Knit Lace Pattern Sided – Free Patterns, Videos & How-To Guide
Lace knitting is one of those crafts that looks impossibly delicate and complicated from the outside, yet becomes deeply approachable once you understand its foundations. Whether you are a seasoned knitter looking to expand your repertoire or a curious beginner who fell in love with the airy, intricate look of lace fabric, this guide is for you. Here at Crochet & Knit by Beja, we believe that beautiful lace should be accessible to everyone, which is why we have put together this comprehensive resource covering knit lace pattern techniques, free patterns, helpful videos, and step-by-step how-to instructions. Pull up a chair, grab your favorite yarn, and let’s dive in.
What Is Knit Lace and Why Is It So Special?
Knit lace is a style of fabric created by combining yarn overs with decreases to form deliberate holes in a structured, repeating pattern. Unlike regular knitting, where the goal is often a solid, dense fabric, lace knitting embraces negative space as part of its design. The result is a fabric that is lightweight, breathable, and almost sculptural in how it plays with light and shadow.
The “sided” aspect of knit lace refers to how the pattern is worked — whether the lace motifs appear on every row or only on right-side rows, with the wrong-side rows serving as plain purl or knit rows. Understanding which type of lace construction you are working with makes a significant difference in how you plan your project and how it behaves when it is finished.
Traditional lace has roots in cultures all around the world. Shetland lace from Scotland, Orenburg lace from Russia, Honiton from England, and Bucks Point are just a few of the storied traditions that have shaped how we knit lace today. Each tradition brings its own philosophy about yarn weight, needle size, stitch density, and how blocking transforms the final piece. Modern knit lace borrows from all of these traditions while adapting them for contemporary yarns, tools, and lifestyles.
Understanding the Sides of Knit Lace
Before picking up your needles, it helps to understand what “sided” means in the context of lace knitting.
In every knitted fabric, there is a right side and a wrong side. The right side is the face of the fabric that you intend to show, and the wrong side is the back. How you handle these two sides determines the style and category of lace you are creating.
Right-side lace is where all of your lace patterning — the yarn overs and their accompanying decreases — happens on the right-side rows only. The wrong-side rows are worked plain, most commonly as purl stitches. This approach gives your hands a break on every other row, allowing you to check your work and correct any mistakes before they become part of the pattern. Right-side lace is widely recommended for beginners because of this built-in resting row.
Two-sided lace, sometimes called true lace or all-over lace, involves working lace on both the right-side and wrong-side rows. This technique produces a more intricate, open fabric and is found in the most traditional and heirloom-style projects. Shetland lace shawls, for example, are almost always worked as two-sided lace. This technique demands more concentration but yields extraordinary results.
Slip-stitch lace and mosaic lace are hybrid methods where color work and slipped stitches create lace-like effects without traditional yarn-over construction. These can be particularly fun for knitters who want a lace aesthetic without committing to the more technical demands of yarn-over lace.
Understanding where you are in your lace journey will help you select the right pattern and approach every time.
Essential Tools and Materials for Knit Lace
Great lace begins with the right tools. Here is what you need to set yourself up for success.
Yarn choice is everything in lace. Traditionally, lace is worked in fingering weight or lace weight yarns, which are the finest categories of knitting yarn. Wool and wool-blend yarns are particularly well-suited to lace because the fibers have natural memory and elasticity, which helps the stitches hold their shape during blocking. Merino wool, Shetland wool, Icelandic lopi, and blends with silk or mohair are all popular choices. Silk adds a beautiful drape and sheen, while mohair gives lace an ethereal halo effect. If you are a beginner, a slightly heavier yarn — light fingering or sport weight — can make the stitches easier to see and work.
Needles for lace are typically long, with sharp points. The sharpness matters because you are often inserting your needle into multiple stitches at once or working into a yarn-over loop that is not as secure as a standard stitch. Circular needles are highly recommended even for flat lace projects because they allow you to use both ends of the needle and to keep a large stitch count contained without stitches slipping off. Interchangeable circular needle sets are a wonderful investment if you knit lace regularly.
Stitch markers are indispensable for lace knitting. Placing a marker at the beginning of each pattern repeat allows you to catch errors row by row rather than discovering them several rows later. Lightweight, smooth ring markers work best so they slide easily along the needle without catching on delicate yarn.
