2 Ply Knitting Patterns

What 2 ply knitting actually involves

Two ply, also called lace weight or cobweb, is knitted at anything from 28 to 40 stitches over 10cm depending on the pattern and the needle. Designers rarely use it for plain stocking stitch; the point of a yarn this fine is the way it behaves in openwork, where yarn overs and decreases create holes that only resolve into a pattern after blocking. Until that moment, a 2 ply shawl looks like a crumpled dishcloth. That is normal, and it is the single thing that most surprises people knitting lace for the first time.

The patterns gathered here range from small triangular shawls that need one skein, through rectangular stoles and circular pi shawls, to heirloom christening robes and fine baby shawls worked in traditional Shetland style. Sizes and quantities are given in the pattern; work to the yardage rather than a ball count, because lace weight skeins vary enormously in metres.

Choosing a pattern by experience

• New to lace: a garter stitch shawl with a simple eyelet border. Garter is forgiving, the edges do not curl and you only concentrate on the patterned rows.
• Building confidence: a charted triangular shawl with a four or eight row repeat, where you can learn to read your knitting rather than counting every stitch.
• Stretching yourself: patterned rows on both right and wrong sides, nupps, and borders knitted on sideways at the end.
• A long project: a full circular or square shawl, or a christening gown, which can run to tens of thousands of stitches.

Needles, notions and the small kit that helps

Slightly blunt tips make lace easier than very sharp ones if you tend to split yarn, but most lace knitters prefer sharp tips for working two and three stitches together. A long circular needle holds hundreds of stitches comfortably even when the piece is knitted flat. Lifelines are the real safety net: thread fine smooth cotton through a completed row every repeat, and any mistake costs you a few rows rather than the whole shawl. Stitch markers between repeats let you catch an error within one section instead of across the row. Keep the chart on a magnetic board or a printed copy you can tick off.

Yarn choice and how much you need

Wool and wool blends block hardest and hold the opened stitches best, which is why traditional Shetland lace is knitted in pure wool. Silk and silk blends give weight and shine with more drape and less spring, so a silk shawl hangs rather than fluffs. Mohair blends are forgiving of uneven tension because the halo hides it, but they are extremely difficult to unpick. A generous shawl typically wants 800 to 1,000 metres; small shoulder shawls and scarves are often a single 400 metre skein.

Blocking, which is not optional

Soak the finished piece in lukewarm water with a little wool wash for twenty minutes, press out the water in a towel without wringing, then pin it out under firm tension. Blocking wires threaded through the edge stitches give straight sides; pins alone will scallop. Stretch further than feels comfortable, leave it until bone dry, and the fabric will hold its shape. Points on a border should be pinned individually.

2 ply knitting questions

Is 2 ply the same as lace weight? In practice yes, though ply counts are a traditional description rather than a strict standard. Always check the pattern's stated tension.

Can a beginner knit with 2 ply yarn? Yes, starting with a garter stitch shawl. The stitches are ordinary; only their size and number are different.

What needle size should I use? Patterns commonly call for 2.5mm to 4mm, larger than you would expect, because open fabric is the aim.

How do I fix a dropped stitch in lace? Secure it with a locking marker at once, then use a fine crochet hook to work it back up, following the chart row by row.

How do I wash a finished lace shawl? Hand wash gently and re-block each time, or the openwork will gradually close up.