Archive of Thread: Thread Lace Back

5 years ago
Thread lace has also been called punch lace. It is worked with 2 strands of yarn - one very thin (thread) and the other a medium weight.  The contrast of the yarns is what produces the lace effect.  I always thought of this as fairisle, using the 2 weights of yarn.

You don't use a lace carriage, it's the very thin yarn that leaves "holes" and the appearance of lace.  I've heard of folks using mono-filament, like a clear serger thread for this technique (something that won't melt)

One thing to keep in mind is the floats - just like fairisle the fine yarn is carried across the back of the work. 

I created this sample for you - forgive the color combination, but the yellow really shows the "lace"

5 years ago
Thanks Sue.  I will try it.

5 years ago

After talking about drive lace vs punch lace at my 10/2/19 knitting meeting, I took on the task of experimenting with punch lace.  I experimented using my Studio 280 punchcard, using card 18-A from original set of punchcards that come with machine. Here are my observations:

 

Scan 1: This is using a dark teal Tamm Star (2/10) yarn as the MY, with color 2, the contrast color, in a nylon sewing thread -- the kind we use to quilt with on sewing machines. The bottom of the swatch started at T7, and I gradually reduced to T4 at the top of the swatch to get smaller holes.

 

Scan 2: Bottom of page 2, same card 18, using a Tamm Diamante yarn (2/8) as the MY and crochet cotton size 10 in a dark teal color (the kind we use to make doilies with) as the contrast #2 yarn, T 7 still, and got a completely different look. This shows the PURL side of the fabric that faces me when I'm knitting.   The crochet cotton, even at size 10, is too heavy for the look you're supposed to get with punch lace. However, maybe a size 20 would be better. But -- I certainly got an interesting 3-dimensional looking fabric; it rather looks like a type of plating to me, and an easy way to achieve it, at that!

 

Scan 3:   Bottom: This is the KNIT side (side not facing me while knitting) of Page 2 above. Doesn't look anything like punch lace.

 

Scan 3: Top: This is using same yarns as Page 2, but with F-I setting on. So, I discovered I have a whole other source of "yarn" in the house with tons of balls of crochet thread around.

5 years ago
Sorry, fellow knitters, but the pictures didn't scan-in in the order I meant them to.  So Picture 1 at left (page 1) is really Scan 3.  Picture 2 (page 2, middle pic), is really Scan 1.  Picture 3 (page 3) is really Scan 2.

5 years ago
Sandee, thanks for sharing!

Your "discovery" made me smile!

[QUOTE username=SANDEE GIMBLETT  SANDEE GIMBLETT userid=6382543 postid=1309700743]

So, I discovered I have a whole other source of "yarn" in the house with tons of balls of crochet thread around.

[/QUOTE]