procrasti-lace-ing?
If nothing else, I am the queen of procrastination. Throughout the years, I have managed to complete three week papers the night before they were due, applied to and practiced for concerto competitions the very week they were happening, and regularly I put off doing laundry for so long that I discover clothes in the hamper that I didn't even know I had.
Fortunately, nothing really bad has ever happened to me for being such a procrastinator, so I forge ahead, often looking over my shoulder and getting distracted along the way.
Enter, the Alpine Lace shawl from Victorian Knits Today. My Poetry in Stitches cardigan has been stuck in the slow lane for just too long. It took me about three weeks to get around to actually crocheting the steek, and then another week before I managed to sew one seam (three are left). I know it will eventually get done, but in the meantime it's nice to have something I will actually work on. This shawl is worked all in one piece, and so far I've completed the bottom border and have started work on the center section - you can see the double rose leaves that make up the center in the picture. I'm using Crystal Palace lace yarn, which appears to be discontinued. If anyone knows anything different, please share. The yarn is lovely to work with, and manages to have a really good stitch definition while still having a little halo that I think makes the shawl even look soft. I have about 30 more repeats of the double rose leaves to go, and then I have to knit the top border, so I have good faith that I will get bored with it and meekly go back to my cardigan soon.
I don't usually find yarn itself very exciting, preferring to share pictures of it when it is actually something, but this is just too cool to ignore. I went yarn shopping this morning, and in the very back of the store, in a basket labeled "40% off", and underneath a big pile of Rowan Polarspun, I discovered these three, literally dust-covered, little skeins of Jamieson & Smith cobweb lace yarn. They really are so small - each skein is 250 yards, but isn't even as large as my hand.
Fortunately, nothing really bad has ever happened to me for being such a procrastinator, so I forge ahead, often looking over my shoulder and getting distracted along the way.
Enter, the Alpine Lace shawl from Victorian Knits Today. My Poetry in Stitches cardigan has been stuck in the slow lane for just too long. It took me about three weeks to get around to actually crocheting the steek, and then another week before I managed to sew one seam (three are left). I know it will eventually get done, but in the meantime it's nice to have something I will actually work on. This shawl is worked all in one piece, and so far I've completed the bottom border and have started work on the center section - you can see the double rose leaves that make up the center in the picture. I'm using Crystal Palace lace yarn, which appears to be discontinued. If anyone knows anything different, please share. The yarn is lovely to work with, and manages to have a really good stitch definition while still having a little halo that I think makes the shawl even look soft. I have about 30 more repeats of the double rose leaves to go, and then I have to knit the top border, so I have good faith that I will get bored with it and meekly go back to my cardigan soon.
I don't usually find yarn itself very exciting, preferring to share pictures of it when it is actually something, but this is just too cool to ignore. I went yarn shopping this morning, and in the very back of the store, in a basket labeled "40% off", and underneath a big pile of Rowan Polarspun, I discovered these three, literally dust-covered, little skeins of Jamieson & Smith cobweb lace yarn. They really are so small - each skein is 250 yards, but isn't even as large as my hand.
This is the first time I've ever seen cobweb yarn, and it just blows me away. The skeins weren't marked with the "X" that means they are on sale, and there was no price tag, so the saleswoman sold them to me for $6, total. I felt so lucky! I also managed to unearth a lone skein of the Crystal Palace lace yarn, so even if I'm never able to find it again, I will have two shawls out of it. The saleswoman wound that up for me, too, so I won't have to waste time winding the 850+ yards. For years I have staunchly kept to my hand-winding routine, but after seeing her crank the swift and ball winder, I might have to change my mind.
Labels: lace, victorian lace today
posted by Becki at 2:42 PM
4 Comments:
Too funny - I started work on that very same scarf this weekend! I'm not nearly as far as you, though.
Not that I have much time to knit anymore, but the swift and winder are the way to go.
You always knit the prettiest things!
Bored with it? (As if that doesn't happen to me constantly.) Pretty! That cobweb yarn is really teensy!
I hand wind but only because I am too cheap/lazy/lack foresight to buy a winder.
Your cobweb wool is a delightful find (and a pretty fabulous deal, too, I think!)
The Alpine scarf is in my queue, too. Such a pretty pattern, and a not-too-traumatic introduction to knitting lace on both sides. ;-)
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