tops, tanks & tees - la la la loving the lace

calla cami by carrie bostick hoge

oh lace...how i la la love you.  i love that lace is like a little mystery novel to me. you just never know what is going to come next.  of course after doing more and more repeats you do but something can always pop up to mix it up and make you go...aha! it's exciting and i find it hard to put down.

gemini by jane richmond

a lot of people are freaked out by lace.  when you look at it you easily can talk yourself into thinking "i can't do that". but really, if you can knit, purl and do increases/decreases you can knit lace or do lace knitting.  there is somewhat of a stigma attached to those two phrases.  don't know why but somewhere along the way someone started the trend of calling knitting that has lacework every other row "lace knitting" and knitting that is lace every row "knitted lace".  stumps me every time.  does it really matter folks? i'm not sure but whichever way you do it, like it to look, like to knit it....it's fun!  every knitter should try knitting some lace in a project at least once i say.  why not live on the wild side a bit....dude - lace knitting ain't just for grandma's ya know :P

Quill by Jared Flood

but because i do understand lace can be intimidating i've tried to break it down a tad for you and hopefully convince you to give it a shot :)

1) every item made with lace shares either of these attributes:
garter stitch - knitting every row.  garter stitch looks the same on either side.
stockinette stitch - knit one row, purl one row alternated.  there is a definite right and wrong side to your work.

2) how and when you use your increases and decreases:
every row - increasing/decreasing  (knitted lace)
every other row - increasing/decreasing  (lace knitting)

spring garden tee by alana dakos

each creates a different effect such as your lacework being more open (knitted lace) to it feeling airier (lace knitting).  overall the placement and quantities of your increases & decreases can breathe a gorgeous breath of fresh air into your knitted items. increases/decreases aren't just for shaping, they are also for creativity, design and stunning works of lace art!  from little details to all over stunners you can't go wrong with lace in my mind.

but how do you do all the stitches needed for lace? well there are many different types of increases and decreases.  yarn overs and decreases in essence create lace. you can't have one without the other. they rely on each other to create the "lace pattern" but are independent of each other at the same time.

sanderling by sandi rosner

what's a yarn over? 
yarn over (YO): simply do as written. when knitting bring your yarn forward (kind of like you're getting ready to purl) and then bring it over your needle to the back of your work again.  continue on knitting. easiest increase evah!  click here to see it done.

continental knitting - YO

english knitting - YO

candewick by christa giles

what kinds of decreases are there?
you can find a ton of decreases, their explanations and videos on how to do them here.  my faves are the following:

knit two together (K2TOG)(right slanting decrease): knit 2 stitches together as if you were to knit one stitch (bring your needle knit wise into your next two stitches on your left hand needle and knit as you normally would). Click below to watch the videos:

continental knitting - K2TOG

english knitting - K2TOG

 and
 slip slip knit (SSK)(left slanting decrease: slip one stitch and then slip the next stitch.  take your left needle and insert it into the front loops of the stitches you just slipped and knit them together (through the back loops). Click below to watch the videos:

continental knitting - SSK

english knitting - SSK

you can also read more on knitting stitches & get a big rundown on them in last years summer sweater knit along "where my stitches at" post as well.  all in all i think lace rocks!  c'mon you know you wanna try it...all the cool kids are doing it...lol. nothing like some good ol' crafty peer pressure to get you to try something new right? j/k  but i do love lace.  i find it fun. it's not mindless knitting, but maybe that's what i love about it.  i like a challenge but don't get me wrong i like me some straight knitting as well.  i'm a gabber mouth so it's impossible for me to knit an intricate lace pattern and chat with my gals at knit night.  lace is one of those projects where you can work with your mind and your hands and enjoy that special little mystery you're making with two sticks and some yarn.....

laresca by corrina ferguson

do you love lace too?  what do you love about it? have a fear of it?  let's chat KAL projects ladies! how are your projects doing? link up your blog post in the linky below. i love visiting your blogs to see your pics and say hello.  and if you haven't signed up yet and would like to click here to get all the deets about the "tops, tanks & tee's" knit along. it's never too late to join in on the fun and boy has it been fun! best knit along ever!!!!! woot woot!

you can follow along with all things tops, tanks & tees kal here:

ravelry group  |  blog  |  flickr group

also, check out our awesome KAL sponsors! thanks guys!

join our linky party by linking up your "tops, tanks & tees knit along" blog post!