Point d'esprit lace patterns

I'm lodging this so I have a second copy.  This is a knitting pattern I purchased some number of years ago from a website that is now defunct. Since it was copyrighted, I won't publish it publicly, but I hate the thought of this pattern being entirely lost.

www.richesseonline.com
Copyright © 2003 by Wendy Siera
Permission to make and distribute 10
copies of this pattern is granted to the
original purchaser, so long as this
copyright notice and the “design by”
designation remains unaltered.

Materials used:

  • 3 skeins (25 grams/230 yards ea) Rowan "Kidsilk Haze" 70% super kid mohair, 30% silk. ** see special note below
  • T pins for blocking.
  • optional 6 yards of smooth fingering weight cotton waste yarn for blocking only, if desired.
  • Needles etc: US #4 (3.5mm) straight or circular
  • Gauge: 26 sts x 38 rows = 10cm/4" in stockinette portions.
  • 26 sts x 21 rows = 10cm/4" in lace sections (6.5 repeats across = 6"; 13 repeats vertically = 10")

Special stitches and abbreviations:

  • KP = knit and then purl into the same stitch, making 2 stitches out of 1 st.
  • SK2P = Slip one st knitwise, K2tog, then pass the slipped st over the K2tog, decreasing 3 sts to 1 st.

Finished dimensions:

  • scarf blocked: 7.5" x 55"
  • hat blocked: approximately 12" deep, including 4" folded band x 21" circumference, which is very stretchy.

**Special note: The scarf works up using one full skein exactly. The hat uses about 1 3/4 skeins. Therefore, if you intend to make both pieces, you may prefer to knit the hat first, and use the leftovers to make a longer scarf--about 70".

Directions for Scarf:

The scarf has a lace edging that is worked as you go. That is why the stitch number changes from row to row.

Cast on loosely over two needles held together, 39 stitches. Remove extra needle.

  • Set up row: K1, (K1, YO, K2tog, K1, K2tog,YO ) 6x; K1, YO, KP. (41 sts)
  • Row 1: K2, (K3, YO, SK2P, YO) 6x; K2, YO, KP. (43 sts)
  • Row 2: K3, (K1, K2tog, YO, K1, YO, K2tog) 6x; K1, YO, K2, KP. (45 sts)
  • Row 3: Bind off 4 sts knitwise, K2tog, (YO, K3, YO, SK2P) 5x; YO, K3, YO, K2tog, YO, K2, KP. (43 sts)
  • Row 4: Bind off 4 sts knitwise, (K1, YO, K2tog, K1, K2tog, YO) 6x; K1, YO, KP. (41 sts.)

Repeat this 4 row pattern until you have completed 81 repeats. There will be enough yarn left for 1 last full pattern repeat plus binding off. If you have added extra yarn and extra repeats, stop knitting when you have enough left for 5 rows.

Final repeat: Work rows 1, 2 & 3 of the pattern as before.
Row 4: Bind off 4 sts, (K1, YO, K2tog, K1, K2tog, YO) 6x; K2 (39 sts.)
Bind off very loosely, 39 sts.

Washing and blocking:

Soak in hot soapy water for about 20 minutes, then drain and squeeze out moisture gently. Refill sink with clear water of same temperature and drop scarf in to soak briefly. Drain, squeeze and repeat rinses twice. Roll up scarf in thick towel and squeeze to remove moisture. Lay out on flat surface, and pin the four corners to the final dimensions stretching to fit. Then pin each point along both edges, stretching scarf as you go, and pin the short straight edges at about 1 inch intervals. You may want to mist the scarf from a spray bottle if it dries before you are finished. It takes about 30 minutes to pin out the scarf. Let dry completely.

