Have you ever thought of trying your luck on lace knitting? Some say it’s a bit intimidating to make an attempt because of how intricate it appears to be. Maybe you’re thinking about the same thing. But how will you know if you won’t try? In this article, we’ll give you some helpful tips that will push and encourage you to start (or pursue) doing lace knits. Feel free to continue reading!
Lace knitting involves the so-called stitch decrease, partnered with yarn over an eyelet (hole) that supersedes the lost stitches. The holes and decrease can be formed in a myriad of ways: patterns, shapes, whichever way you prefer. The texture is often highlighted as well. In manufacturing factories, equipment like XD jacquard knitting machine is what they use.
Stocking stitch-based is the most common structure of lace knit. All even rows are purl stitches, and the patterning is made only on the knit row. Another technique is called fagotting lace knit technique.
1. Improve your knit chart reading skills.
In choosing a pattern, choose the one that will make you feel that the hard work is worth it. You wouldn’t want to go through the process of knitting and finish up with some pattern that you will not love. Depending on your preference, pick the one that works for you. If you’re a detail-oriented person, then select the intricate one. If you just want to get started on anything that’s easy and loose, go for it.
Whatever your choice is, a pattern, charts, or combo, knowing how to read a knitting chart will help you big time. You might want to consider learning this first. The time you will allot for it can go a long way in your knitting passion. Know your legends and abbreviations. Don’t lose your place on the row your working on by using washi tape, some sticky notes, etc. You can also use color coding for your chart.
2. Get some pointy needles.
Pointy needles will enable you to maneuver more freely doing your knitwork. Their ends are capable of passing through narrow spaces and can easily pick up on yarns. Sharp needles are proven as more effective in knitting and stitching.
Rounded or blunt needles are usually unwieldy, and heavy to use. You can see needles of the same size but the edges are different. It just depends on the brand. As you search for a knitting tool package, see through the transparent cover to determine if the needle ends are pointy or a bit rounded.
3. Pick the appropriate yarn.
If you are still groping your way towards smooth knitting, and better knit reading, it would be best if you use lighter colors of yarn. You might have a hard time working with darker ones. Your focus must be placed on the act of knitting itself so you cannot be distracted by figuring out how to make stitches using dark yarns.
Aside from the color, as much as possible use the recommended yarn for a specific pattern. If, for some reason, you can’t, just find an alternative with similar yarn weight. Knitters say fiber is more essential to consider. In terms of ease in blocking, natural fibers are ideal to use.
4. Find a quiet spot in your house with good lighting.
For better concentration and less distraction, go where there’s solitude. Surely, you will work quickly and comfortably. If you have difficulty in seeing yarns, it would be more appropriate to use needles that are different in color as the yarn. Good and natural lighting will enhance your work as well.
5. Place your stitch markers on patterns.
Lace patterns oftentimes require repetition of stitches. While sometimes there is an instruction to place stitch markers, always keep in mind that having the initiative to do it yourself will make things better and will result in a continual, smoother knitting process.
6. Lay the yarn flat through blocking.
You might have read it already, but knitting lace doesn’t usually look good while it stays on the needles. Twisting the yarns and stitches into various arrangements won’t lay the yarn flat. As you work on more yarn overs and stitch decreases, it will be difficult for the yarn to stay firm on its original flat position. The tendency is that it will only follow the direction taken by the needles. To resolve this, do blocking. Blocking the fabric or garment will lead the yarn to the right position and proper place.
7. Knit mindfully.
Make sure you’ve got your full attention on your knitting, or you might be lost! Watch how the stitches go on top of the other according to the instructions. Recognizing what’s right and what’s wrong as you knit will allow you to remedy a certain mistake. If the yarn does not look the way it’s supposed to, there must be something wrong.
If you don’t see this right away, you will spend a lot of unproductive time ripping out rows (which we wouldn’t want to happen) and recreating the stitches. So here’s a friendly reminder, knit mindfully, okay?
8. Learn as much as you can doing the project that you love!
Finally, be humble enough to desire to learn. If you have just worked on your first projects, it’s a good opportunity to discover jargons and terms, how-to’s, techniques, patterns, etc. Learn those skills, ace that lace! Now is always the best time to learn.
Conclusion
Learning all these things will make you unstoppable. Applying these tips is another thing. So, keep practicing! Try and never stop trying until you get the results that you dreamt for yourself. As you get better, it will be even more rewarding to make knitted stuff for the people you love. Give them your hand-knit gifts! I’m pretty sure they’ll love them. Lastly, never get discouraged by the intricacy of lace knitting. You can do it!
