Knit Estonian Starflower Lace Square Free Knitting Pattern

There is something genuinely magical about lace knitting. The way a simple pair of needles and a single strand of yarn can produce something that looks like it was woven by frost on a winter windowpane — it never gets old, no matter how many years you’ve been knitting. Estonian lace, in particular, occupies a very special corner of that world. Rich with history, intricate in appearance yet remarkably logical in construction, Estonian lace patterns have been captivating knitters for centuries. Today, we’re diving deep into one of the most beloved motifs in that tradition: the Starflower. This free knitting pattern will walk you through creating a stunning Estonian Starflower Lace Square that you can use as a dishcloth, a decorative panel, a coaster, a bookmark when worked narrowly, or as one block in a larger lace blanket or shawl project.

Whether you are new to lace knitting or you’ve been working yarn-overs and decreases for years, this pattern is designed to be approachable, beautiful, and endlessly satisfying to knit.

A Little Background on Estonian Lace

Before we cast on, it’s worth taking a moment to appreciate where this pattern comes from. Estonian lace knitting has its roots on the island of Muhu and in the Haapsalu region of Estonia, where delicate shawls and scarves have been crafted for generations. Haapsalu lace is so fine and so intricate that a traditional shawl is said to be able to pass through a wedding ring. The patterns — known as “pitsikirjad” — were passed down through families and communities, each stitch carrying meaning, memory, and identity.

The Starflower motif is one of the most iconic patterns within this tradition. Its radiating structure, with yarnovers and decreases arranged to suggest petals blooming outward from a central point, evokes both natural beauty and geometric precision. When worked in a lace-weight yarn, the effect is breathtaking. Worked in a heavier yarn, as in this square pattern, the motif becomes bold and graphic — perfect for modern home décor or as a sampler piece for anyone learning the fundamentals of lace construction.

This pattern draws on that rich tradition while remaining accessible to knitters who are comfortable with basic lace techniques.

Materials You Will Need

To knit the Estonian Starflower Lace Square, you will need the following materials:

Yarn: Approximately 50–80 yards of your chosen yarn. This pattern works beautifully at several gauges. For a delicate, traditional look, use a lace-weight or fingering-weight yarn in a smooth fiber like merino wool, silk, or a merino-silk blend. For a sturdier square suitable for a dishcloth or coaster, a DK or worsted weight 100% cotton or cotton-blend yarn is an excellent choice. A smooth yarn will show the lace structure most clearly, so avoid fuzzy or heavily textured fibers until you are familiar with the pattern.

Needles: US size 2–3 (2.75–3.25 mm) for lace or fingering weight, US size 4–5 (3.5–3.75 mm) for DK weight, or US size 6–7 (4.0–4.5 mm) for worsted weight. As always with lace, going up a needle size or two from what the yarn label suggests will give the eyelets room to open up beautifully.

Notions: A yarn needle for weaving in ends, blocking wires and rustproof T-pins (highly recommended — blocking is what transforms lace from a crumpled fabric into the stunning piece it’s meant to be), a row counter, and stitch markers if you find them helpful.

Gauge: Gauge is flexible in this pattern since you’re making a decorative square rather than a garment. In fingering weight on US 3 needles, expect approximately 6–7 inches square after blocking. In DK weight on US 5 needles, expect approximately 7–8 inches square. In worsted weight, approximately 8–9 inches square.

Abbreviations and Stitch Guide

Here is a reference list of every abbreviation used in this pattern:

CO — cast on
BO — bind off
k — knit
p — purl
yo — yarn over
k2tog — knit two stitches together (a right-leaning decrease)
ssk — slip, slip, knit (a left-leaning decrease: slip two stitches knitwise one at a time, then knit them together through the back loops)
sl1 — slip one stitch purlwise with yarn in back unless otherwise stated
k3tog — knit three stitches together (a double decrease leaning right)
s2kp — slip two stitches together knitwise, knit one, pass the slipped stitches over (a centered double decrease)
RS — right side
WS — wrong side
rep — repeat
pm — place marker
sm — slip marker

One special stitch used in this pattern is the Nupps, the beloved Estonian texture stitch. Nupps (rhymes with “oops”) are small bobbles made by working multiple yarn-overs and knit stitches into a single stitch on one row, then purling all of them together on the following row. They add a beautiful dimensional accent to lace patterns and are considered a signature element of Estonian lace. Instructions for nupps are included below in the pattern notes, and you can choose to include or omit them based on your comfort level.

