Hello, weirdos.

Lace Bandit is a quick lace-knit mask or bandana knitted with big needles and worsted-weight (or DK) yarn. It’s designed as an easy project for a knitter’s first foray into lace knitting, and along the way you’re gonna learn:

• Basic triangular-shawl construction
• The ubiquitous garter-tab cast-on
• Reading and using lace-knitting charts
• a couple neat bobbles
• some basic wet-blocking and pinning techniques
• and lots more!

The size - regardless of your yarn and needles - should be big enough to cover your face (like a bandit mask) with the addition of ties to lace up at the back (and the pattern includes three tie options!). This pattern will work best with worsted or DK weight yarn, on needle sizes from 4mm-6mm, but you could easily knit this with chunky yarn on even bigger needles (possibly to a full-size bandana that doesn’t need ties). Fingering weight yarn might be a challenge unless held double, which is a challenge on its own.

This is a great little project for the end of a ball of yarn or even scraps - it needs roughly 30g of yarn, around 100m (probably less).

Sizing & Materials

Size: varies, as shown: 20” wide by 8” deep, Borgo di Pazzi “Cedro” in I-dunno-what-colour-I-lost-the-label, on US 9 / 5.5mm needles

Gauge: around 16st/4”/20cm but it’s gonna vary a lot so don’t worry about it

Yarn: DK, worsted or aran weight, multi-ply yarn suitable for cable knitting will yield a more distinct textured result. Typically used about 30g of yarn - a 50g ball should be plenty, or the remnants of a ball after knitting a hat!

Needles: US 8-10 / 5-6mm, 24” circular (or straight needles, if you prefer), depending on yarn weight. DK may need a smaller needle, US 6-7,

Other notions: stitch markers, tapestry needle, crochet hook similar size to your needles, pins and mats for wet blocking