crochet by Kristin Omdahl, caught my eye during a recent visit to Interweave's book department, where I was lucky enough to see the shawls for Kristin's book in person. I'm a sucker for anything with a star in it, first of all. Take a star motif and work it into the center of a gorgeous spiral shawl, and I'm, er, hooked (sorry). I picked up the Stella and wrapped it around my shoulders...mmmm, alpaca. (I'm also a sucker for alpaca.)

Once I began to examine it, I realized the shawl itself was relatively simple to make. Don't believe me? Well...it just so happens that we have a video of Kristin herself walking us through the shawl's construction, step-by-step. One of the things I loved best about this video was discovering the little memory tricks Kristin had inserted into the shawl pattern to help make it easier to crochet!

I knew you'd love the Stella Shawl, so guess what? The Stella Shawl is this week's free pattern!

Download the free pattern for the Stella Shawl on the Knitting Daily TV website. (It's the same login and password as you use here on Knitting Daily.)

Look for Wrapped in Crochet at your local yarn shop, or buy it here.

Watch the video of Kristin demonstrating how to make the Stella Shawl from Wrapped in Crochet.

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Download Your Free Lace Patterns Today

New Free eBook! 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

KD Sandi — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:01:00 GMT

Great Free Lace Pattern eBook:
Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents
7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Are you addicted to lace knitting? Or maybe you've admired some of the gorgeous knitted lace patterns out there and want to give lace knitting a try? Here are seven of Interweave's top knitted lace patterns, gathered together in one FREE ebook for you.

There's a knitted lace pattern here for everyone, from beginning lace knitter to advanced! Beginners can try their hands at a lovely knitted lace scarf (there's two easy lace scarves to chose from), then move on to a triangular lace shawl, a pair of knitted lace mitts, and a knitted lace hat. More experienced lace knitters will love the Icelandic Lace Shawl. The knitted lace cardigan is worked on large needles and uses a traditional lace knitting pattern for a knockout lace sweater. Something for everyone!

Download Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

We want to know what you think!

The Knitting Daily Galleries have become a hallmark of our newsletters over the past two years. But are they "just for fun" or do they play an active role in what you knit and how you knit it? We've constructed a short survey to find out how you use the Galleries. And if you'd like another look at the Galleries, you can view them here.

Thanks so much!
-- Sandi

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Sandi's Lace Lifeline Tips (and a free lace project!)

KD Sandi — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:22:00 GMT

I've been promising photos of my version of the Leaf and Nupp Shawl, a pattern out of Interweave's new lace knitting book, Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush. (Want more info about this nifty book? Go here!) So: Photos! I'm more than half-done with the center section; the four-sided border will be added after the center is done.

I initially began this project for the post with Eunny's video on provisional cast-ons, and then I decided to practice a few nupps after watching the Knitting Daily TV video with Nancy Bush on making nupps, because that looked like fun, and so of course I had to knit the first few pattern repeats to GET to the nupps...right?

And then I had to knit a little more, because the pattern was indeed pretty darn fun. And then I wanted to see if I could improve on my first nupps and make BETTER nupps. So I did a little more.

Note that I never made a gauge swatch--because the project started out as sort of one big gauge swatch! The result? My gauge is smaller than the one specified in the pattern, so that my shawl is coming out narrower and shorter than the one in the book. I'm making it longer by adding additional pattern repeats to the center section...which is great, except that more pattern repeats means more border stitches to pick up around the edges. I estimate that my border will have over 1,400 stitches in it...yikes. I was contemplating making the shawl wider by adding more border rounds...but at more than 1,400 stitches per round, I might have to contemplate that idea just a bit longer.

As I knit the center section, I started throwing in lifelines at the end of each repeat, out of habit mostly. (I still wasn't admitting to myself that this was a Real Project for some reason.) Because there are so many pattern repeats for this long-and-lovely shawl, I'm using a lot of lifelines--and here's a few new things I am learning along the way.

Sandi's Lace Lifeline Tips

1. Thread the needle through the live stitches on your knitting needle, instead of trying to pick out stitches in a row already worked.

2. Turn your knitting over so that you are threading from right to left across the back of your knitting. Lots of purl bumps make it easier to see the stitches. Also, if the thread runs through the back of each loop, there is plenty of room in the front loop when you are knitting the next row.

3. Do NOT thread the lifeline through your stitch markers! (Ask me how I learned this.) Thread your needle through the last stitch right before the marker, bring the lifeline around across the outside of the marker, and then thread your needle through the next stitch after the marker.

