Knitting Lace

There is something quite comforting about tackling the precise construction of lacing knitting.  It is about mathematics really - simple counting, adding and subtracting.  As long as you don't let your guard down and lose track of the pattern repeats, you're fine, but you have to stick with the schematic so the holes show up in the right places.

And when it is done and blocked and ready to show off, well, there is the reward.  The Shawl shows up nicely against the winter garden doesn't it.  Fortunately a Chinook had warmed things up enough to make taking the outside shots possible.

This shawl, as I mentioned in my last post, is actually a sample chosen for the Knitted Lace class I will be teaching at Stash Needleart Lounge in February.  It is called the Arrowhead Shawl and you can find it as a free pattern on Ravelry.

  This Pattern was chosen  because the design by Pam Allen for Interweave Press,  is well written - has  good graphs, and is easy to follow once you unlock the mystery of the graph. I would enjoy making it again, but I would make it bigger I think.

 The thing about printed patterns is that they love to save paper so explanations can be cryptic at times.  Teaching patterns, on the other hand, need more explanation, so we have enlarged the Interweave instructions a bit to make it easy for first time lace knitters.

Reading graphs has to be the first order of business . It's another language
The class is full I'm pleased to say - a good showing for a first offering.

The yarn is Rios by the Malebrigo company - in "Ivy".  I thought I needed 2 skeins, but actually used a skein and a half, which means the shawl could be made bigger by a couple of pattern repeats quite easily.  I made the shawl to the recommended size and stitch count.  I wanted to make sure everyone could actually finish it in the 3 week class time (with knitting homework between classes of course).

Here is what it looked like before I blocked it.

 And here it is pinned out on the improvised blocking boards on the floor.

It stretched out nicely didn't it?   The colour really hasn't changed here - it is in shadow on the floor pinned out with lots and lots of T-pins.

I've turned to a crochet hook for the next lacy project.  I'll be able to show you more about that later.

We are still having unseasonably warm weather around here and sunny skies to go with it. It's gorgeous!  The problem is though that the melting snow is freezing at night, so all the melting becomes sheer ice polished by the Chinook winds and  is incredibly treacherous to navigate.  Libby and I have been sticking to the walking paths along the river but even there I can feel my toes curling up in my boots.  This isn't Libby's favourite snow - she prefers the light, fluffy kind she can roll in and make snow angels.
Ah well, winter isn't over by a long shot.  We still have February to look forward to.  Lots of knitting weather yet!