Interlacing Leaves Pattern: Free Lace into Spring MKAL Clue 17 | Oh La Lana!

Spring has a way of arriving in layers. First the crocuses, then the daffodils, then that unmistakable moment when the trees begin to bud and the whole world seems to be exhaling after a long winter’s hold. It is no coincidence, then, that one of the most beloved mystery knit-alongs of the year has chosen this season as its backdrop. The Free Lace into Spring MKAL has been a journey of discovery from the very first clue, and now, with Clue 17, we arrive at one of the most breathtaking installments yet: the Interlacing Leaves pattern.

If you have been knitting along with the community over at Oh La Lana!, you already know that each clue has brought something special to the table. Some clues introduced architectural structure. Others played with texture and rhythm. But the Interlacing Leaves section feels different. It feels like the whole shawl has been building toward this moment, and now that we are here, it is time to slow down, take a breath, and really sink into the beauty of what we are creating.

This post is going to walk you through everything you need to know about Clue 17, from understanding the design philosophy behind the Interlacing Leaves motif to practical tips for reading the chart, managing your yarn overs, and keeping your lace looking clean and confident. Whether you are a seasoned lace knitter or this MKAL has been your introduction to the world of lace, there is something here for you.

What Makes the Interlacing Leaves Motif So Special

Leaf motifs have been woven into the history of knitting for centuries. From traditional Shetland lace to Victorian shawlettes, the leaf has always been one of the most expressive forms a knitter can create with nothing more than yarn and needles. What sets the Interlacing Leaves pattern apart from a standard leaf repeat is exactly what the name suggests: the leaves do not simply sit side by side in a row. They interact. They overlap and weave together in a way that creates visual depth, as though you are looking down through a forest canopy and watching the light filter through layered foliage.

This kind of design requires a slightly more complex approach to the chart, because each leaf needs to relate to its neighbors. The yarn overs and decreases that define one leaf are working in dialogue with the yarn overs and decreases of the next. When you pull back and look at a completed section of Interlacing Leaves, you will see that the negative space between the leaves is just as carefully designed as the leaves themselves. That negative space is what creates the illusion of interweaving, and it is what gives this section of the MKAL its extraordinary sense of movement.

For the Free Lace into Spring MKAL specifically, the Interlacing Leaves pattern arrives at a moment in the shawl’s construction when the knitter has already developed real fluency with the design’s overall language. You have spent sixteen clues learning to speak this shawl’s particular dialect of lace, and Clue 17 is your opportunity to say something truly eloquent with it.

Getting Ready for Clue 17

Before you cast on into Clue 17, it is worth taking a few minutes to set yourself up for success. Here is what experienced MKAL knitters recommend before diving into a new section of complex lace.

Review your stitch count. After every clue in a mystery knit-along, it is essential to confirm that you are carrying the correct number of stitches into the next section. The Interlacing Leaves pattern in Clue 17 is built on a specific stitch count, and if you have accidentally gained or lost stitches somewhere along the way, the pattern repeats will not line up. Count carefully, and if needed, take a moment to tink back and fix any errors before proceeding.

Block your swatch if you have not already done so. Lace is genuinely transformative when blocked, and if you have been knitting your swatches without blocking them, you may not have an accurate sense of how your gauge is sitting. The Interlacing Leaves motif in particular opens up beautifully with blocking, and knowing how your yarn behaves when wet and pinned will help you make smart decisions about needle size and tension as you work through the clue.

Get familiar with the chart. Spend a few minutes just looking at the Clue 17 chart before you begin knitting. Trace the path of a single leaf with your finger. Notice where the yarn overs cluster to form the leaf’s widest point, and notice where the decreases pull the fabric inward to create the leaf’s tip. Understanding the architecture of one leaf before you start will make it much easier to read the chart intuitively as you work, rather than checking every single stitch against the symbol guide.

Use a magnetic chart holder or chart reading app. Lace charts require you to track your position with precision, and there is nothing more frustrating than losing your place in the middle of a complex row. A magnetic board that allows you to highlight the row you are currently working is an invaluable tool. If you prefer digital tools, several popular knitting apps allow you to import charts and track your progress stitch by stitch.