A blocking mat and blocking pins are not optional accessories — they are essential finishing tools. Blocking is the process of wetting your finished lace piece and then pinning it out to its full dimensions while it dries. This single step transforms a lumpy, crinkled piece of knitting into the open, defined, breathtaking fabric you envisioned when you cast on. Every lace project deserves to be blocked.
A row counter and printed or downloadable chart round out the toolkit. Keeping careful track of your row is critical, especially in two-sided lace, where losing your place can require frogging several rows of complex work.
How to Read a Lace Chart
Many knitters who are comfortable with written instructions find lace charts intimidating at first. In practice, charts are often much easier to follow for lace than written row-by-row instructions because they give you a visual picture of exactly what the finished motif should look like.
A lace chart is a grid where each square represents one stitch and each row of squares represents one row of knitting. Symbols inside the squares indicate what stitch action to take. The most common symbols you will encounter include an empty square for a knit stitch, a dash or horizontal line for a purl stitch, a circle for a yarn over, a forward slash for a right-leaning decrease, and a backslash for a left-leaning decrease. A symbol that looks like a caret or a small lambda often represents a centered double decrease.
Charts are usually read from bottom to top, because that is the direction your knitting grows. Right-side rows are typically read from right to left, and wrong-side rows from left to right, though some chart styles note the row numbers on both sides to remind you of this.
One of the most helpful habits you can develop is to keep a sticky note or ruler just above the row you are currently working, so you can see the rows below your current position and visualize how each new row builds on what came before.
Beginner-Friendly Free Knit Lace Patterns
Here at Crochet & Knit by Beja, we are committed to making free patterns widely available for every skill level. Below are some of the most loved beginner-friendly knit lace patterns, along with guidance on what makes each one a great starting point.
Simple Eyelet Scarf: An eyelet is the most basic form of lace — a single yarn over paired with a single decrease, creating one small hole in an otherwise solid fabric. An eyelet scarf pattern typically involves a garter stitch or stockinette background with rows of evenly spaced eyelets running horizontally or vertically. This is a perfect first lace project because the pattern is easy to memorize after just a few repeats, and the garter stitch base is very forgiving.
Feather and Fan Shawlette: The feather and fan stitch, sometimes called old shale, is one of the most timeless lace patterns in the knitting world. It creates gentle waves of increases and decreases that produce a rippled, fan-shaped fabric. A shawlette version — worked as a small crescent or triangular wrap — is an ideal next step after the eyelet scarf because the stitch repeat is still manageable but the finished object feels genuinely lace-like.
Chevron Lace Dishcloth: Dishcloths are excellent lace practice pieces because they are small, fast, and made in cotton yarn that is very easy to see and handle. A chevron lace dishcloth typically uses a simple zigzag of yarn overs and decreases to create V-shapes across the fabric. The practical end result also makes this a very satisfying project.
Elongated Stitch Bookmark: Worked on just a few stitches, a lace bookmark uses elongated stitches — where you wrap the yarn around the needle twice and then drop one of the wraps on the return row — to create an open, ladder-like fabric. These can be knitted in an evening and make wonderful gifts.
Intermediate and Advanced Free Knit Lace Patterns
Once you have a few beginner projects under your belt, a whole universe of more complex lace opens up.
Estonian Lace Motifs: Estonian knitting has a particularly rich lace tradition that uses nupps (tiny bobbles), traveling stitches, and complex charted motifs to create deeply textured, richly patterned fabrics. An Estonian lace sampler project — where you work a series of small swatches, each using a different motif — is a wonderful way to build skills methodically.
Triangular Lace Shawl with Center Spine: This classic shawl construction starts with just a few stitches at the top center and grows outward with increases on every other row. As the shawl grows, you work increasingly complex lace motifs in each section. The center spine is a strong visual organizing element that makes even complex patterns feel coherent.
Circular Lace Doily: Doilies are worked in the round from the center outward, with each round adding both stitches and lace complexity. They require double-pointed needles or magic loop technique and careful attention to charted rounds. A finished doily — blocked and pinned into a perfect circle — is one of the most satisfying objects in all of textile crafts.
Heirloom Lace Baby Blanket: A lace baby blanket is a project that knitters often return to throughout their lives because it makes such a meaningful heirloom gift. These blankets combine simple lace borders with an allover lace panel, teaching you how to manage multiple pattern elements at once across a wider fabric.
