Day Four: A New Skill
Fourth Edition is taking part in the Knitting & Crocheting Blog Week, and you can read more about that blog project here.
I knit a lot of lace. One of my favourite projects ever was my Ceramium shawl (or "Glaminaria" has it was dubbed by friends), my version of the Laminaria shawl. The pattern was always interesting, just on the right side of challenging and extremely fun to knit.
I so wish I knew how to design intricate lace shawls because, my word, I enjoy knitting them. I do not aspire to Laminaria-esque heights (i.e. intricate Estonian stitches, modular stitch count, jaw-dropping beauty), but I have these ideas in my head about angular shapes growing into elaborate edgings. You see, I like my early 20th Century art and architecture (Cubism, Bauhaus, Art Deco) and would love to approach lace knitting using that sort of formalised, geometric "language".
Alas, I have no idea how to go about all this.
I have knitted a triangular shawl of my own design, Bruges, but mine was a very simple idea: I wanted to use a chunky wool and combine it with a fine edging. The yarn did most of the hard work for me as the chunky wool was self-striping (and I opened it up with a few k2tog, YO rows) and the fine wool, my beloved Kidsilk Haze, gave the edging a gorgeous halo.
I am sure there is a simple mathematical logic to lace shawl designs. I can knit a stocking stitch triangular shawl, but I am yet to suss out how to plug in those seductive lace patterns. Oh, how I wish I could just sit down and design one..
.. instead here are some of my favourite shawl patterns which I am yet to knit or which I simply just admire:
- Aeolian Shawl
- Andromeda Shawl
- Bitterroot Shawl
- Vernal Equinox Shawl Surprise
- Knitted Shawl in Alpaca
PS. I'd also really, really like to learn how to read a book and knit at the same time. I'm reading much less than pre-knitting-rediscovery and this bugs me.
April 29th, 2010 - 20:05
I had the same problem with reading after I started knitting. I used to read a book or 2 a week on average and then it was like a book a month and mostly it was a book on knitting. Audio books have become a new friend as I can listen to a book and knit at the same time) but I’ve also started going to bed a little earlier so I have some time to read — it’s finding the balance even with something as “relaxing” as knitting and reading. Always a challenge to find the balance.
April 29th, 2010 - 20:18
I’m obsessed with lace right now. I’ve made several lace shawls, but there’s still so much to learn. Your shawls are both lovely!
April 29th, 2010 - 21:08
Love your Glaminaria shawl! It’s gorgeous!
April 29th, 2010 - 23:32
I was going to suggest books on tape or CD, too, but I was beaten to the punch. I’m always listening to books on CD or on my ipod.
Your shawls are beautiful, and the ones you aspire to are going to be great, too. I hope you are able to work out the math and begin designing your own!
April 30th, 2010 - 01:41
Your shawls are lovely! I would like to design lace one day too, but it’s kind of daunting. I love all the shawls you linked to. Yay, lace!
And I third the suggestion to try audiobooks…my library offers a pretty good selection of downloadable ones. That’s really helped me get in some good reading time while knitting.
April 30th, 2010 - 01:45
I love shawls and books too. I try to read and knit, but it doesn’t work very well. I know what you mean about reading less when I’m knitting.
April 30th, 2010 - 18:02
I know what you mean. I used to read a lot in the evenings, but I spend most of my free time knitting now. Somehow audiobooks aren’t the same for me, I like the feel of a printed book in my hand.