Stitch Guide: Razor Shell

I have a love for lace, but I find squinting over charts and 10+ row repeats a bit much.  My dad taught me a long time ago to KISS, or Keep It Simple, Stupid.  I have to say that this is some for the best advice my dad has given me along with check the oil in your car and how to write a good resume.  That being said what I love about this lace pattern is that it is simple, but has a huge visual impact.  There are only two rows to this stitch.  How easy is that to remember, especially when one of those rows is a resting row.  Even better.  Razor shell stitch has a right side and a wrong side and makes a great edging or detail for a cardigan or shawl.  I could even see this as a great stitch for a cowl in some yummy mohair.

Razor Shell Stitch (Worked Flat)
Multi of 8 stitches plus 1
R1: K1 *YO, K2, Sl 2 Kwise, K1, P2sso, K2, YO, K1*
R2: Purl all Sts

Razor Shell Stitch (Worked in the Round)
Multi of 8 stitches
R1:*YO, K2, Sl 2 Kwise, K1, P2sso, K2, YO, K1*
R2: Knit all Sts

Stitch Guide: Fish Tail Lace

Fish tail lace is probably my favorite lace stitch of all times.  It is only a six row repeat.  Three of those six rows are all purls or all knits depending on if your working flat or in the round.  The pattern requires a multiple of eight stitches.  What is there not to love about this stitch patter.  Oh, ok it's not reversible, but other than than this is a great simple lace stitch that has a ton of impact.

Fish Tail Lace (Worked Flat)
Multi of 8 stitches plus 1

R1: K1 *YO, K2, Sl 2 Kwise, k1 p2sso, K2, YO, K1*
R2: Purl All Stitches
R3: K1 *K1, YO, K1, Sl 2 Kwise, k1 p2sso, K1, YO, K2*
R4: Purl All Stitches
R5: K1 *K2, YO, Sl 2 Kwise, k1, p2sso, YO, K3*
R6: Purl All Stitches


Fish Tail Lace (in the Round)
Multi of 8 stitches

R1: *YO, K2, Sl 2 Kwise, k1 passo, K2, YO, K1*
R2: Knit All
R3: *K1, YO, K1, Sl 2 Kwise, k1 passo, K1, YO, K2*
R4: Knit All
R5: *K2, YO, Sl 2 Kwise, k1, passo, YO, K3*
R6: Knit All

Stitch Guide: Eyelet Ladder

Eyelet ladder is a fun and easy lace stitch that knits up with columns of left and right leaning eyelets.  This is a stitch pattern that is easy to memorize as it only has two lines of pattern.  However this stitch is not reversible so keep in mind when deciding to use this stitch.

Eyelet Ladder (Knit Flat)
Multi of 4 +2
R1: *K1, K2tog, YO, K1* K2
R2: Purl All Stitchs
R3: K1 *K2, YO, SSK* K1
R4: Purl All Stitches

Eyelet Ladder (Knit in the Round)
Multi of 4
R1: *K1, K2tog, YO, K1*
R2: Knit All Stitches
R3: *K2, YO, ssk*
R4: Knit All Stitches

Stitch Guide: Linen Stitch

Linen stitch has lately become one of my favorite stitches.  When knit in a solid it has a subtle woven look to it, in a variegated you get even more impact.  This stitch isn't stretch and has a lot of structure to it which is perfect for bags and straps.  Linen stitch has a right side and a wrong side, but it is a great stitch to have in your bag of tricks.

Linen Stitch (worked flat)
Multi of 2 +1
R1: (RS) *K1, Sl 1 wyif* K1
R2: (WS) *S1 1 wyib, P1* Sl 1 wyib

Linen Stitch (in the round)
Multi of 2
R1: *K1, Sl 1 wyif*
R2: *Sl 1 wyif, K1*

Stitch Guide: Moss Stitch

I like moss stitch, it's a great textured stitch that is easy to remember and reversible.  This stitch has a similar look to seed stitch, but the purls and knits line up in a slightly different way.  Another thing that is a plus about moss stitch is that it lays flat, coupled with it haveing no "wrong" side it is a great stitch for scarves. 

Moss Stitch (flat)
Multiple of 2 plus 1
R1: *k1, p1* k1 Repeat *to* to the last stitch
R2: *k1, p1* k1
R3: *p1, k1* p1
R4: *p1, k1* p1

Moss Stitch (in the round)
Multiple of 2
R1: *k1, p1* repeat to stitch marker or end of round
R2: *k1, p1*
R3: *p1, k1* p1
R4: *p1, k1* p1