A knitted doily can make a striking accent for a contemporary room, gracefully blending a touch of yesterday with the look of today.

Decades ago, knitted doilies were just as popular as crocheted ones, and this collection ensures that knitters won't feel deprived of lace-making projects.

These seven designs by Rita Weiss show how lacy and elegant knitted doilies can be, to use as a work of art on a table or dramatically framed on a wall. All made using bedspread weight cotton thread, the designs include A Circle of Diamonds (adapted from an 1884 pattern), Springtime Leaves, Lacy Petals, Doily Garden, Elegant Whirly-Gig, Shining Starlight, and Victorian Splendor. Four doilies can be made with or without their sewn-on borders.