Candlelight Lace Curtain
designed by Carol Schoenfelder May 2009 I fell in love with lace curtains while living in Kent, England. I started making this curtain for my daughter's bathroom in NJ a couple years ago. I figured Id knitted a couple of shawls. How much harder could a curtain be? Afer a few false starts getting the width right, I was happily knitting. Then we moved. Eventually, it started to become my over-the-sink kitchen curtain. The hardest part of the curtain is making the pocket/sleeve/case for the curtain rod to slip through. The method here seems the simplest of the ways I thought of. The main part of the curtain is based on the Candlelight pattern (from the Encyclopedia of Knitting by Stanfield and Griffths). The edging is the reverse of Shadow Rib (from the same book). The Chevron Lace pattern for the top is based on Fancy Pattern # 17 from Cindy Moore's “the Art of Knitting 1897".
Materials:
1750 yds size 10 mercerized cotton crochet thread (for a pair of curtains each 31”' wide by $36^{\circ}$ high) 2 sets of size 4 needles (The second set is used in knitting a sleeve for the curtain rod.)
Gauge:
16 rows of Candlelight pattern $=2^{\circ}$ (after blocking). Abbreviations: K: Knit P: Purl Slip 1: Slip 1 st purlwise with yarn in front (used in the unusual edging) K tbl: Knit through back loop P tbl: Purl through back loop K2tog: Knit 2 sts together (a right-leaning single decrease) Ssk: Slip-slip-knit (a left-leaning single decrease): slip 1 st knitwise (from LHN to RHN), slip the next st knitwise (from LHN'
to RHN), knit the 2 sts together through the back loop ndd: non-leaning double decrease: slip 1 st knitwise (from LHN to RHN),slip 2 sts together knitwise (from LHN to RHN), knit the 3 sts together through the back loop Note: I used cdd (centered double decrease) instead of ndd in the curtains I made for myself. (I started out using cdd's and didn't think it worth the effort to start over.) cdd: centered double decrease: slip 2 sts together knitwise (from LHN to RHN), slip 1 st knitwise (from LHN to RHN), knit the 3 sts together through the back loop
Notes:
Ideally, the width of the curtain should be between $1~\%$ and 3 times the width of the window. Start new balls of thread at the beginning of a row. Then weave in the loose ends along the sides of the curtain. Row 1: Slip 1, k7, k2tog, yo, $<\!\mathrm{k}1$ , yo, sk, k5, k2tog, $y0\mathrm{>}$ (repeat to 11 sts before end), kl, yo, sk, k7, p1 Row 2 (and all even rows): Slip 1, $<\!\!\mathrm{k}1$ tllb, $\mathfrak{p}1\textgreater$ twice, purl to 4 sts from the end, $<\!\!\mathrm{k}1$ tlb, $\mathfrak{p}1\textgreater$ twice Row 3: Slip 1, k6, k2tog, kl, yo, $<\!\!\mathrm{k}1$ yo, k, sk,ktog,k, y>(reeat to 1 sts before end, k, yo, k1, ssk, k6, pl Row5: Slp1,k5, ktog, k, yo, k1, yo,k, ssk, k, ktog,k, y>(reat to sts before end,k, yo, k2, ssk, k5, p1 Row7: Slp1,k4, ktog,k3, y,<k, yo,k3, ndd, k3, y>(repeat to11 sts befre end),k, yo,k3,ssk, k4, p1 Row9: Slip 1, k5, yo, ssk, k2, <k3, ktog, yo, kl, yo, ssk, $\mathtt{k2}>$ (repeat to11 sts before end),k3, ktg. yo, k5, p1 Row 1i: Slip 1, k5, yo, kl, sk, kl, <k2, k2tog, kl, yo, kl, yo, kl, sk, $\mathrm{kl}{>}$ (repeat to 11 sts before end), k2, k2tog, k1, yo, k5, p1 Row13:,ky,k, ss, k, tg,k, yo,k, yo,, ss $>$ (repeat t11 sts before end,k k2tog, k2, yo, k5, p1 Row 15: Slip 1, k5, yo, k3, <ndd, k3, yo, kl, yo, $k3\mathrm{>}$ (repeat to 1 sts before end), ndd, k3, yo, k5, pl
Darkened candlelight pattern
the same as Candlelight pattern except: Row 2 (and all even rows): Slip 1, $<\!\!\mathrm{k}1$ tb, $\mathfrak{p}1\textgreater$ twice, purl to 4 sts from the end, purling all yo's tbl, $<\!\!\mathrm{k}1$ tlb, $\mathfrak{p}1\textgreater$ twice
Chevron Lace A
