Lace

Lace weight is the lightest of the standard yarn weights — usually a single-ply or two-ply yarn knit at a deliberately loose gauge so the open mesh of yarn-overs and decreases blooms when blocked.

Recommended A buyer's guide to choosing high-quality Lace-weight yarn online.

Typical gauge & needles

Best uses

• Lace-weight shawls
• Wedding-ring shawls
• Estonian and Shetland lace
• Heirloom doilies

About this weight

Originally produced for the lace shawls of the Shetland Islands and Orenburg, lace weight is sometimes called "cobweb" at its very lightest (under 600 m / 100 g). Modern lace yarns are spun from merino, kid mohair (often called "mohair lace"), alpaca, and luxury silks. Because there is so little yarn relative to needle, lace weight is very economical: a full adult-sized triangular shawl needs only 100–150 grams.

Almost always a single-ply or 2-ply long-staple fibre — Shetland wool, merino, alpaca, mohair, silk, or kid silk. Halo and bloom matter more than next-to-skin softness.

In partnership Sustainable wool farms shipping Lace yarn worldwide.

Swatching at this weight

Swatch lace in pattern at the largest needle that still produces a stable mesh. Block aggressively before measuring final gauge — lace can grow 30–40% in length and 20% in width with a hard wet-block.

A 4-inch (10 cm) swatch in the actual lace pattern, blocked exactly the way the finished piece will be blocked, is essential — lace gauge before and after blocking are different fabrics.

Full gauge swatch guide →

Stitch patterns that wear well in Lace

The stitches below were curated as flattering at this weight; you can also browse all 481 charted stitches.

Free patterns in Lace (63)

Substituting yarn weights

Lace and fingering are not freely interchangeable. A lace pattern knit in fingering at the same needle size will be roughly 15–20% denser and will not block to the same drape. Read the full yarn weight conversion reference before swapping any yarn.