Lace Knitting

You can knit lace using hand, machine or loom knitting techniques. No matter which method you use, Lace knitting results in projects that have substantial open areas.


The most popular hand knitting method for working lace involves using yarnovers paired with corresponding decreases to create small eyelets, or holes in the fabric. These eyelets can be arranged in different patterns to create interesting designs. The yarnovers can also be combined with other types of stitches to create many different lace effects. Take a look at a couple of lace knitting examples below:

Vintage Lace Knitting Pictures

I collect vintage needlework pattern books. The following are a couple of random lace knitting pictures from vintage pattern books I have owned in the past. I hope you’ll find them inspiring:


Illustration of Vintage Lace Knitting Project Sample From the Young Ladies' Journal Vintage Magazine
Illustration of Vintage Lace Knitting Project Sample From the Young Ladies’ Journal Vintage Magazine

Vintage Lace Knit Designs Intended for Sock Knitting -- From the Young Ladies' Journal Magazine
Vintage Lace Knit Designs Intended for Sock Knitting — From the Young Ladies’ Journal Magazine

My Picks for the Best Lace Knitting Pattern Books in 2026

Lace Knitting

250 Japanese Knitting Stitches: The Original Pattern Bible by Hitomi Shida

250 Japanese Knitting Stitches: The Original Pattern Bible by Hitomi Shida, published by Tuttle Publishing
250 Japanese Knitting Stitches: The Original Pattern Bible by Hitomi Shida, published by Tuttle Publishing

This stitch dictionary includes charted instructions for knitting a variety of lace and cable patterns. If you’re looking for detailed, complex lace knitting patterns to work on, these are likely to interest you. However, please note that this book is a stitch dictionary, and it doesn’t include patterns for knitting finished items; the book is ideal if you want to design your own lace knitting projects, but it probably isn’t what you want if you aren’t sure how to use a stitch dictionary to design your own projects.


Learn More About This Book:

Best Yarn for Lace Knitting

You can use pretty much any yarn of any size and weight for lace knitting.


That said, some yarns work better than others for knitting fine lace projects.


There’s an entire weight category of yarn called “lace weight yarn.” Lace weight yarn is thin, fine and delicate; it works up into lovely, ethereal, drapey knitted lace projects.


However, one major downside to lace weight yarn is that it is time-consuming to work with.


Another less-than-ideal thing about it: It can be hard to see your stitches. So please be sure to work with this weight of yarn in a well-lit environment, ideally in bright daylight. And if your eyesight isn’t sharp, be aware that you might want to work with a heavier weight of yarn that is easier to see.


Lace weight yarn can also be fiddly to work with, so if your motor skills aren’t what they used to be, you might find it frustrating to work with this weight of yarn. Again, in that case, I’d encourage you to choose a heavier weight of yarn for your lace knitting projects.


You can also achieve outstanding results using fingering and sock weight yarns, and even heavier yarns than that.


  • See this page about the best yarn for knitting and crocheting if you want to learn more about yarn.

    • So there you have it: That’s a roundup of excellent lace knitting pictures, patterns and books. We hope this information was useful to you if you’re interested in learning more about lace knitting.

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    Find More Craft Project Ideas HERE!

    Posted By: Amy Solovay


    This page was last updated on 2-2-2026.