Special blocking tip:

An alternative blocking method that gives excellent results and is very fast, is to take the dry scarf, and with a blunt yarn needle and about 6 yards of thin smooth cotton yarn (fingering weight) run the yarn through each point ( as reasonably close to the tip as you can without stressing over it), all along the edge of the scarf . Leave a long tail on either end and cut the cotton yarn. Repeat this for the other long side, then make two shorter running threads woven through lace at the cast on and bind off edges at about 1 inch intervals. It does not matter where you run these shorter threads through the lace, as long as both short edges are done the same way, and the interval between the patterns is even. Then wet (or wash) the scarf with these four threads dangling. To pin out, pin only the cotton yarn, tieing or wrapping tails at the corners around each corner pin first. Then place pins about halfway down each edge, then again about 1/4 way. Then fill in the remaining spaces with pins about 2 inches apart, stretching the scarf as you go, and distributing the lace evenly. When dry, remove the pins and discard the cotton yarn.

Directions for Hat:

This is a double thick reversible hat. One side is a plain stockinette hat with a lace fold up brim, the reverse side is a lace hat with a stockinette fold up brim. It is knit back and forth with selvedge stitches, then seamed up the back.

Special stitches and abbreviations:

  • KP = knit and then purl into the same stitch, making 2 stitches out of 1 st.
  • SK2P = Slip one st knitwise, K2tog, then pass the slipped st over the K2tog, decreasing 3 sts to 1 st.
  • S = The first and last st of every row are the selvedge sts, abbreviated as S. At the beginning of each row, slip the selvedge st purlwise. At the end of every row, knit the selvedge st.
  • M1 = Make 1 st using the backward loop method

Cast on 10 sts ( 8 + 2 selvedge) using the backward loop method and leave a long tail for sewing up later.

Row 1 (RS): S, (K1, M1) 8x, S.
Row 2 and all even rows: S, P to last st, S.
Row 3: S, (K2, M1) 8x, S.
Row 5: S, (K3, M1) 8x, S.
Row 7: S, (K4, M1) 8x, S.
Row 9: S, (K5, M1) 8x, S.
Row 11: S, (K6, M1) 8x, S.
Row 13: S, (K7, M1) 8x, S.
Row 15: S, (K8, M1) 8x, S.
Row 17: S, (K9, M1) 8x, S.
Row 19: S, (K10, M1) 8x, S.
Row 21: S, (K11, M1) 8x, S.
Row 23: S, (K12, M1) 8x, S.
Row 25: S, (K13, M1) 8x, S.
Row 27: S, (K14, M1) 8x, S.
Row 29: S, (K15, M1) 8x, S.
Row 31: S, (K16, M1) 8x, S.
Row 33: S, (K17, M1) 8x, S.
Row 35: S, (K18, M1) 8x, S.
Row 37: S, (K19, M1) 8x, S.
Row 38: S, P to last st, S. (160 sts + 2)

Work 6 rows plain stockinette.

Next row: S, (K18, K2tog) 8x, S.
Work 7 rows plain stockinette.
Next row: S, (K17, K2tog) 8x, S.
Work 7 rows plain stockinette.
Next row: S, (K16, K2tog) 8x, S.
Work 7 rows plain stockinette.
Next row: S, (K15, K2tog) 8x, S.
Work 7 rows plain stockinette.
Next row: S, (K14, K2tog) 8x, S. (120 sts + 2)

Work 33 rows plain stockinette.
Next row (RS): S, P to last st, S.
Next row: S, K10, (K2tog, K38) 2x, K2tog, K28, S. (117 sts + 2)
Next row: S, P to last st, S.

Lace portion: (the stitch count remains the same for every row)

Row 1 (WS): S, K1, *K1, YO, K2tog, K1, K2tog, YO, rep from * to last 3 sts, K2, S.
Row 2: S, K3, *YO, SK2P, YO, K3, rep from * to last st, S.
Row 3: S, K2, *K2tog, YO, K1, YO, K2tog, K1, rep from * to last 2 sts, K1, S.
Row 4: S, K1, K2tog, YO, K3, *YO, SK2P, YO, K3, rep from * to last 4 sts, YO, K2tog, K1, S.

Repeat this 4 row lace pattern for a total of 16 repeats.

