Ladder Lace Stitch

A satisfyingly symmetrical lace knitting stitch which creates the illusion of vertical ladders.

Pros of Ladder Lace Stitch:

  • It’s visually symmetrical
  • Can be knit in the round

Cons of Ladder Lace Stitch:

  • It almost lays flat, but not quite. It’s manageable if you’re okay with a little stockinette roll on the edge.
  • It requires a lot of ssk and k2tog, which is slower than normal knits and purls.

Abbreviations:

  • k: knit
  • ssk: slip the next two stitches knitwise, then knit them together from the righthand needle
  • k2tog: knit 2 stitches together
  • yo: yarnover

Instructions for knitting Ladder Lace:

Knitting Flat:

Cast on a multiple of 6+3 stitches (9, 15, etc)

Row 1 (rs): k2, *ssk, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, repeat from * to last stitch, k1
Row 2 (ws): purl
Repeat rows 1 & 2 until desired length is reached.

In the Round:

Cast on a multiple of 6 stitches

Round 1: *k1, ssk, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round
Round 2: knit
Repeat rounds 1 & 2 until desired length is reached.

Chart:

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