Of Lace and Binding
Ooo, that sounds kind of kinky doesn’t it?? LOL!
I’m kind of up to my eyeballs in binding (books that is, remember my mention of a commission, well it needs to be in the mail early next week) at the moment so don’t have a lot of time (hence no pictures, sorry). But, I got my needle felting needles and some additional roving and some button options worked out so the sidekicks should be officially complete and added to the sidebar soon. Then two skeins of Nature Spun Sport in Roasted Coffee and 3 oz of Zephyr in Copper also made it into my purchases.
I think I need to do a different lace pattern than the Shaped Triangle and then return to the Shaped Triangle at a later date. I love Sivia Harding’s Fantasy Diamond Scarf/Shawl but suspect it isn’t really a beginning lace project. And I’m guessing the same holds true for the Weeping Willow Shawl that I had mentioned to Snow on Monday night. Then Amanda just finished Fibertrend’s Leaf Lace Shawl in Zephyr Steel and it is great (I love the bead detailing on the edge) and she said it was quite simple. But, I also really like the Flower Basket Shawl and I know many people have done that as their first shawl project. I also really like the Highland Trangle Shawl from Folk Shawls, but that requires more yardage than I have and is a heavier weight yarn. Decisions, decisions!
So, if anyone cares to weigh in on this topic, please, please, please do so as I’m itching to get going on a shawl project but am aprehensive given the Shaped Triangle debaucle…
I did the FBS as my first shawl as well as my first lace. I fought with it until I figured out how to keep my place with a pattern that travels and after that it went very quickly. I changed the pattern though, it calls for two strands and I thought that was too complicated for a first lace project so I used a single strand of Frog Tree fingering that I’d found in a lovely grape color.
Comment by Julie — 8/20/2005 @ 3:07 am
I’m doing the Highland Triangle Shawl. If you don’t have enough yards to make it but wanted to, there is plenty of room for adjustment in it (narrower border, smaller base triangle, etc.) It’s one of those patterns that has the advantage not being all the same pattern through the whole thing. You get that sense of having sort of finished something just getting through one part of it. Also, I think it’s a good beginner lace project (what do I know) becasue there is only one double decrease used in it (from what I remember) and you get LOTS of practice doing it.
All that being said, all of the other shawls you mentioned look like fun as well.
Comment by Jessica - Pinktopaz — 8/20/2005 @ 8:03 pm
FBS was my first shawl and I ended up giving it away. Pacific Northwest shawl was my second and I loved knitting it. I just finished the Leaf lace shawl and it was very similar to fbs in the way it was knitted. I would say it would be a toss up between those two.
Comment by chris — 8/21/2005 @ 6:39 am
I’m not going to make it to SnB tonight so that I can go home to B and hear about his first day of 4th grade.
I’d vote for the Leaf Lace one that Amanda just did or Flower Basket. You designed the Spearfish socks, so you’re more than capable of lace. It’s just a matter of getting into the rhythm of it.
Comment by Snow — 8/22/2005 @ 11:29 am
My first “real” lace project was the Leaf Lace Shawl, followed immediately by a Flower Basket Shawl (each with a single strand of KnitPicks’ Shimmer). I love them both - they’re easy to adapt to different sizes or amounts of yarn, and since you start out with just a few stitches there’s plenty of time to get used to the pattern before rows get too long. The two patterns are very similar in design and construction as well as difficulty, so I can’t recommend one over the other - I couldn’t even choose between the two myself.
Comment by teresa — 8/22/2005 @ 8:42 pm
My first shawl was the Koigu Keepsake (I had no idea how hard it was before I started or I probably would have given up. By the time I realized it was really, really complicated, I was NOT GOING TO LET THE SHAWL BEAT ME, darnit.) But I’ve had really good luck with the fibertrends stuff. I’m doing a Landscape now, and it’s so easy it’s my Mindless Knitting for when I’m tired of socks. Or wedding plans. either one.
I love that Leaf one. If you end up with that one, keep us updated. I’m thinking I might have to add that one to the list of Future Projects. Hmmm…
Comment by eliza b — 8/23/2005 @ 1:41 pm