Leaf Lace

Leaf lace shapes little leaves out of the same balance of yarn overs and decreases that drives all knitted lace. Yarn overs opening on either side of a column widen the base of each leaf, mirrored decreases draw it back to a point at the top, and a line of stitches or a central decrease runs up the middle like a vein. Repeated across and up, the leaves tile into a graceful all-over pattern, and single motifs make elegant panels. It is a step up from a plain eyelet lace because the increases and decreases are placed to sculpt a recognisable shape, so a chart is the easiest way to follow it, but the count stays constant on every patterned row and the wrong-side rows are often plain purl. It blocks open into a soft, leafy fabric that suits shawls, scarves, and the yokes of tops. Use a lifeline while you learn it, and block firmly to open the leaves and set their points.