Understanding the Chart Symbols in Clue 17

The Interlacing Leaves chart introduces a few symbols that may be new to knitters who have not worked a lot of lace, and even experienced lace knitters can benefit from a refresher on what each symbol is asking you to do and why.

The yarn over (often represented by an O or a circle on the chart) is the fundamental building block of lace. It creates an eyelet by adding a stitch, and because lace is designed to remain the same width throughout, every yarn over is paired with a decrease somewhere in the same row to compensate. In the Interlacing Leaves pattern, yarn overs appear in clusters along the central vein of each leaf, creating the delicate openwork that defines the motif’s characteristic lightness.

The k2tog (knit two together, usually shown as a right-leaning slash) decreases two stitches into one and leans to the right. The ssk (slip, slip, knit, shown as a left-leaning slash) also decreases two stitches into one but leans to the left. In the Interlacing Leaves pattern, these two decreases work in mirror image on either side of the leaf’s central vein, giving each leaf its symmetrical, organic shape. When you see a k2tog on the right side of a yarn over cluster and an ssk on the left side, you are looking at the framework that will become the body of one leaf.

Some versions of the Interlacing Leaves chart also include a central double decrease, often shown as a vertical line with two slashes, which decreases three stitches into one and creates a clean, centered point. This is typically used at the very tip of each leaf, where the design needs a strong, definitive conclusion.

The purl stitches that appear on right-side rows (usually shown as a horizontal dash) are not decorative. They create the background fabric that allows the lace elements to pop forward, and maintaining consistent purl tension is just as important as managing your yarn overs and decreases.

Tips for Knitting the Interlacing Leaves Section

Lace can feel intimidating, but it rewards patience and presence. Here are some practical strategies for making your way through Clue 17 with confidence and even joy.

Work in good light. This might seem obvious, but the difference between knitting lace under a bright daylight bulb and squinting at it in dim lamplight is immense. Lace patterns are often worked in lighter-weight yarns that can be difficult to see in poor light, and missing a yarn over or a decrease because you simply could not see it clearly is a frustrating way to introduce errors. If you normally knit in the evening, consider investing in a good daylight knitting lamp for the duration of this clue.

Lifelines are your best friends. A lifeline is a piece of scrap yarn in a contrasting color that you thread through all of the live stitches on your needle at the end of a completed, verified row. If you make an error several rows later and need to rip back, you can rip confidently to the lifeline without worrying about losing more work than necessary. For a complex section like Interlacing Leaves, consider placing a lifeline at the end of every pattern repeat, or at minimum at the end of every five to ten rows.

Count your stitches at the end of every right-side row. In lace knitting, wrong-side rows are typically all purl (or in some patterns, all knit), which means the right-side rows are where all the action happens. After you complete each right-side row, count your stitches before turning your work. If your count is off, you want to know now, not three rows later when the error will be much harder to trace and fix.

Trust the chart. There will be moments in any lace pattern when the chart asks you to do something that feels counterintuitive, perhaps placing a yarn over right next to another yarn over, or working a double decrease where you expected a single one. In these moments, trust the designer’s intentions. The Interlacing Leaves pattern has been tested and refined, and if you follow the chart faithfully, those counterintuitive moments will resolve into something beautiful.

Take breaks. Lace knitting is mentally demanding in a way that stockinette or simple ribbing simply is not. Your brain is constantly tracking position, executing technique, and monitoring stitch count. It is completely normal to feel tired after working on lace for an extended stretch, and pushing through fatigue is a reliable way to introduce errors. Short, focused knitting sessions with breaks in between will serve you far better than a marathon session fueled by stubbornness.

Yarn and Needle Considerations for Clue 17

If you have been knitting the Free Lace into Spring MKAL with the recommended yarn, you are already set up beautifully for the Interlacing Leaves section. But it is worth revisiting your yarn and needle choices at this stage in the project, especially if you are working with a yarn substitution.

Lace yarn, with its fine weight and often high twist, is ideal for the Interlacing Leaves motif because it blocks open so decisively. The high twist means that the yarn slides easily through each other during blocking, allowing the eyelets to open up into their full, intended shape. If you are working with a softer, lower-twist yarn, your leaves will still be beautiful, but they may have a slightly softer, more romantic edge to them rather than the crisp, architectural quality you see in high-twist lace.

