The ‘Stitch of the Month’ is back! Are you a beginner knitter or crocheter and would like to master some new stitches? Then you’ve come to the right place! Each month we will spotlight a new stitch. The lace stitch, the peacock stitch, the butterfly stitch, Apache tears… and by the end of the year, you’ll have some extra tools in your toolbox and an extensive stitch library at Yarnplaza to refer to. And this month, we’re going to learn to knit diamond lace.
Knitting diamond lace - We kick off in April with a lace stitch. Lace knitting is sometimes referred to as ‘knitting holes’, as it is used to create a pattern of holes in your work, but without dropping stitches. This pattern can take many forms, from simple vertical stripes to an elegant floral motif. Lace stitch is often used in summer projects. Which makes good sense; the holey pattern creates nice and airy fabric, perfect for breezy summer wear.
The basics of knitting lace
Knitting lace is not as difficult as it looks. With a few basic techniques and a small dose of patience, you’ll crack it with no problem. Take the time to read through the lace chart. You read this from the bottom right to the top left. Sure, this is different to how you normally read, but is logical given the direction you knit in. The chart shows you exactly what to do. All lace patterns include numbers next to the rows, so you know where to start. The key tells you what each symbol means.
It’s useful to know that an eyelet (hole) lace pattern is created by knitting stitches together (meaning you knit through two stitches at the same time). And either before or after you knit them together, you wrap your yarn around the needle. The easiest way to check whether it’s going to plan or not is to count the stitches. The number of yarn overs (increases) and knitted together/slipped and passed over stitches (decreases) are equal and therefore cancel each other out. This means that the stitch count should remain the same at the end of each row.
To demonstrate this technique, we’ve put together an eyelet diamond lace stitch pattern for you, including a clear knitting chart and a video tutorial. Will you watch with us?
Free diamond lace pattern
Number of sts required for the symmetry: multiple of 12 + 7 sts + 1 edge st on both sides.
Abbreviations used
- edge st = edge stitch
- k = knit
- k2tog = knit 2 sts together
- p = purl
- RS = right side
- st(s) = stitch(es)
- yo = yarn over
Rows 1 and 5: (RS of the work) 1 edge st, * k2, k2tog, yo, k8. * Repeat * to *, ending with k2, k2tog, yo, k3, 1 edge st.
Row 2 and all even rows, ending with row 16: Begin and end with an edge st. Purl all remaining sts and yo’s.
Row 3: 1 edge st, * k1, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k7. * Repeat * to *, ending with k1, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k2, 1 edge st.
Rows 7 and 15: Knit all sts.
Rows 9 and 13: 1 edge st, * k8, k2tog, yo, k2. * Repeat * to *, ending with k7, 1 edge st.
Row 11: 1 edge st, * k7, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k1. * Repeat * to *, ending with k7, 1 edge st.
Keep repeating these 16 rows!
Video tutorial: Knitting diamond lace
Lace knitting kits
Have you mastered lace knitting and want to get started straight away with using this technique? Then check out our lace knitting kits for making gorgeous ladies’ and children’s wear.
Have lots of fun knitting! We would love to see your lace knitting creations, so please share them on our Facebook page or via Instagram with #yarnplaza.
