Knitting & Crocheting Glossary: L

lace: A fabric knitted or crocheted in ornamental designs with various-sized holes.

lacet: A fancy crochet stitch that looks somewhat like a V and is worked across five stitches or the width of two spaces.

LH needle: Left-hand needle; the knitting needle that you hold in your left hand.

lifeline: A slick, smooth strand of floss or yarn that you thread with a tapestry needle through the last row of stitches below a mistake you've made in knitted lace, which allows you to put stitches back on your needle if you rip out too many when correcting the mistake.

linen: A yarn, cloth, or thread made of flax, a plant fiber.

live: Description of a stitch that's still on the knitting needle.

long stitch; spike: A single crochet stitch that you work into either the tops of stitches or spaces between stitches one or more rows below the current row, creating a vertical spike of yarn that extends over several rows of stitches.

loop: 1. The section of yarn wrapped around your crochet hook or knitting needle with which you work to form new stitches. 2. Three or more crochet chain stitches worked in a row.