Pattern Notes

Reading the Chart vs. Written Instructions: This pattern is provided in written row-by-row instructions. If you prefer to work from a chart, you can easily transcribe the written instructions into a grid on graph paper, which many lace knitters find helpful for tracking their place.

Wrong Side Rows: In this pattern, all wrong side rows are worked as: k3, purl to last 3 stitches, k3. This creates a simple garter border on either side of the square while the RS rows build the lace motif. The only exception is where nupp completion is noted on WS rows — those stitches are purled together as described.

About Nupps: To make a nupp, work into the same stitch as follows: k1, yo, k1, yo, k1 (5 stitches made from 1). On the following WS row, purl these 5 stitches together. Nupps are easier on a slightly looser gauge, and using a smaller needle just for the nupp purl-together can help. If you prefer to skip nupps, simply knit into the stitch where the nupp would be placed.

Blocking: Please block this square. It’s the difference between a scrunched, unreadable fabric and a breathtaking piece of lace. Wet your finished square thoroughly, squeeze out the excess water gently in a towel, then pin it to your blocking mat using the measurements you want and allow it to dry completely before unpinning.

Stitch Count: The pattern is worked over 47 stitches with a 3-stitch garter border on each side. The total stitch count remains 47 throughout, as increases and decreases are balanced on every RS row.

The Pattern: Estonian Starflower Lace Square

Cast On: Using your long-tail or cable cast-on method, CO 47 stitches.

Setup Rows (worked before beginning the lace pattern):

Row 1 (RS): Knit all stitches.
Row 2 (WS): K3, purl to last 3 stitches, k3.
Row 3 (RS): Knit all stitches.
Row 4 (WS): K3, purl to last 3 stitches, k3.

These four rows establish your garter border at the top and prepare the fabric for the lace.

Begin Starflower Lace Pattern:

Row 1 (RS): K3, k4, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k5; rep from three more times, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k4, k3.

Row 2 and all WS rows (unless noted): K3, purl to last 3 sts, k3.

Row 3 (RS): K3, k3, k1, yo, s2kp, yo, k1, k3; rep from three more times, k1, yo, s2kp, yo, k1, k3, k3.

Row 5 (RS): K3, k2, k2, yo, ssk, yo, k2tog, yo, k2; rep from three more times, k2, yo, ssk, yo, k2tog, yo, k2, k3.

Row 7 (RS): K3, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, nupp, k1, ssk, yo, k1; rep from four more times, k1, k3.

Row 9 (RS): K3, yo, k2tog, k2, yo, ssk, k2; rep from five times, yo, k2, k3. (Adjust as needed to maintain count — see note below.)

Row 11 (RS): K3, k1, k1, yo, k3tog, yo, k1, k1; rep from four more times, k3.

Row 13 (RS): K3, k2, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k3; rep from three more times, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k2, k3.

Row 15 (RS): K3, k3, yo, s2kp, yo, k5; rep from three more times, yo, s2kp, yo, k3, k3.

Row 17 (RS): K3, k4, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k5; rep from twice, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k4, k3.

Row 19 (RS): K3, k3, k1, nupp, k1, yo, s2kp, yo; rep from three times, k1, nupp, k1, k3, k3.

Row 21 (RS): K3, knit to last 3 sts, k3.

Row 22 (WS): K3, purl to last 3 sts, k3.

Rows 1–22 form one complete repeat of the Starflower Lace panel. Work Rows 1–22 a total of three times (or more for a longer square, or fewer for a smaller one).

Closing Rows:

After completing your final pattern repeat, work the following:

Row 1 (RS): Knit all stitches.
Row 2 (WS): K3, purl to last 3 stitches, k3.
Row 3 (RS): Knit all stitches.
Row 4 (WS): Knit all stitches (for a final garter ridge).

