As promised I have a pattern for anyone who feels the need to add a bit of Leaf Lace to their to-do list. These little squares make for a nice afternoon project. Grab a cup of coffee (or your beverage of choice) and start knitting up some leaf lace.
A few notes about this pattern:
- Its based on traditional English leaf lace. That means no one can really take credit for it, especially me. I just took this old motif, which I love, and worked into a diamond shape.
- Each leaf starts out with a three stitch base. To “grow out” the sides, and get ready for new leaves on the edges, I’ve put in purl front and backs at the beginning and end of each Right Side row.
- On the decrease half I put in purl 2 togethers at the beginning and end of each Right Side row.
- You can make these in any size yarn, of course. I used three different worsted acrylic yarns here. The white and the green are rough and scratchy and will make great dishcloths. The burnt orange is soft and squishy and is definitely for the bath.
Leaf Me Lace
Stitch Key
- k = knit
- p = purl
- YO = yarn over
- ssk = slip, slip knit
- k2tog = knit 2 together
- cdd = centered double decrease slip 2 stitches knitwise together, knit the next stitch, pass the two slipped stitched over)
- pfb = purl into both the front and the back loops of the same stitch
- p2tog = purl 2 together
Cast On 3 sts
Set up row (WS) = p1, k1, p1
Row 1: pfb, YO, k1, YO, pfb (7 sts)
Row 2: k2, p3, k2
Row 3: pfb, p1, k1, YO, k1, YO, k1, p1, pfb (11 sts)
Row 4: k3, p5, k3
Row 5: pfb, p2, k2, YO, k1, YO, k2, p2, pfb (15 sts)
Row 6: k1, p1, k2, p7, k2, p1, k1
Row 7: pfb, YO, k1, YO, p2, ssk, k3, k2tog, p2, YO, k1, YO, pfb (19 sts)
Row 8: k2, p3, k2, p5, k2, p3, k2
Row 9: pfb, p1, k1, YO, k1, YO, k1, p2, ssk, k1, k2tog, p2, k1, YO, k1, YO, k1, p1, pfb (23 sts)
Row 10: p3, k5, p2, k3, p2, k5, p3
Row 11: pfb, p2, k2, YO, k1, YO, k2, p2, cdd, p2,k2, YO, k1, YO, k2, p2, pfb (27 sts)
Row 12: *k1, p1, k2, p7, k1* twice, k1, p1, k1
Row 13: *p1, YO, k1, YO, p2, ssk, k3, k2tog, p1* twice, p1, YO, k1, YO, p1 (29 sts)
Row 14: *k1, p3, k2, p5, k1* twice, k1, p3, k1
Row 15: *p1, k1, YO, k1, YO, k1, p2, ssk, k1, k2tog, p1* twice, p1, k1, YO, k1, YO, k1, p1 (31 sts)
Row 16: *k1, p5, k2, p3, k1* twice, k1, p5, k1
Row 17: *p1, k2, YO, k1, YO, k2, p2, cdd, p1* twice, p1, k2, YO, k1, YO, k2, p1 (33 sts)
Row 18: *k2, p7, k2, p1, k1* twice, k1, p7, k1
Row 19: *p1, ssk, k3, k2tog, p2, YO, k1, YO, p1* twice, p1, ssk, k3, k2tog, p1 (31 sts)
Row 20: *k1, p5, k2, p3, k1* twice, k1, p5, k1
Row 21: *p1, ssk, k1, k2tog, p2, k1, YO, k1, YO, k1, p1* twice, p1, ssk, k1, k2tog, p1 (29 sts)
Row 22: *k1, p3, k2, p5, k1* twice, k1, p3, p1
Row 23: *p1, cdd, p2, k2, YO, k1, YO, k2, p1* twice, p1, cdd, p1 (27 sts)
Row 24: *k1, p1, k2, p7, k1* twice, k1, p1, k1
Row 25: p2tog, p2, ssk, k3, k2tog, p2, YO, k1, YO, p2, ssk, k3, k2tog, p2, p2tog (23 sts)
Row 26: p3, k5, p2, k3, p2, k5, p3 (same as Row 10)
Row 27: p2tog, p1, ssk, k1, k2tog, p2, k1, YO, k1, YO, k1, p2, ssk, k1, k2tog, p1, p2tog (19 sts)
Row 28: k2, p3, k2, p5, k2, p3, k2
Row 29: p2tog, cdd, p2, k2, YO, k1, YO, k2, p2, cdd, p2tog (15 sts)
Row 30: k1, p1, k2, p7, k2, p1, k1
Row 31: p2tog, p2, ssk, k3, k2tog, p2, p2tog (11 sts)
Row 32: k3, p5, k3
Row 33: p2tog, p1, ssk, k1, k2tog, p1, p2tog (7 sts)
Row 34: k2, p3, k2
Row 35: p2tog, cdd, p2tog (3 sts)
Row 36: k1, p1, k1
Bind off!