Row 1: Slip 1,k7, k2tog, yo, $<\!\mathrm{k}1$ , yo, ssk, k5, k2tog, $y0\mathrm{>}$ (repeat to 11 sts before end), k1, yo, ssk, k7, p1 Row 2 (and all even rows): Slip 1, $<\!\!\mathrm{k}1$ tlb, $\mathfrak{p}1\textgreater$ twice, purl to 4 sts from the end, $<\!\!\mathrm{k}1$ tlb, $\mathfrak{p}1\textgreater$ twice Row 3: Slip 1, k6, k2tog, yo, kl, $<\!\mathrm{k}2$ yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, $\mathrm{kl}\!>$ (repeat to 11 sts before end), kl, yo, ssk, k6, p1 Row 5: Slip 1, k5, k2tog, yo, k2, $\mathbf{<}\mathbf{k}3$ , yo, ssk, kl, k2tog, yo, $\mathtt{k2}>$ (repeat to 11 sts before end), k3, yo, ssk, k5, p1 Row 7: Slip 1, k4, k2tog, yo,k3, $\mathrm{<k4}$ yo, nd, yo,. $\mathbf{k}3\mathrm{>}$ (repeat to 11 sts bfore end),k4, yo, ssk, k4,pl Row 9: Slip 1, k4, yo, k2tog, k3, $<\!\mathrm{k}5$ , yo, k2tog, $k3\mathrm{>}$ (repeat to 11 sts before end), k5, yo, k2tog, k3, p1
Chevron Lace B
Row 1: Slip 1,k5, yo, ssk, k2, $\mathbf{<}\mathbf{k}3$ , k2tog, yo, kl, yo, ssk, $\mathtt{k2}>$ (repeat to 11 sts before end), k3, k2tog,. yo, k5, p1 Row 2 (and all even rows): Slip 1, $<\!\!\mathrm{k}1$ tlb, $\mathfrak{p}1\textgreater$ twice, purl to 4 sts from the end, $<\!\!\mathrm{k}1$ tllb, $\mathfrak{p}1\textgreater$ twice Row 3: Slip 1, k6, yo, ssk, kl, $<\!\mathrm{k}2$ , k2tog, yo, k3, yo, sk, $\mathrm{kl}{>}$ (repeat to 1 sts bfore end), k, yo, k2tog, k6, p1 Row5: Slip 1, k7, yo, ssk, <k1, k2tog, yo, k5, yo, ssk $>$ (repeat to 11 sts before end),kl, k2tog, yo, k7, p1 Row 7: Slip 1, k8, yo, <ndd, yo, k7, ${\mathrm{yo}}{\mathrm{>}}$ (repeat to 11 sts before end), ndd, yo, k8, pl Row 9: Slip 1, k9, <yo, k2tog, $\mathrm{k}8\mathrm{>}$ (repeat to 11 sts before end), yo, k2tog, k8, p1
Instructions:
Main part of curtain:
Cast on 191 sts (1 st plus a multiple of 10 sts). I used a knitted cast on. (Turn.) Knit to 1 st before end. Purl 1. Begin working the Candlelight pattern, starting with row 1. Work the pattern to 1” less than the length below the bottom of the curtain rod (blocked length). Stop or pattern row 8 (or 16). Work 8 rows of the Darkened Candlelight pattern starting with row 9 (or 1).
Sleeve for curtain rod:
Slip 1 st (the $1^{\mathrm{{st}}}$ st) to Needle 1. \* Slip the next st to Needle 2, yo on Needle 1, k1 to Needle 1, repeat from \* to the end of the row. (191 sts on Needle 1. 95 sts on Needle 2.) Then working only with the sts on Needle 1: Slip 1, $<\!\mathrm{k}1$ tlb, $\mathfrak{p}1\textgreater$ twice, purl to 4 sts from the end, purling yo's tbl, $<\!\mathrm{k}1$ tlb, $\mathfrak{p}1\textgreater$ twice Work either 8 or 16 rows of the Darkened Candlelight pattern starting with row 1 (or 9). (The number of rows depends on the height of the curtain rod.) I worked 8 rows. Break yarn. Working only with the sts on Needle 2: Slip 1, \* yo, k1, repeat from \* to end of row (189 sts) Row 1: Slip 1, $<\!\!\mathrm{k}1$ tlb, $\mathfrak{p}1\textgreater$ twice, purl to 4 sts from the end, purling yo's tbl, $<\!\!\mathrm{k}1$ tlb, $\mathfrak{p}1\!>$ twice Row 2: Slip 1, knit to 1 st before end, p1 Repeat Rows 1-2 until the number of rows is the same as the number of rows for the front part of the sleeve. Repeat Rows 1-2 once or twice more depending on the depth of the curtain rod. (I repeated Rows 1-2 once more for a total of 10 rows.) To finish the sleeve: Slip 1 st from Needle 1 onto a third 2 onto the third needle, repeat from \* to 1 st from end of Needle 1. (All sts from Needle 2 have been worked.) Purl the last st on Needle 1 to the third needle.
Turn. Repeat Row 1:
Curtain top:
Whether to work Chevron Lace A or B to finish off the curtain depends on the last Candlelight row worked. If the last Darkened Candlelight pattern row that was worked was a row 16, then work Chevron Lace A. If the last Darkened Candlelight pattern row that was worked was a row 8, then work Chevron Lace B. (I worked Chevron Lace B.) Knit across (WS). Bind off. (Iused a yo bo: k1, \* yo, kl, pass 2 sts over, repeat from \* to end of row.)
Finishing:
Weave in loose ends (along sides). Since this is cotton, place curtain in hot water to begin the blocking process. It can be washed in a mild detergent also, if desired. Block to desired height. Enjoy. 987654321
+0 slip purlwise wyif on RS and also WS yo ssk K3tog - non-leaning k2tog pur on RS, knit on WS knit on RS, purl on RS knit tbl on WS