Bind Off: On the next RS row, bind off all stitches loosely. A stretchy bind-off method, such as the Russian bind-off or the yarn-over bind-off, is recommended so that the top edge of your square can be blocked open just as generously as the rest of the lace.

Tips for Success

Lace knitting rewards patience and attention, but it’s far less intimidating than it looks once you understand what the stitches are doing. Here are some tips to help your Estonian Starflower Lace Square come out beautifully.

Use a lifeline. Thread a smooth piece of waste yarn through all live stitches every 10 rows or so. If you make an error that requires ripping back, you’ll only rip back to your last lifeline rather than to the very beginning. This single habit can turn a potentially heartbreaking moment into a minor inconvenience.

Count your stitches obsessively. After every RS row, count to confirm you still have 47 stitches. Lace is a closed system — every yarn-over is accompanied by a decrease, and every decrease is accompanied by a yarn-over. If your count is off, you missed something, and it’s much easier to find and fix that now than six rows later.

Mark your pattern repeats. Placing stitch markers between each repeat of the pattern (every 9 or 10 stitches within the lace section) gives you small, manageable units to work through rather than one long unbroken row to navigate.

Work in good light. This sounds simple, but lace over dark yarn in dim lighting is a recipe for mistakes. Natural daylight or a good daylight-spectrum lamp makes a real difference when you’re tracking yarn-overs and decreases.

Give yourself time. An Estonian lace square is not a project for the commute or the noisy living room (unless you’re very experienced). It rewards focused, calm knitting. Many lace knitters set aside specific quiet time for their lace projects and find the focused, repetitive work genuinely meditative.

Finishing and Blocking Your Square

Once your stitches are bound off and your ends are woven in, your square will likely look nothing like the vision you had in mind. Lace almost always looks disappointing off the needles. Do not despair. Blocking is the art of revealing what was always hiding in the fabric, and it is transformative.

Fill a basin or clean sink with cool to lukewarm water and a small amount of wool wash (if using wool or a wool blend) or just plain water (for cotton). Submerge your square and allow it to soak for at least 20 minutes so the fibers are thoroughly saturated. Don’t agitate — just let it soak. Lift it gently, press it against the side of the basin to remove excess water without wringing, then roll it in a clean dry towel and press firmly to absorb more water.

Lay your damp square on a foam blocking mat and use blocking wires threaded through the edge stitches to create straight, even borders. Then use rustproof T-pins at the corners and along the edges to pin the square to your desired dimensions. Pull gently but firmly to open up the lace eyelets as you pin. Stand back and look — already it should be transforming. Allow the square to dry completely, which usually takes 12–24 hours depending on the fiber and your environment.

When you unpin a fully dry, blocked Estonian Starflower Lace Square, you will have the moment every lace knitter lives for.

Ways to Use Your Finished Square

One of the joys of a lace square pattern is its versatility. A single square makes a beautiful decorative coaster or candle mat. Two or three squares sewn together create an elegant table runner. A collection of 20 or more squares, joined as you go or seamed afterward, can become a stunning heirloom blanket or throw. Worked in fingering weight, a single square becomes a pendant or ornament when blocked over a card insert. Worked in cotton, it becomes a luxurious face cloth. You could frame a blocked square behind glass as a piece of fiber art.

The Starflower motif also translates beautifully into other formats. Once you’ve mastered the square, you might want to explore working the motif in the round for a hat crown, or centering it on a larger triangular shawl. The logic of the stitches — the way each yarn-over and decrease works in relationship to the others to suggest the petals of a flower — will make sense to your hands after a few repeats, and from there, you may find yourself designing your own variations.

Sharing Your Finished Project

When you’ve finished your Estonian Starflower Lace Square, we’d love to see it. Share your finished object on social media with the hashtag #EstonianStarflowerSquare or tag us in your post. There is something deeply connecting about seeing the same pattern interpreted in hundreds of different yarns and colorways, each one a reflection of the knitter who made it. The lace knitting community is one of the warmest, most generous corners of the crafting world, and your finished square is a small but genuine thread in a very long, very beautiful story that stretches back to an island in the Baltic Sea and the hands of knitters who came long before us.

Happy knitting — and don’t forget to block.