Lace knitting doesn’t have to be complicated to be pretty. This easy 4-row lace pattern is a good example of how a simple repeat can create an elegant, airy fabric, with a slightly organic feel to it. Because the pattern is worked over just four rows, it’s also easy to memorize. It’s especially suitable for scarves, shawls, and lightweight garments. Please keep in mind, though, that I worked the above swatch in a worsted weight acrylic. When you knit this stitch pattern in a yarn that blocks out nicely, say a wool or cotton yarn, it opens up a lot more than it looks like here.
This stitch pattern is worked as a multiple of 6 stitches + 1, and in a four-row repeat. Please note that I’ve added 2 edge stitches in garter stitch on both sides of the swatch. Also, I like to use the skp left-leaning decrease, but you can use another left-leaning decrease for a similar result.
Materials used
Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, in the color Vintage Pink.
Knitting needles: This is a pair of straights that I picked up at the second-hand store when I started knitting, brand unknown.
Stitches used
- k – knit
- k2tog – knit 2 stitches together
- p – purl
- skp – slip a stitch knit-wise, knit 1, pass the slipped stitch over.
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- yo – yarn over
Easy 4-row lace instructions
Row 1 (right side): K1, *k1, yo, k2tog, yo, skp, k1*; rep *-* to 1 st before end.
Row 2 (wrong side): Purl.
Row 3: K1, *yo, k2tog, k1, skp, yo, k1*; rep *–* to 1 st before end.
Row 4: Purl.
Repeat rows 1-4 for pattern until desired length.
In the below pictures, you see the patterning first from the right, and then also from the wrong side of the fabric:
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