Tag Archives: lace shawl

A New Project Emerges!

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I’m so ready for this one, folks!

I showed you my stash yarn last week, and have decided to go ahead and start knitting with some of it.  Specifically, this skein of Local Color Fiber Studio Whole Flock.  It’s deliciously crunchy-looking (and a little crunchy-feeling, despite the angora, but in a good way).IMG_2519 It’s something I’ve been looking for an appropriate pattern for since last winter.  In fact, I was almost to the point where I was going to say “screw it!” and just turn it into a simple garter scarf (boring!).

Since it’s so rustic-looking, I decited to pair it with a kind of feminine, lacy pattern.  But I didn’t want the pattern to be too fru-fru, since that’s not really my style.  So, I poked around on Ravelry for a while, and found this lovely triangular shawl.

It’s the Stone Croft Shawl by Judy Marples!DSC_0051.jpgIt’s a fairly geometric shawl, with a wide band of the “netting” that runs along two sides of the triangle, and a pretty column of faux-cable lace in the middle.  The perfect balance of pretty and femme, without tipping over into “girly.”  And, since the shawl is knit from one point, out to the wide end, I think I’ll be able to use every last scrap of my special yarn (or at least that’s the goal right now).

I’ve already got a few inches under my belt, and I can’t wait to see how it looks all finished up.  I bet this yarn is going to block really well- I’m excited!IMG_2563

Have you started anything new lately?

What’s Old is New Again

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We’re going back. Waaay back. Way back to a month after I started the blog, and the first pattern I self-published.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

It’s the Lace-Edged Shawl! (I was pretty literal with my pattern names back then… I’m still not great at naming things, but I like to think I’ve improved a bit.)OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

This bad boy was my first attempt at writing out a pattern… and holy cow, did that show. So many typos! So many poorly worded sentences! So much incorrect terminology!OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

So, I’ve rewritten this and fixed a bunch of formatting stuff. It’s amazing how much my pattern-writing has improved over the last three years (if I say so myself)!

You can get the *New and Improved* pattern Lace Edged Shawl-Updated!

Help me! I think I have a problem!

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And that problem is that I’m now obsessed with lace shawls.  I can’t stop looking at patterns.  I’ve even gone digging through my stash and found a bunch of yarn I could use .

Sock yarn!

I’ve been collecting sock yarn over the years, and I have a big box of it next to my desk.  Sometimes I open it up and dig around in it just for fun.  But now I think I want to make a lace shawl with some of my sock yarn (despite having absolutely zero time for “fun” knitting right now.)

So here’s your task: talk me out of knitting one of these shawls.

I love the garter stitch body on this one, with the big openwork edge and the chunky braided cable.  Gorgeous and elegant!  Look at those huge eyelets along the edge!  So pretty!

French Cancan by Mademoiselle C

DSC_8833_medium2[1]I love this one, too.  It’s not exactly lace-y, but it is completely beautiful.  And I could use up a bunch of little skeins of leftover yarn to make the gradient stripes!

Song of the Sea by Louise Zass-Bangham

DSC_6050_-_Version_2_medium[1]And how great would this one look with a soft gray garter stitch panel and deep burgundy or forest green for the lace edging?  *Drool.*

Henslowe by Beth Kling

IMG_1366Or, of course, I could (should) just keep on working on the projects I’ve already committed to.  But where’s the fun in that?

Inspiration: Lace Shawls

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All this talk about lace (and blocking lace) has gotten me itching for a new project (despite the fact that I have a million other projects I need to be working on, and I’m working more than 40 hours a week for the summer- Wheee!).

I usually am not terribly girly with my clothes. You can find me more often in flannel and jeans than dresses and lace.  But, I admit- I’m a sucker for a gorgeous lace shawl.

There’s something fantastically satisfying about knitting up something beautiful and complicated- especially with beads.  Lace shawls drape amazingly and are simply gorgeous.  I don’t even wear most of the ones I’ve made over the years.  I have several hanging on my walls as art.

And when I’ve had a bad day, I love ogling lace shawl patterns, and lusting after skeins of luxury lace yarn at my local yarn shop.

Sigh…

Rainshine by Boo Knits

rain3_zpsrsexz0oo_medium2[1]Out of Darkness by Boo Knitsdarkness6_medium2[1]Snow Angel by Boo KnitsIMG_7621_medium2[1]Do you have a guilty knitting pleasure?

Blocking: Lace

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Nothing makes me happier than finishing a big lace project- a shawl, a scarf, or a fancy-pants sweater, and stretching it out across my blocking boards.  There’s something alchemical and transformative about blocking lace.  It’s kind of magical.

You start with a little blob of knits, purls and yarn overs, and toss it in some water to soak.

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It stretches, and changes, and I think I’m going to accidentally rip it in half (especially if it’s something particularly delicate).  But, then, I get it pinned out, and hey, presto!  You can suddenly see all the lovely stitch detail.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAEven when you remove it from the board, the fabric is totally transformed from the ugly knot you started with.  Now, it’s flat, beautiful and incredibly drape-y and wonderful.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAnd, of course, pinning out scallops and points on finished lace shawls always makes them look even better!  (Remember how we tried to avoid stretching the knitting so much that it made points on scarves and socks?  You can do it on purpose now!)

Here are a couple shawls I’ve made over the years with interesting borders:

Panache by Lankakomero

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Aeolian Shawl by Elizabeth Freeman8176172544_3cfd6827e5_z[1]

Knitting lace can be a tedious and slow process, but there’s nothing more satisfying than pulling out the last pin from your dried shawl and looking at your beautiful creation.