Monday Mini Tip - A small tip to improve the look of your lace knitting

Today I want to share a little tip which will fine tune the look of your lace knitting. I've been thinking about sharing this for a while but I was worried it'll confuse people. It's not something that's essential to do, nor is it wrong if you don't do this but it will make your lace knitting look better.

I learnt this trick from Donna Druchunas' 'Succesful Lace Knitting' which is based on Dorothy Reade who was an amazing lace knitter. This book is a great addition to your knitting book library if you're interested in lace knitting. 

In the video I'm knitting the swatch below. At a distance, you may not be able to tell but it does make a difference. So what am I doing? On a right side row after you've worked a yarn over (which is the same as yarn forward), you knit the yarn over through the back loop. Don't do it on the row after you make the yarn over as you'll close up the yarn over. But on the follow right side row (ie on the second row) after you made the yarn over, knit it through the back loop. Below is the swatch I share in the video. The right half of the swatch, I've worked the yarn overs through the back loop on the following right side row. On the left side of the swatch, I've just knitted them as normal.

Below is a close up. Look at the two motifs in the centre. The one on the right, I've worked the yarn overs through the back loop on the following right side row. On the left I haven't. Can you see the difference? The yarn overs on the right, look more defined. Knitting the yarn over through the back loop (on the following right side row), finishes the yarn over and creates a neater circle. If you're knitting at a loose tension, it makes a big difference.

Below is the video, where I demonstrate how I do this. If you want to knit along the chart I'm using is below.

You can also watch the video here.

Abbreviations: 

k - knit

k2tog - knit 2 stitches together

sk2po - slip 1 st knitwise, knit the next 2 sts together, pass slipped st over

ssk - slip 1 st knitwise, slip next st knitwise, insert LH ndl into front of all sts, k together

st(s) - stitch(es)

tbl - through back of loop

yo - yarn over/yarn forward

Only right side rows are charted. Work wrong side rows: K2, p to last 2 sts, k2.

In the first chart, I've knitted the yarn overs on the following right side rows.

In the chart below, I'm knitting the yarn overs through the back loop on the following right side row.

In some of my patterns, I've started to include knitting the yarn over through the back loop on the following right side row. I'm reluctant to include it in every pattern as it makes the chart (and corresponding written instructions) look more cluttered and there's more to keep track of. If you get used to knitting the yarn overs through the back loop on the following right side row, you do it automatically after a while. Whether the pattern specifies to do this or not doesn't matter. If you feel that this will improve your lace knitting, go ahead and do it. But if you think it's too confusing and you're going to forget to do it, then don't. 

Please ask any questions you have in the comments below. You can see all the previous Monday Mini Tips and other tutorials on my Tutorials page.

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