Is there joy in knitting lace? Will the process of working magic with yarn overs and ssk or k2tog to create what looks like a complex design or perhaps the end results after the blocking process is complete put a smile on your face? Is there a song in your heart when you knit lace? Perhaps the look on my face is the answer to those questions.
Does it call to you as it does me?
As you see, I just completed the largest shawl I've ever knit. It's called the
Lotus Blossom by Dorothy Siemens and from
Fiddlesticks Knitting. A beautiful well designed and written pattern.
Something for the Holidays ... for ME!
Of course part of the joy comes from the fact that I knit it for myself. A gift to the StitchingNut, I guess you could say. Oh how I love it. But the real enjoyment all started with the casting on and the process of knitting the lace. Seriously ... it really was.
It starts very small at the neckline and grows as you go with every other row increasing 4 more stitches. Although, I can't knit a project like this and visit with family or friends while I do it. It becomes all consuming. Each right side row became a row of
concentration while the wrong side row was a few minutes of
meditation or reflection. That's why I limited my time on Blogging or Facebook comments for the past few weeks. I was deeply involved ...
That's right ... involved with my knitting. As I finished each row and moved up my marker tape to the next row on the chart [there are 6 charts for this pattern] I got more excited each time.
The excitement to getting to the finish line was there but,
it was also in the details ...
The stems lead to the Lotus flower and petals at the bottom and the anticipation grew as I completed each one. It got so that I didn't want to do anything else. No housework kept me away for very long. No chore remained in my way. Dinner was quickly planned, cooked and eaten while the lure of lace called to me each day.
Until finally I got to the
Cast Off ... and then I had to stop and practice on scrap yarn a new process I had never done before. The bobble ball cast off was a threat to the final results of this lace that called to me for 3 weeks. Was I going to be able to do it? Even though I had my doubts ... and I took ALL day to complete it ...
Whew, I succeeded!! I now have a lovely, soft, warm and glorious shawl for the Holidays.
Can you tell I'm pleased as punch with myself?