4. Place a lifeline in the last row of each pattern repeat as an easy way to count repeats.

5. Use a thin, smooth yarn--such as a cotton crochet thread--so that the lifeline will pull out easily when you are done. I've heard of many knitters who use unwaxed dental floss...clever and inexpensive.

6. Cut the lifeline long enough so that it won't pull out at either end when you spread the stitches out.

7. Secure the ends by tying each one around a stitch marker to help keep them in place. (You can see this in the detail photo of my scarf.)

8. If The Worst happens and you have to rip back: Take the knitting off your needle, and carefully rip back to the row BEFORE the lifeline. Then slowly rip back a few stitches at a time as you put the live "lifeline stitches" back on the needle, using the lifeline to guide where your needle ought to go. Count stitches as you put them back on, and insert stitch markers as needed. Once everything is back on the needle, re-count just to be sure, and then off you go!

If you have more tips for lace knitting, leave them in the comments so we can all learn from each other's experiences.

Oh, and by the way: The shawl became a Real Project once my mom saw it while I was visiting her in Chicago last month. She wanted to know who it was for; I told her it was "just for fun," so it wasn't really for anyone just yet. She frowned, and I realized that I had given the Wrong Answer. I thought a bit, and said, "Maybe Liz (one of my sisters) would like it?" The Motherly Frown deepened. Finally, I got the point. "Oh. Wait. This is for YOU, Mom!" Big Motherly Smile, and we all burst into laughter now that I had finally answered her question correctly.

Happy Weekend Knitting!

-- Sandi

Hankering for something lacy, but don't have the time to commit to a scarf? How about a pair of lovely fingerless mitts? Download this free pattern for the Wild and Warm Guanaco and Vicuña Lacy Fingerless Gloves and you'll be all set for a little lacy treat for yourself or to stuff into someone's stocking. The instructions give plenty of detailed information for using either your own guanaco*/vicuña** handspun yarn, or any commercial laceweight yarn you fall in love with at your local yarn shop!

Download the free pattern for the Wild and Warm Lacy Fingerless Gloves

* A Guanaco is a camelid, relative to the llama and alpaca. It's a native of the high Andes mountains in South America; and grows to be about 4 feet tall. The fiber of a guanaco is incredibly soft and warm, and is considered a luxury fiber. However, a guanaco can run at speeds up to 35 mph, so you have to catch it first!

** A Vicuña is another camelid. Its fiber is reputed to be the finest in the world, which led to its near extinction in the last century. Vicuñas are protected now in their native South America. Alpacas are close relatives; there is a mixed breed called "paco-vicuña" raised by a few breeders here in North America.

Learn more about spinning guanaco and vicuña fibers in the Winter 2008 issue of Spin-Off magazine.

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knitting Lace: Knitting Daily Presents 7 Free Knitted Lace Patterns

Download Your Free Lace Patterns Today

Nancy Bush Shares Her Passion For Estonian Lace

KD Sandi — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:01:00 GMT

Note from Sandi: Ever wonder if famous designers look back on their early designs and say, "I would do that differently today"? We wondered this, too! Over the years, Nancy Bush, author of Interweave's new book Knitted Lace of Estonia: Techniques, Patterns, and Traditions, as well as the classic Folk Knitting in Estonia, has brought us dozens of patterns from this small but lovely European nation. We asked Nancy to take a look at a design she published seven years ago in the pages of Interweave Knits magazine, and to share with us what she has learned since then about Estonian lace knitting--and how she might go about knitting that same scarf differently now.

So please give a warm Knitting Daily welcome to Nancy Bush!

Greetings Knitting Daily Knitters!

I have been in awe of all of those knitter-bloggers out there, as it seems to me that there aren’t enough hours in the day to get all the knitting I want to do done, let alone read about it and write about it as well. But, now Interweave has given me this chance to see what it is like, I am already having fun!

I love talking, writing and thinking about Estonia and Estonian knitting, so am delighted to get the chance to share my passion on Knitting Daily.

When I designed this scarf (titled Estonian Lace in the Fall 2001 issue of Interweave Knits), I was a novice Estonian lace knitter. I had studied shawls I had purchased in Estonia, made numerous samples and played around with a number of shawl and scarf ideas. Today, after working for 3 plus years on my new book, Knitted Lace of Estonia, I feel I am no longer a novice. Perhaps not yet an expert, but definitely someone with a bit more knowledge than before and also with some opinions.

