Folkcrafts, Art, and Thoughts

“Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul

And sings the tune without the words

And never stops at all” ― Emily Dickinson

The feather lace stitch is a lacy stitch that appears like falling feathers in a triangular rhythm. It is simpler than it appears, requiring only yarn overs and left and right decreases.

The stitch looks best using lace, sport, and DK weight yarns, creating a delicate and airy texture. The fabric itself is flat, but curls slightly over the cast-on edge. The cast on edge also creates a scalloped look.

Materials Needed for Practice

• Yarn (use a medium to bulky weight)
• Knitting needles (size 8/4mm to 13/9mm)

Holding Your Needles and Yarn

• Hold the needle with the cast-on stitches in your left hand.
• Wrap the working yarn around your right or left index finger (depending on whether or not you’re knitting English or Continental style) to control the tension.
• Hold the empty needle in your right hand.

Abbreviations

k – knit

p – purl

YO – yarn over

SKP – slip knit pass

k2tog – knit two together

Making the Feather Lace Stitch

1. Row 1 (Right Side): K1 (edge), *K1, YO, k2, SKP, k2tog, k2, YO. Rep from * to the last stitch. K1 (edge).
2. Row 2 (Wrong Side): Purl all stitches.
3. Row 3 (Right Side): K1 (edge), *YO, k2, SKP, k2tog, k2, YO, k1. Rep from * to the last stitch. K1 (edge).
4. Row 4 (Wrong Side): Purl all stitches.

Repeat rows 1 through 4 as many times as you require to create the feather lace stitch.