Kntting with Debbie Bliss Rialto Lace

[WhereBeThatBlackbirdTo]

Which needles would you use for knitting with lace yarn? My standard steel ones are a right pain - the yarn first sticks then slips off.

I found this free pattern using one ball of Debbie Bliss Lace and was all excited to knit it.

The pattern is a total nightmare to keep track of and the needles are making it so difficult that I may give up and try a simpler pattern. The annoying thing is that I have knitted much more intricate styles in the dim and distant past and so I know I can do it.

I'm so disappointed. I was looking forward to working with my first ball of 'proper' yarn after many months using Stylecraft.

Bamboo needles are smoother so I'd probably use those for lace yarn? Maybe 4mm, I really don't like to go smaller than that as it's too fiddly.

It seems quite hard, at least to begin with to use a silk thread with a 4mm needle.
Bamboo is less slippy, so the yarn may stay on better. Using a circular needle is a very good idea. For keeping track of the pattern could I suggest two things:
It looks to me that the pattern repeat is 16 stitches and 16 rows.
So: 1 Get a piece of thread in a contrasting colour and lay this in between stitch 16 of the first pattern and stitch one of the new pattern. Then every time you finish a repeat count whether you still have 16 stitches. It slows you down but not as much as having to unpick it all the while. After a few repeats you may be able to see where you are going, but don't be in too much of a hurry.

1. Use a row counter at the end of your needle or separately if you are using a circular needle.

These two things should keep you on track.

I have some bamboo needles somewhere so I'll try those, thankyou.

As for the pattern - I did the first 16 rows successfully, row counting as I went, then became a bit smug with myself and how clever I was and stopped concentrating so hard. Then when I made a mistake it was so hard to unpick that I had to unravel the whole lot!

I can also knitting with this wool at the moment.
With lace, it really pays to put in a lifeline after each pattern repeat,so that if you do have to unravel,you only go as far as the lifeline.

*am, not can.

I struggled to unravel this one because of the k1tbl stitches and all the yf's!

You have inspired me to give it another go!

Any unravelling tips this time? (Along with the pattern marker line)

Just take it slow and easy,especially stitches knit together.If you tug quickly, it can make the stitches pull together more tightly and make it harder to unravel.

Bamboo knitting needles changed my life! Had previously been knitting lace scarf on conventional metal needles, stitches forever slipping off etc etc. Forever taking rows out, going back, picking up stitches.

Also helpful was writing out pattern on cards, one row per card. Was knitting from v old magazine page, and forever getting rows mixed up.

Have only recently read about a lifeline, sounds like a good idea!

ibbydibby your scarf is lovely!

Thank you! I made that one 18 months ago. just completed second one today! And posted off to friend for birthday pressie. Made first one on metal needles, pulled out and started again many many times, mainly due to dropped stitiches (slightest movement and they fall off!). Second one started early last year, left to languish for months, picked it up again,sliding stitch problem again. Much pulling out and starting again. Until I discovered bamboo!

Scarf is knitted in 2 halves, which are grafted together. First time round seemed easy. Last time involved much shouting and swearing. To the point where DH was looking at it and the pile of instruction books beside me...the thought of him trying to do it was enough to spur me on..