To be honest, I absollutely love the look of lace and I really admire those who can knit it so beautifully (and seemingly so quickly too). I have a total fear of lace - well, in knitting it. I don't know why but I just do.
Maybe this is the reason why I fear it... this my friends, is Reid from Knitty. It is so not looking like lace is it? I also goofed up a couple of places - but I have absolutely no clue where so I can't even rip back to it.
I'm using Knit Picks Shine Sport on size 3.50 mm needles, and as I said, it is not looking like lace to me. It started off with some pretty good diagonal diamond shape thingys, but after the first 16 rows somehow that stopped (I'm thinking it is somewhere around the second repeat that I made the goof ups). You can sort of see the diamond shapes if you look at it a certain way, but not as clearly. I am afraid that if I go up a needles size or two (to get the lace look) I will run out of yarn and if I order more, it won't be the same dye lot. I really don't know what to do except frog it and get a different yarn...I was trying to avoid the yarn called for in the pattern because I saw that it was hand wash and I don't think my friend would enjoy that (the sweater is for her daughter).
Ok. Here is where I conquored my fear of knitting lace. I started the Dainty Bess scarf (the green one) from the Elizabeth I patterns from Knit Picks and have finished the first 20 rows, about to start the first repeat - or is that the second?
The yarn is Alpaca Cloud in the Tidepool colourway on size 3.25 mm circular needles. I've not knit with something so fine, so that's a bit of a challenge.
It's looking like a loosely knit blob at present time but in some ways I can see a bit of a pattern, though mostly I don't. I am hoping that when I have finished it and blocked it that the pattern will show up better. In the picture given with the pattern, it looks like the yarn they used was a little thicker though and the pattern just jumps right out at you.
Oh, and this is also what I've accomplished for the Amazing Lace...not much I know, but I feared the lace and also I had to cut way back on my knitting this summer because of carpal tunnel. But, I've at least got some lace to show for it. Maybe I'll be really adventurous and get it all done by the closing date, September 1.
I guess I've got a lot to learn about lace knitting. Oh, and I do have a thread run through for a life line in case I mess up and have to rip back.
Also, for anyone wanting to join the Knittin' Mittens KAL, you still can. There are only about six of us so far, and all knitters are welcome. Click here to go to the Knittin' Mittens blog.
11 comments:
Shelley, your lace knitting is beautiful!!! I have knit lace dishcloths.. but thats where it ends. Well, wait a minute, I made couch pillows one time with a knitted leaf pattern. Hmmm. Forgot about that. Thanks for your comment about the embossing. I do have the embossing powder etc. That is fun to do. I hope I've called my raised letters with the stylus the right name...embossing. not sure. I see you are starting a knit-a-long. That should be fun. I've never knit gloves or mittens. Mittens maybe I could do..but maybe not too..grin.
Lace usually doesn't look too impressive until you're done and block the living daylights out of it. Don't get discouraged.
And I'm a HUGE believer in lifelines!!!
I second everything Lynda said and multiply it by two. Blocking and lifelines are the key to surviving lace. It looks to me like you're making good progress -- you can totally knit lace!
I gave into the lace knitting thing too a while ago. Right now I have a barbie sized triangular wrap.
I'm sure it will grow, one fine day ...
Don't give up on the lace. When you do finish, it looks gorgeous (at least, my friend's projects do))
Just wait till you block it, it will be a totally different creature. The color is gorgeous. The invite for the knittin mitten kal still hasn't come through. Could you try it again? Sorry to be a pain.
I love lace work too, something about it draws you in. When you're done you will be so glad and everyone will think it's beautiful and don't worry about a few mistakes no one but you will see them
i love the lace you are doing! they are gorgeous! blocking is like magic when it comes to lace... you are going to jump up and down with joy after blocking ;)
Thanks everyone! I'm just hoping the sweater will do that too because even the diagonal looking pattern in the Reid sweater (the purple one) at the bottom seems to be lost now...I don't know if I should continue with it or frog it (the sweater, not the scarf...gonna keep going with the scarf)
Shelley thank you so much for your help on the buttons. I'm grabbing them left and right now.
Lace is the only kind of knitting that stumped me, I used to love doing things like cables and twists though.
And I've been to a town with a wool shop and bought half the shop this afternoon. I got wool for my daughter a cardigan, and for leg warmers. I also got huge balls of arran weight wool for crocheting thick blankets.
One of my sons is leaving home and I guess a few blankets would not go a miss.
Lace looks like an "ugly blob", until you block it. Then magic happens!
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