Lace is a very light form of garment. It looks very airy, often appears transparent. The yarn that is normally chosen for lace is the finest available and appropriately termed "spiderweb". The techniques involved are yarnovers combined with decreases of different sorts. The use of fairly thick needles with thin yarn make the work even lighter. Patterns can be achieved by gathering stitches, nupps, and the arrangement of yarnovers very close to one another.

Old traditional lace patterns can be found in Estonia and Shetland. The major appeal of lace work is its incredible lightness. It is entirely possible to work a square metre of shawl with only 50 grams of yarn.