Versa Lace Resources

Welcome to the world of versa lace (reversible lace)!

Versa lace in different yarn weights: super bulky, worsted, fingering, lace.
All are good!

Versa lace is based on working lace patterns across a "ground cloth" of 1×1 ribbing instead of stockinette or garter stitch. If you have encountered Lily Chin's ribble technique for reversible cables, you will quickly recognize the relationship.

I thought it might be helpful to have links to all the versa lace resources in one location. On this page you will find links to all the blog posts, video, and patterns. As I add more techniques and more patterns I will link from them here as well. I hope you enjoy working versa lace as much as I do!

Tutorials, including video

The original blog post about versa lace, from January 2016.

Terminology including yarn over versus reverse yarn over, stitch facings/stitch mounts, or needle positions (knitwise, purlwise, knit through the back of the loop, purl up through the back of the loop)
this blog post from May 2016; or you can watch the videos on YouTube: yarn over versus reverse yarn over, stitch facings, and four needle positions.

Italian cast-on is here on the blog or here on YouTube.
Tubular cast-on in the round is here on the blog and here on YouTube.
Centered cast-on — such as for a circular shawl — is here on the blog and here on YouTube.

Ssk (left-leaning decrease) and k2tog (right-leaning decrease) worked reversibly are here on the blog. On YouTube the left-leaning decrease is here and the right-leaning decrease is here.
Centered double decrease worked reversibly is here on the blog and here on YouTube.
Double decrease worked reversibly is here on the blog and here on YouTube.
Centered 5 into 1 (quadruple) decrease worked reversibly is here on the blog and here on YouTube.

Double yarn-overs are here on the blog and here on YouTube.
Yarn-over make-1 increases worked reversibly come in two varieties. Left-leaning yarn-over make 1 increases are here on YouTube and the right-leaning version is here on YouTube.
K-yo-k (knit-yarn over-knit) double increase worked reversibly is here on the blog and here on YouTube.
3-stitch i-cord selvedge is here on the blog. On YouTube you'll want to look at transitioning from Italian cast-on into i-cord and transitioning from i-cord into tubular bind-off. Since making these videos, I have since learned it is much easier to simply use a 2-stitch or 4-stitch i-cord (stick to even numbers!).

Binding off at a point by grafting two stitches together and then weaving in an end vertically are here on the blog and here on YouTube.

Patterns

The easiest pattern is Juniperus ficus scarf. This is a 4-row lace with 2 resting rows and 2 action rows. The two action rows are identical in sequence, they merely start at different points in the sequence. The pattern uses left-leaning and right-leaning decreases and double yarn-overs. This is the pattern I give out in the Introduction to Versa Lace class.

Disrupt appeared in the Summer 2017 issue of Cast On magazine. The pattern is only slightly harder than Juniperus ficus, as it is 8 rows leaning one direction and 8 rows leaning the other. Once again, action on right-side rows only; so 8 action rows with only 2 different sequences and 8 resting rows.

Viridi pinnam shawl is also a basic lace. It has a more complicated sequence, and the pattern is 24 rows long, 12 resting rows and 12 action rows. Although it is more complex, it still uses only left-leaning and right-leaning decreases and double yarn-overs.

Delimited is a pattern for a möbius cowl or plain scarf. This is a basic lace. In this case, it is an 8 row repeat, 4 resting rows and 4 action rows. Worked as a plain scarf, this is a basic pattern for learning. Worked as a cowl, you'll need the advanced skill of grafting versa lace in pattern.

Assiduous is a pattern for both a hat and a scarf. The pattern is a six-row repeat, so just a smidgen harder than Juniperus ficus. The pattern also contains directions for a hat worked from the brim towards the crown. This gives you a chance to learn the technique (and the cast-on) both back and forth and in the round. And because I wanted to play, I even added an option for beads.

Za-Zing was a mystery knit-along for Georgia FiberFest 2016. It uses the same basic reversible lace skills, but it also has some shaping.  It also includes how to work a purl ridge reversibly.

Kennesaw Kudzu includes directions for tube socks and a hat, both worked from the same charts and directions and worked from a center-out cast-on. The lace is intermediate in that the stitch count varies between odd-numbered and even-numbered rounds. The unusual bind-off creates a dramatic effect.

Mach Wave is a center-out möbius cowl using feather and fan lace pattern worked reversibly. If you work this as a plain cylinder, it is a good second project for a versa lace beginner. The möbius cast-on is the skill-building part.

Alacrity mitts were designed for The Whole Nine Yarns Christmas in July 2016. I specifically planned these to add the skills of working in the round, reversible double increases, and reversible centered double decreases. They also incorporate a reversible 5 into 1 decrease at the bottom of the thumb gusset.

Kintla möbius cowl is a more advanced pattern available only to members of Center for Knit and Crochet. Kintla includes basic versa lace, a ribble reversible cable, and a 3-stitch i-cord selvedge. If you work Kintla as a scarf, it is not much more difficult than Juniperus ficus or Viridi pinnam. If you work it as a cowl, the grafting in pattern makes it an advanced project.

Classes
I live in the Atlanta metropolitan area. I have taught at shows in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Utah. I have taught for guilds in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. (My full résumé is here.) Because of the fortunate geography of Atlanta, it is easy for me to drive to most of the southeast or fly almost anywhere.

If you would like me to come teach for your shop, guild, or festival, you can contact me through Ravelry. My user name is Jolie. To learn more about the versa lace classes, please follow the links below.
Introduction to Versa Lace
Intermediate Versa Lace
Versa Lace (all day workshop)

Pattern Support
If you represent a shop and would like to borrow a sample garment:
Assiduous uses FibraNatura Whisper Lace (a wool & silk blend, lace weight) in the mallow colorway. I've also worked a hat in Knit Picks Bare Palette Fingering (wool, fingering weight).
Za-Zing uses Camelid Cottage Gradient (alpaca-silk blend, fingering weight) in the raspberry colorway.
Alacrity uses The Fibre Company Road to China Light (a fingering-weight luxury yarn) in the lapis colorway
Kennesaw Kudzu uses Fiber Charmer Shangri-La (a regionally hand-dyed sock yarn) in the emerald colorway and Tale Spun Yarns Heavy Sport (a springy sport weight wool-nylon blend) in a basic forest green.
Viridi pinnam uses Pacolet Valley Fiber Company Southern Exposure (a sport-weight organic cotton).
Juniperus ficus uses Feza Yarns Harvest worsted (a multi-ply wool) in the fig colorway. This yarn has since been renamed Urth Harvest Worsted.
Mach Wave uses Wool2dye4 Tweed Worsted (a 3-ply wool) in my custom hand-dyed colorway.
Delimited uses Cascade Yarns Tangiers (an Aran-weight silk blend) in color 3 Geometric, which is a rainbow colorway.
Kintla uses Cascade Yarns Baby Alpaca Chunky (a bulky-weight alpaca). However, I gave the cowl away; thus I do not have it available for trunk shows.
Disrupt uses Anzula Burly (a bulky wool-nylon-cashmere blend) in the Petunia colorway.

If you would like to make a shop sample — perhaps in yarns that you carry? — please get in touch with me on Ravelry. My Ravelry name is Jolie.