Luxurious Lace: 7 Patterns To Knit With Single Strand Lace

One of my favourite knitted textures is single strand lace combined with a thick needle size for a meshy, delicate and ethereal look. Approaching Autumn means outfit layering, and I think garments knit this way are an excellent option for this. You can still wear cute summer tops that will show underneath a thin layer, creating so much opportunity for interesting, textured outfits.

Using a single strand of fluffy lace with thicker needles also means your work knits up surprisingly quickly. So with Autumn around the corner, now’s your chance to get knitting one of these beautiful pieces!

Yarn

In Yak we have two fluffy lace weight yarns, both suitable for all the patterns listed below.

First up is Midnatssol by Camarose. Midnatssol is a gorgeous lace weight yarn made with a unique blend of baby alpaca, tencel and merino. Tencel gives it a sheen that is less pronounced than its silk counterpart while the alpaca brings extra bulk and body.

Camarose, midnatssol, lace, alpaca, tencel, merino, danish.

Secondly is Berenice by De Rerum Natura. Berenice is a beautiful lace weight yarn consisting of super kid mohair, silk and wool. The core strand has a subtle sheen to it, giving the overall yarn a lovely shimmer.

Single Strand Lace Patterns

Frederic Blouse by Johanna Gehrisch

Though simple, the Frederic Blouse made me gasp when I first saw it. I absolutely love the classic cardigan shape combined with this very sheer fabric. I think it could be a new wardrobe staple, I will definitely be adding this to my ‘want-to-make’ list.

In Autumn, I am always sad to say goodbye to my short-sleeved dresses, but this cardigan would make it possible to wear them further in to the cooler weather. It will barely even interfere with any patterns / textures of clothes underneath due to it’s sheerness. I think it could almost act like a shawl by just being used to keep your shoulders warm.

This is a design I think colour would have a big impact on. White, black or a neutral colour would make it a versatile every-day piece, whereas made in a bright red or royal blue would really elevate it in to evening wear. Wear it for date nights, weddings or any occasion where you just want to feel a bit more fancy than usual!

Plumetis by Julie Knits In Paris

This stitch combined with single strand lace gives the finished fabric of this design an almost tulle look – I love it! A lot of the designs I’ve featured in this list are quite simple pieces, but this one is a stand alone piece to base an outfit around.

Plumetis was featured in Pom Pom Quarterly issue 40, titled Dreamscape – I recommend checking it out. If you like this pattern you’ll love the elegant, dreamy designs in the rest of the collection.

Plumetis features a cutesy collar and cuffs, giving it a preppy edge.

Phantom Fuzz by Park Williams

A beautiful, elegant silhouette. This design would be stunning in a marled or multi-coloured lace yarn. As the shape itself is understated, it would really show off the yarn.

Phantom Fuzz was designed to ‘commune with sexy little phantoms while wearing this sexy little see-through sweater.’ – Williams.

Curtsy Collar by Park Williams

A super fun accessory to add in to your wardrobe! (And another pattern by Park Williams!). This is a piece that will take a boring outfit to something exciting and interesting. If you’ve never knit with single strand lace before, the Curtsy Collar could be a good project to dip your toe in with. It’s small and will work up quickly. Plus you only need 2 balls Midnatssol or Berenice for this (only 1 if you make the child size!).

I love the fluorescent pink of the one in the photos, it’s certainly eye-catching. But made in white or a light neutral colour would be easy to add to any outfit.

Lily Sheer Top by Irene Lin

We love Irene Lin’s designs. She creates such wearable pieces with beautiful silhouettes and interesting textures, that are still classic enough to be worn as everyday pieces.

Lily Sheer Top features puff sleeves that beautifully compliments the delicate texture of the top. It’s cropped and loose, and would look lovely over camis as well as long sleeved tops.

Tied and True Cardigan by Tamara Jordan

What a stunning design! Tied and True Cardigan is the perfect example of layering for autumn – just look at some of the photos in the project tab of this design. If you are in to the ‘Ballet Core’ trend that took social media by storm in 2022/2023 – this pattern is for you!

For the ties, you can make i-cords or use ribbon. I think both options are lovely, but the ribbons really add to the delicate, cutesy aesthetic of this cardigan. The pattern includes instructions for both short and long sleeves, with tips and tricks on extra shaping around the bust, to make this pattern even more size inclusive and customisable.

Rapunzel Blouse by Aneta Bleyer

I love that this design has an almost grunge-esque silhouette to it. Oversized and boxy combined with the delicate fabric and cables makes this design an interesting juxtaposition of two different aesthetics. The Rapunzel Blouse is an elevated every-day, wearable piece.

This design can be worn both ways which makes it really versatile. And the cabling detail around the edges is a great way of practising cabling without committing to a full-blown cable jumper.