A Little Look at Lace

Did you know that the word 'lace' -- as a noun -- originated in the early thirteenth century?  It's derived from the the Old French word laz, meaning "a net, noose, string, tie, ribbon or snare" according to etymonline.com.  The word encompassed material used for nooses, fishing lines, nets, and cords used to fasten clothing such as corsets or shoes.

In the fifteen hundreds, though, the term 'lace' began to be associated with the sort of thing we think of today: a decorative fabric usually made from fine thread -- anything from gold to silk, linen and cotton...and eventually, wool.  😊

There are several types of lace, classified by the techniques used to make them: needle lace, cut-work, bobbin lace, embroidered lace, tape lace, tatted lace -- and the favourite of our yarn customers: crocheted or knitted lace.

Shown at right: knitted lace on the needles.  Pattern: "Rhea Stole" from Valley Yarns; yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts lace weight super-wash wool.
Source: Wikipedia Commons.

My colleague, Anne, just finished crocheting her first lace shawl -- a gift for a friend in a lovely green silk yarn.

Me?  I'm currently knitting a lacy pattern in a pair of socks -- the "Hummingbird Socks" designed by Sandi Rosener and published in The Knitter's Book of Socks. While I'm enjoying the project -- and I'm well into the leg section of the second sock -- when Anne mentioned in her last post that she doesn't recommend knitting or crocheting lace while walking...well...she's right!  I can carry on a rather stilted conversation while working on this pattern, but it's not recommended!

You may be thinking to yourself now, "Oh dear!  I haven't a hope of mastering lace if it's that difficult!"

I can't vouch for crocheted lace -- because I don't crochet -- but I can tell you that knitted lace doesn't have to be as complicated as the Rhea Stole (above) or those Hummingbird Socks.  No indeed!

After all, knitting is only loops, involving two stitches: knit and purl.  Then...how do we get lace out of that?  With a 'yarn over'.  That makes a hole.  It also makes an extra stitch -- which is handily taken care of by a "k 2 tog" (knit 2 together) or an "ssk" (slip, slip knit -- as in, slip 1 stitch; slip another stitch; knit the two together).  That's all there is to it.

Easy?  Yes...BUT...

It's recommended you have a bit of experience "reading" your knitting before you try knitting lace.  That way, you can figure out if you missed a yarn over, or forgot a "k 2 tog" or dropped a stitch.  (Check out this series by Brooklyn Tweed on reading your work; it'll help when you can't drop in to The Shop for one-on-one assistance!)

Speaking of dropped stitches...Sometimes in lace knitting, a pattern is so complex that it's hard to pick up a dropped stitch.  This is made even more difficult if you're using a slippery yarn (like silk) or fuzzy yarn (like mohair).  The solution?  Inserting a "life line", which is a line of waste yarn placed in a spot in your knitting that 'rescues' your work when you've made an error.  Here's a quick video that shows you how to install a 'proactive' life line in a complex pattern involving lace and cables:

Learning to read your knitting, knowing that lace involves adding only yarn-overs and knitting decreases (k 2 tog and ssk) to your skill set, and installing a life line will make your first lace knitting project a happier experience.

That said, if you're Absolutely Terrified, rest assured that we -- Anne, Margaret and Lori-The-Crafty-Lady-Herself -- can help you with a private lesson.  Just call the shop at 403-782-7238 to book a time.  The cost is $15 per hour ($5 per 20 minutes) and worth every penny to help you fall in love with your lace knitting -- or crochet!

To help get you started, this week we're offering this lovely yarn as our Super Special Sale:

Ella Rae Lace Merino DK

100 grams = 276 metres (302 yards)

100% Merino Wool - 3-ply

Machine wash on gentle cycle;

dry flat (don't dry clean!)

Regular Price: $26.00 per skein

Sale Price: $6.50!!

Two skeins will make this lovely shawl with a simple lace pattern:

Details: Silverleaf Shawl

Designer: mahila designs - on Ravelry

Prefer to crochet?

You could try this version of the "Moonlit Waters" Shawl...

Read through this post and still don't want to try lace?

This yarn is versatile...you can check out other projects HERE on Ravelry!

There are plenty of options -- and as the weather continues to turn colder, it's time to get those needles and hooks in action!

On another note...this post comes right after the celebration of Thanksgiving here in Canada.  Anne, Margaret and Lori-The-Crafty-Lady-Herself want to say "thank you" for over 25 years of support for our business, for your friendship and your feedback -- helping us to serve you better.  

It's a blessing to share our passion for yarn and stitch and beads and thread with you.

We wouldn't be here without you!  Thanks so much!

See you in The Shop!

*Written by Margaret, who loves to knit lace!