Your needle size, and more importantly your needle tip style, can make a significant difference in a chart like this one. Lace knitting is almost universally easier with sharper needle tips, which allow you to slide into multiple stitches at once for decreases without splitting or catching the yarn. If you have been working the MKAL on needles with blunt or rounded tips and have found the decrease stitches awkward, this is a perfect moment to switch to a sharper tip. Many knitters keep a second set of interchangeable needle tips in a sharper style specifically for lace sections.

The Community Experience of the MKAL

One of the most beautiful things about participating in a mystery knit-along is the shared experience. Right now, thousands of knitters around the world are working through Clue 17 at roughly the same moment you are. They are puzzling over the same chart symbols, celebrating the same moments when a leaf begins to take shape, and posting progress photos that show the same pattern in a breathtaking range of colorways, yarn weights, and personal interpretations.

The community at Oh La Lana! has built something genuinely special with the Free Lace into Spring MKAL. The discussion threads for each clue are filled not just with troubleshooting questions and answers, but with encouragement, shared discoveries, and the kind of generous, knowledgeable conversation that makes the fiber arts community such a warm place to belong. If you are stuck on any part of Clue 17, do not hesitate to bring your question to the group. Someone has almost certainly encountered the same puzzle, and the collective wisdom of the community is an extraordinary resource.

Progress photos, too, are worth sharing even if you feel shy about it. Seeing your own Interlacing Leaves alongside someone else’s version of the same pattern is one of the most illuminating experiences in knitting. It reminds you that a pattern is not a fixed object but a set of instructions that travels through individual hands and becomes something unique to each knitter who works it. Your leaves and someone else’s leaves are siblings, not twins, and there is something profound and lovely about that.

What to Expect When You Block Clue 17

Blocking lace is one of knitting’s most satisfying rituals, and the Interlacing Leaves section of the Free Lace into Spring MKAL is going to reward the effort beautifully. If you are new to blocking lace, here is a brief overview of the process.

Soak your finished piece in cool to lukewarm water with a small amount of wool wash or gentle soap. Allow it to soak for at least twenty minutes, giving the fibers time to fully absorb the water and relax. Lift the piece out of the water without wringing or twisting it, then press it gently between two dry towels to remove excess moisture.

Lay the piece on your blocking mats and begin pinning. For the Interlacing Leaves section specifically, you will want to pay attention to the tips of the leaves, which benefit from being stretched slightly and pinned to a point. Take your time with this step. The more care you put into the pinning process, the more defined and beautiful the finished leaf shapes will be. Stand back periodically and look at the overall silhouette to make sure the leaves are balanced and the spacing feels even.

Allow the piece to dry completely before unpinning. This can take anywhere from a few hours to a full day depending on your yarn, your climate, and how much moisture remains after pressing. The wait is worth it. When you unpin your Interlacing Leaves section for the first time, you are going to be looking at something genuinely remarkable.

Moving Forward: The Spirit of the MKAL

Mystery knit-alongs ask something unusual of knitters: trust. You are committing time, money, and creative energy to a project whose final form you cannot yet see. Every clue is both a gift and a test of faith, and Clue 17’s Interlacing Leaves pattern is the kind of clue that makes all of that trust feel richly rewarded.

Whether you are three rows into the clue or just opening the pattern for the first time, know that you are exactly where you need to be. Lace knitting has its own rhythm, its own pace, and there is no correct speed at which to move through a mystery knit-along except your own. Knit when you can. Rest when you need to. Trust the chart, use your lifelines, count your stitches, and allow yourself to be surprised by what your hands can make.

The Interlacing Leaves pattern is not just a technical exercise. It is an invitation to be fully present with your craft, to pay attention to the small, careful movements that add up to something beautiful. Spring, after all, is not just a season. It is a practice of noticing. And that is exactly what knitting lace teaches us to do.

Happy knitting, and keep sharing your progress. The Free Lace into Spring MKAL community at Oh La Lana! cannot wait to see your leaves unfurl.