Lemon Seed Lace: First in the Vintage Stitch Series

Lemon Seed Lace sample knit in Peaches  and Creme

I am in love with this stitch!  How pretty is this?!

This was published in the NY Tribune on May 29, 1881.  The paper does not specify how one would use this - it looks to me like an edging.  In my video for this stitch, I say it is worked on a multiple of 23 stitches, however, after looking at the pattern again, I believe it is just the 23 stitches - if there is a way to widen the fabric, I cannot find instructions on how to do so.  So, yes, I would say this is to be used as an edging - maybe use a nice lace weight yarn and then sew it on to the top of a curtain is what is on my mind right now.  I have been itching to knit a curtain for my back door; but as I don't have time to knit a whole curtain, this would probably scratch my itch were I to just get a plain white piece of fabric to use as the curtain, and add this to the top.  

This is not a stitch pattern you can sit down and knit while watching TV - it requires a bit of attention.  At least for me it does.

Special Notes: 

1. In Row 1, YO[4] means you will make a yarn over 4 times - wrap your yarn 4 times around the needle to make 4 new stitches (this part is in the video).
2. In the second row, when you come to those extra yarn overs, you will be working each of them as a separate stitch - you will not work the first wrap and then drop the rest as you would for a drop stitch pattern.  You need the extra stitches to make the pattern work.  Row 2 begins by knitting 5 stitches - the 5th stitch will be knit into the first wrap (This is in the video too, so if you can't picture it in your head, don't worry!)  
3. Row 5, K2TOG[2] - Knit two together twice
4. Row 7 - K3TOG is not a typo - knit three stitches together.  This can be a little tricky - put your needle into each stitch separately and give it a little wiggle to help loosen the stitches; this should help you work all of them at the same time.
5. In Row 11, PSSO means you will pass the slipped stitch over the K2TOG

Cast on 23 stitches

Row 1:  K3, YO, K2TOG, K3, YO, K1, YO, K5, YO, K2TOG, YO, K2TOG, YO [4], K2TOG, YO, K2TOG, K1

Row 2: K5, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K13, YO, K2TOG, K1

Row 3: K3, YO, K2TOG, K1, K2TOG, YO, K3, YO, K2TOG, K3, YO, K2TOG, K1, YO, K2TOG, K4, YO, K2TOG, K1

Row 4: K8, P1, K2, P1, K13, YO, K2TOG, K1

Row 5: K3, YO, K2TOG [2], YO, K5, YO, K2TOG, K2, YO, K2TOG, K2, YO, K2TOG, K3, YO, K2TOG, K1

Row 6: K7, P1, K3, P1, K13, YO, K2TOG, K1

Row 7: K3, YO, K3TOG, YO, K2TOG, K3, K2TOG, YO, K2TOG, K1, YO, K2TOG, K3, YO, K2TOG, K2, YO, K2TOG, K1

Row 8: K6, P1, K4, P1, K11, YO, K2TOG, K1

Row 9: K3, YO, K2TOG, K1, YO, K2TOG, K1, K2TOG, YO, K3, YO, K2TOG, K4, YO, K2TOG, K1, YO, K2TOG, K1

Row 10: K5, P1, K5, P1, K11, YO, K2TOG, K1

Row 11: K3, YO, K2TOG, K2, YO, SL 1, K2TOG, PSSO, YO, K4, YO, K2TOG, K5, YO, K2TOG, YO, K2TOG, K1

Row 12: BIND OFF 3 STS, K7, P1, K11, YO, K2TOG, K1

Repeat these 12 rows for desired length.

Now, here is the video.  This is far too long a stitch pattern to do the whole thing, so I have shown only how to do the quadruple yarn over in Row 1, and then how to work those extra stitches in Row 2.  I also show how to bind off the first 3 stitches in the last row, just in case you have never done this before.