Lace & Eyelets: 250 Stitches to Knit

by Erika Knight (Editor)

Offering clear, concise knitting instructions, this series has served as a classic reference for handcrafters for more than thirty years.
 
Lace can lend sophistication to any knitted project, and this updated guide features 250 lace and eyelet designs to delight knitters of all skill levels. From Butterfly Lace to Knotted Openwork to Open Diamonds with Bobbles, each swatch is accompanied by a helpful photograph and easy-to-follow instructions. Both new and classic yarn varieties are covered, and insider tips designed to facilitate personalization are featured throughout. Practical and simple to use, this all-in-one handbook even fits in a knitter’s travel bag.

Genres: Knitting, Crafts, Nonfiction, Reference

272 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2007

About the author

Keep it simple, chic and contemporary! So says Erika, textile designer and fashion design consultant, whose trademark has been the traditional with a twist. Coming into knitting via fine art training, she is highly regarded in her field and works for many international companies designing ready-to-wear ranges. Author of Comforts of Home (Martingale), her latest book is Simple Knits for Cherished Babies (Collins & Brown).

Reviews

[Leonard Birdsong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just what I needed for my eyelet uses in my fabric and lace craft projects.

[Camy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm impressed at the number of different lace patterns here. There are some that are truly unique. Some are similar to each other, but I haven't yet seen any that are too alike.

I have only two things I don't like about this book:

1) Some of the samples of the lace patterns were knit with too small a needle or the samples weren't stretched enough before photographing, because the pattern is very hard to discern. Several pattern samples look very scrunched up and it's hard to know if the pattern is appropriate for the project I'm doing.

2) There doesn't seem to be any organization to how the patterns were listed in the book. They're not grouped by type, by number of rows, by multiples of stitches, by suggested yarn gauge, or even by name. Whenever I need a pattern, I have to page through the entire book. There isn't even an index listing all the patterns so if I'm looking for a particular one, again I have to page through the entire book.

Sometimes I'm browsing through the book, looking for a pattern appropriate for the project I'm considering, but many times I find myself wanting to find a particular pattern and I have to page through the entire book looking for it. It's very frustrating. I'm rather surprised, because Interweave magazines tend to be very high quality and I expected better organization of a stitch guide. I'm also a little surprised they haven't come out with an ebook version by now. If they had, I'd definitely buy it because it would make it easier to search the book.

Overall, LOTS of really good patterns, but not my favorite knitting book because of the frustration factor.

[Lori Shafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking for lace patterns that could be made into projects I can create. This is the perfect book for that. It has so many different levels of knitting patterns. Some are really complicated. Others are fairly simple. I found so many ideas. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting to find lace patterns for knitting.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful, fantastic reference tool. I go back to this, and it's sisters, over and over for inspiration and ways to jazz up an otherwise boring pattern. I also use these books to turn a little yarn into a beautiful scarf with interest and detail.

[Kelly (Maybedog) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some great stitches, very interesting, but patterns are only text, no charts. I prefer books that have both as I prefer to use charts.

[Martha · Rating 1 out of 5]

no charts; not traditional abbreviations

[Knittingdragonflies]

Appears that there are quite a few mistakes, please check errate page before starting. That being said, good photos and a lot of stitch patterns.