Now that I know what I know about Estonian lace knitting, there are a few things I would do differently if I was making this scarf again. This isn’t to say that it isn’t fine the way it is, but I think all of us go through the moment when we realize that it could have been done differently, for whatever reason. That is the place I am at today.

First, this scarf was inspired by a way of creating scarves and shawls in Estonia that I consider ‘modern’. In the traditional way of making a shawl or scarf in Estonia, if there is a lacy, scalloped edge it is attached by sewing. The center is knit first, set aside and the edge is knit, usually in two pieces, and then sewn to the center piece. I was rather horrified when I realized this, as the idea of sewing the edge to the center was not a happy thought for me. This construction made sense, when I realized that the early shawls were knit on short (9 or 10 inch long) single point handmade wooden needles. The edges were made on these same needles (some edges can have 250 stitches - on half!). In the original text for the pattern, I stated that the scarf follows the design of the (traditional) Haapsalu rätik or Haapsalu shawl. This, I now know, is not true, as it follows the design of a modern version of these traditional shawls, originally made in Haapsalu (a town on Estonia’s west coast).

My first experience with knitting Estonian shawls was a lesson I had with a master knitter in Tallinn, Estonia, my friend Hilja Aavik. She spent the day with me and taught me how she made her wondrous ‘modern-style’ shawls. She taught me how to make a nupp (button or knob - rhymes with soup) - a bobble-like feature in Estonian lace patterns, and also how to add a lacy scalloped edge onto a shawl or scarf, by picking up stitches and knitting the edge onto the center. I assumed this was how it was done, countrywide ever since these shawls were first made in the early 1800’s. As I studied further, asked questions and stared at shawls, I learned that this way of adding an edge was ‘modern’ and logically was ‘invented’ (no one knows by whom) with the coming of circular needles. These needles allowed all the stitches around the shawl to be picked up onto one circular needle. Then the edge is knitted, circularly and the corners are mitered (using increases) as the knitting progresses. The outer edge is bound off, with doubled yarn for strength and stability.

If I was going to design this scarf today: I would first state that it is done in the ‘modern’ method used in Estonia, not the traditional one. I would begin it exactly as I did those many years ago and knit the center in the same way. However, I would knit more rows of the center, or make it longer by quite a bit, as I think 55 to 60" finished would be a better length than the 46” that this one measures. Then, when picking up the lacy edge, I would pick up more stitches than I originally did, maybe 10 stitches more across the top and bottom of the scarf (so, instead of picking up 32, I might pick up 42 sts on each if the scarf is being made to the original 46" length). I also would pick up more stitches from the sides, maybe adding in an extra 20 sts total on each side (so 222 instead of 202 for the original length). If I were making a longer scarf, then I would of course need to pick up proportionately more stitches--perhaps even more than 3 stitches picked up for every 2 edge stitches. These added stitches will give a bit more ‘drape’ to the edges and the edge will stretch easier in blocking.

I am happy to have a chance to think about this pattern again and to give it a ‘new life’ on Knitting Daily.

-- Nancy Bush

Download the original Estonian Lace Scarf pattern for free

P.S. from Sandi: We also have Nancy's stunning Estonian Summer Shawl pattern for sale in our online store! This triangular shawl has an all-over Lily of the Valley lace motif and would make a spectacular wedding shawl.

Editor's Pick: Knitted Lace of Estonia

Estonia is a tiny country in Northern Europe; set on the shores of the Baltic Sea, it is neighbor to Latvia, Finland, Sweden, and Russia. We knitters know about this beautiful country through its rich local knitting traditions, brought to us with passion and dedication by Nancy Bush, author of Interweave favorites such as Folk Knitting in Estonia, Folk Socks, Knitting on the Road, and Knitting Vintage Socks. Nancy's newest book from Interweave is the gorgeous and fascinating Knitted Lace of Estonia: Techniques, Patterns, and Traditions.

It's no secret to Knitting Daily readers that I am a lace knitting junkie. I've seen a lot of books on lace knitting, but this one is special. How special? Special enought that I sat down and read it cover to cover as soon as I got it (work deadlines? what work deadlines?) and then carried it around in my knitting bag for weeks, so that I could pull it out and look at it whenever a wave of Lace Lust hit.Yeah, it's that good. Want to see for yourself? Take a look inside the book.

Look for Nancy Bush's books at your local yarn shop or purchase them in our online store. But try your local yarn shop first--local yarn shops are the heart of our communities, and they deserve your loyalty and your business.

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.