Next row (WS): S, (P39, M1) 3x, S. (120 sts + 2)

Final section:

Row 1: S, (K18, K2tog) 6x, S.
Row 2 and all even rows: S, P to last st, S.
Row 3: S, (K17, K2tog) 6x, S.
Row 5: S, (K16, K2tog) 6x, S.
Row 7: S, (K15, K2tog) 6x, S.
Row 9: S, (K14, K2tog) 6x, S.
Row 11: S, (K13, K2tog) 6x, S.
Row 13: S, (K12, K2tog) 6x, S.
Row 15: S, (K11, K2tog) 6x, S.
Row 17: S, (K10, K2tog) 6x, S.
Row 19: S, (K9, K2tog) 6x, S.
Row 21: S, (K8, K2tog) 6x, S.
Row 23: S, (K7, K2tog) 6x, S.
Row 25: S, (K6, K2tog) 6x, S.
Row 27: S, (K5, K2tog) 6x, S.
Row 29: S, (K4, K2tog) 6x, S.
Row 31: S, (K3, K2tog) 6x, S.
Row 33: S, (K2, K2tog) 6x, S.
Row 35: S, (K1, K2tog) 6x, S.
Row 36: S, P to last st, S. (12 sts + 2)

Cut yarn leaving a long tail. With a sewing needle, pass this yarn over the selvedge sts, and thread it through the remaining 12 working sts, twice. Remove knitting needle. Pull yarn tail up tight and knot securely. The use the two tails to sew up the seam along the selvedges, working in mattress st from the right side.

Washing and blocking:

Wash hat same as for scarf. There is no need to block stretch the lace in the hat, it will fall softly. Instead, when hat is washed, fold it along the purl ridge so that there are two layers of fabric in a dome shape, with the lace portion on the inside. Gently stretch the top 4 to 6 inches of this dome over a flat bottom bowl to stretch it out and flatten the top section. You will want a circle of flat knitting at the top of the hat for the best look. Elevate the dome by placing the upside down bowl over something tall, so that the hat sides can hang straight down. As the hat dries, reverse it every so often to dry both layers of fabric. Once dry, fold the double layer of fabric up at the bottom edge for a 3-4 inch brim. The hat can be worn high on the head, or pulled tight against the ears. It may also be rolled at the edge instead of folded, for a cloche.

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If you like the look of this lace:

For a Point d'Esprit Lace Shawl: 21" x 80" with the sawtooth edge on the long sides:
Use 5 skeins of the Rowan Kidsilk Haze and the same needles (US 4).
Cast on loosely over two needles held together, 117 stitches. Remove extra needle.

Set up row: K1, (K1, YO, K2tog, K1, K2tog,YO ) 19x; K1, YO, KP. (119 sts)
Row 1: K2, (K3, YO, SK2P, YO) 19x; K2, YO, KP. (121 sts)
Row 2: K3, (K1, K2tog, YO, K1, YO, K2tog) 19x; K1, YO, K2, KP. (123 sts)
Row 3: Bind off 4 sts knitwise, K2tog, (YO, K3, YO, SK2P) 18x; YO, K3, YO, K2tog, YO, K2, KP. (121 sts)
Row 4: Bind off 4 sts knitwise, (K1, YO, K2tog, K1, K2tog, YO) 19; K1, YO, KP. (119 sts.)

Repeat this 4 row pattern until you have completed 117 repeats.** see note below

Final repeat: Work rows 1, 2 & 3 of the pattern as before.
Row 4: Bind off 4 sts, (K1, YO, K2tog, K1, K2tog, YO) 19; K2 (117 sts.)
Bind off very loosely, 117 sts.

Wash and block as for the scarf, using a blocking dimension of 21" x 80". Or leave the lace unstretched, for a slightly heavier and softer look.

**Special note: If you decide to leave the lace unstretched, the shawl will be smaller. Thus you may prefer to continue working extra repeats until you are nearly out of yarn, saving just enough for the final row and the binding off.

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Point d'Esprit lace also makes beautiful baby blankets, or a fabulous ruffled edge for a bassinet.