Entrelac (meaning “interlace”) is a decorative form of knitting which gives the appearance of woven strips. It is usually seen in a stocking (stockingette) stitch version, but can be worked in garter or other stitches too. Entrelac is knitted as a series of rectangles at 90-degree angles to one other, and looks far more complicated and fiddly than it actually is. Instructions for entrelac knitting can be found here.
Because each band of rectangles is worked in the opposite direction to the previous row, entrelac knitting produces a firm knitted fabric which is flexible enough for garments without having too much “stretch”.
Uses of Entrelac
Entrelac knitting is a great way to use up leftover balls and oddments from your yarn stash. Working each row of rectangles in a different colour gives an interesting effect to the work and would be perfect for a blanket or a bag.
When combing yarns, however, make sure that all of the yarns being used are of the same gauge. The best way to test this is to knit a tension swatch in plain stocking stitch in each yarn, to ensure that they are compatible and your finished entrelac piece will have an even appearance.
Entrelac also works well with variegated and random-dyed yarns, as the subtle patterning shows up to colour changes in the yarn. When working in a yarn such as Noro Kureyon, for example, the pattern gives subtle colour changes without the need to break the yarn at the end of each row. This is also a technique which can produce stunning results when worked in yarn with a high wool percentage, and felted.
Limitations and Shaping.
Because of the structure of the knitted fabric, this technique works best in panels. For example, if planning a sweater in entrelac, keep the shaping simple, such as having the sleeve the same width all the way down. Add a long ribbed section at the end, to pull the sleeve into a cuff.
For smaller items a panel or border of entrelac can give a very effective finish. For example, add a few rows of entrelac to the brim of a hat, or the leg of a sock for a beautiful design detail.
Some shaping is possible, such as working smaller rectangles as you knit through the piece, but remember that this will usually need to happen all of the way across the row and the shaping produced will have a three dimensional, “dome” effect. This is ideal for hats and bags, but would be unsuccessful for jackets or sweaters.
It can be seen, therefore, that entrelac knitting is a simple but versatile technique which adds variety to knitting without having to learn a difficult new skill.
It produces impressive results and can be used in a wide variety of projects.
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