Video Tutorials: Learning by Watching
Written instructions can only take you so far. Many lace techniques are best understood visually, by watching an experienced knitter’s hands move through the motions. That is why we have developed a library of video tutorials specifically designed to accompany the patterns here at Crochet & Knit by Beja.
Our video tutorials cover foundational techniques including how to work a yarn over without accidentally dropping or twisting it, how to execute a slip-slip-knit decrease versus a knit-two-together decrease and when each is called for, how to work a centered double decrease neatly, and how to read and track both written instructions and charted lace patterns simultaneously.
We also have video tutorials for finishing techniques, including how to wet block lace on a foam mat with T-pins, how to use blocking wires for straight edges, and how to achieve the picot or scalloped edge that is characteristic of traditional lace shawls. Seeing these techniques demonstrated in real time can compress weeks of confused trial and error into a single clear viewing session.
For two-sided lace specifically, we walk you through the process of identifying and orienting yourself at the beginning of each row — a skill that sounds simple but is genuinely important for maintaining your place in a complex pattern.
Tips and Tricks for Better Knit Lace
Beyond the fundamental techniques, there are a handful of habits and strategies that experienced lace knitters swear by.
Use a lifeline. A lifeline is a length of smooth, slippery yarn threaded through all the live stitches at a particular row. If you make an error several rows later and need to rip back, the lifeline stops you from ripping too far. Insert a lifeline at the end of every complete pattern repeat, and you will never lose more than one repeat’s worth of work.
Count your stitches obsessively. In lace, every yarn over must be balanced by a corresponding decrease, keeping the stitch count constant from row to row. If your stitch count is off at the end of any row, stop immediately and find the error before moving forward.
Knit more loosely than you think you need to. Lace needs room to open up during blocking. Many knitters instinctively knit too tightly when working with fine yarn, which makes the fabric stiff and obscures the lace motifs. Going up one or even two needle sizes from what the pattern recommends is perfectly acceptable if it helps you achieve a more relaxed gauge.
Block aggressively. Lace does not lie flat or look open until it has been blocked. Do not judge your lace off the needles. Once it comes off the needles, it will look like a crinkled, confusing lump. After a thorough soak and careful pinning, the same piece will be transformed into something breathtaking.
Embrace the magic of mohair. Even if you are working a simpler lace pattern, knitting with a yarn that contains mohair creates an immediate halo of soft fuzziness that makes even basic eyelets look complex and luxurious. Just keep in mind that mohair is very difficult to frog, so use it on patterns you are confident about.
Combining Crochet and Knit in Lace Projects
At Crochet & Knit by Beja, we celebrate both crafts equally, and lace is one of the places where the two can beautifully intersect. Many lace shawls are finished with a crocheted bind-off or edging. A simple single crochet edging stabilizes the edges of a knitted lace piece beautifully. A more decorative picot crochet edging adds a scalloped finish that echoes traditional lace aesthetics.
Conversely, crochet motifs — granny squares, hexagons, or floral motifs worked in fine thread — can be joined together to create a fabric that resembles traditional lace. Thread crochet using size 10 crochet thread and a steel hook produces pieces that are virtually indistinguishable in appearance from knitted lace when viewed from a distance. If your background is in crochet and you are exploring knit lace for the first time, leaning on your existing crochet knowledge for edging and finishing is a wonderful bridge.
Building a Lace Knitting Practice
Learning lace knitting is less about mastering a single technique and more about building a sustainable, enjoyable practice over time. Start with simple patterns and work your way up. Every project teaches you something new — a different kind of decrease, a new cast-on, a more complex chart. Keep notes on what worked and what you would do differently. Photograph your finished pieces before and after blocking so you can see the transformation.
Connect with other lace knitters through online communities, Ravelry groups, and local yarn stores. Lace knitting has a generous, enthusiastic community of practitioners who are almost universally happy to help a newcomer decode a confusing chart or troubleshoot a tension problem.
Most importantly, remember that lace does not have to be perfect to be beautiful. The slight irregularities in handmade lace are part of what gives it life and character. Machine-made lace is technically perfect and feels cold and lifeless by comparison. Your handmade lace, with its tiny human variations, carries something that no machine can replicate.
We hope this guide gives you everything you need to begin or deepen your journey into knit lace. Check back regularly at Crochet & Knit by Beja for new free patterns, updated video tutorials, and seasonal project ideas that will keep your needles busy and your creativity inspired all year long. Happy knitting.