And the chart…
It really is easier to work with the chart. Easier that is, if you are comfortable with charts. Not all are, I know. But I’m working on a two-part video series to help with that! Using this pattern, and this chart, I’ll see what I can do to clear up the mysteries of knitting from charts. So if that doesn’t scare you away from rovingcrafters.com forever, peaks your interest, check back. We’ll be delving deep in to this fun chart of leaf lace!
"There is no failure. Only feedback." - Robert Allen
17 Comments on "Leaf Me Lace -a free knit pattern"
I have valiantly tried to knit from charts, and consistently, even with good chart following tools–like the magnet ribbon that only lets you do one row at a time–i lose track and end up with un-lace, or un-cables, etc. So sadly, at the moment, I’m what EZ called a bit of a “blind follower”
Then let me say kudos for the effort. If I was your knitting teacher, I’d ask you if you are more comfortable reading in dull light, if you poke yourself in the eye with the mascara wand every time, and if you get turned around easily in the grocery store. Then I’d ask if you’d ever been told about constructional dyspraxia.
Just putting that out there.
On the other hand, if you want to knit from charts, don’t give up! I’m working on a post, with guided written and video instructions and that may help.
Thanks for the pattern. How does acrylic yarn work for dish cloths? I never thought it would have good absorption. I need lessons in charts. As long as I’ve been crocheting I still can’t wrap my brain around a chart. Played around with a knitting chart recently. Not pretty. But of course I hate signs with pictures and not words (restroom skirt or pants). I gues my brain is wired crazy.
Acrylic yarn may not hold the most water but then neither do those scrubby sponges. I think of my rough acrylic washcloths and the handmade version of those. They are for scrubbing and scouring.
Charts are not for everyone. Shrug. That is why I make sure to have written instructions too.
Oh boy Christmas presents lol thank you so much
I was having similar Christmas thoughts myself!
What a beautiful Pattern!! Can’t wait to give it a try!! Thank you so much! And my yarn stash thanks you also!!!!!!!!
Ahh, I see that you are planning some stash busting. That is very commendable. It does not work, however. Its always been my experience that ass soon as you bust some of that stash, and use it up, you are overcome with the urge to go to a yarn store and replace it.
But its could also be that I simply have no self control
I have no self control when it comes to yarn, just ordered more this morning…. LOL
Yep. I know exactly how that can happen!
Does the leaf design make these scrub better? Or just make them delightfully pretty?
As for working from charts, it’s not as hard as some think but harder than experts think. Someone showed me a pattern that wasn’t too complex that was charted and written out and told me to try it. I needed the words for several rows, but soon the chart started making sense and I could follow that with only a few references to the written words. Only a sample, but I learned something.
The leaves are strictly decorative, lol. You could probably get equally good washing results with a sensible garter stitch. But there is just something about leaf lace that I find endlessly satisfying.
I think the way you learned is very effective. When a knitter is good at interpreting written instructions, it only makes sense to use that as the bridge to developing chart interpretation skills. That’s been one of my got-to techniques.