Monday 20 October 2008

Day 20: Summer lacin'

I have long suffered from Lace Lust, but suffered it in conjuction with Lack of Time and Too Many Projects. For some reason, lace seems like an indulgence to me when there are other things to be knitted.

And, I really must admit, I'm a teeny tiny bit scared of it. Not so much the charts and the complexity, but the fineness of laceweight yarn and the un-tink-ability of it. All those yarn overs and knit-together stitches - once it's knit, it's knit. So it's a bit scary. I'd rather not start than muff it up.

My first lace experience was very positive and completely enjoyable, but I just haven't gotten around to more. And it was in 8ply, so avoiding the fineness issue.

However, we must grow as knitters and crocheters, and I will evade the issue no longer. I have decided to join Bells in the Long Lacy Summer.

I've got a few different yarn options in the stash (oh, shut UP already!); a couple of 2plys, lots of 4plys. For the most part, I haven't gotten as far as matching patterns with yarns yet, but do have a bit of a wish list.

This malabrigo laceweight is slated for a Lace Ribbon Scarf.


I would love to tackle a Branching Out, Leisel has caught my eye and I'm quite partial to the Monteverde Scarf. The Woodland Shawl is on my list, as is the Haruha scarf, the Waltz and Travelling Vines.

Hmmm, I can see a pattern here - these are all scarves or stoles! Maybe its the full-blown triangular shawl I'm afraid of.....

So I hereby challenge myself to knit a triangular shawl this summer. Maybe a Forest Canopy? It's the only one in my Ravelry queue!

Are there any other suggestions for triangular shawls that you've loved knitting?


Here's the skein I'm going to designate to this challenge:
110g / 990 m of Fibreworks laceweight, colour #5. Crap photo but it's deep purples and blues through to silvery mid-grey.
Any thoughts?
I'm nervous already!

7 comments:

Bells said...

Oh George do it! Forest Canopy is the PERFECT choice although I reckon the Shetland Triangle is even easier. I think triangles are easier than round shawls. The long rows on circular shawls are a real drain. Ask me how I found out about that - remember the gull stitch on the pi shawl? Disaster.

Perfect yarn for the Forest Canopy too!

Alwen said...

What I think is that the purple/silvery gray yarn will be so beautiful when you finish.

sweetp said...

Oh gorgeous yarn. Will be hard to choose! I'm in for this too and off to check your pattern links now mwhaha

Anonymous said...

The first (and only) lace shawl I've done is the flower basket shawl, which I found fairly painless. Actually, that makes it sound arduous. Really it wasn't, it was a pretty easy pattern to follow and memorise.

I don't think it'd do your Fibreworks laceweight justice though, as it calls for 4 ply, and the variegation seems to get lost a bit when laceweight is double stranded. Although I wasn't unhappy with how it looked (I used The Knittery 2ply merino mohair), it was a little sad to see the variegation buried a little.

Rose Red said...

Forest Canopy is a very easy choice, you would totally be able to do one of those George - but it does use a heavier weight yarn (which isn't to say you couldn't use the lovely laceweight). I think I like Shetland Triangle more though. Another good one is Ene's Shawl (in Scarf Style book). You can do it!

DrK said...

well you know im a huge fan of the shetland triangle, and it handles any weight well. i also think those colours lend themselves to something not so angular in a lace pattern, like maybe check out the south seas stole, or something with an oceanic motif? not meaning to throw another obstacle in your path or anything :) whatever you choose will be perfect xx

Lynne said...

Ooo! the description of that yarn sounds yummy. I love purple.

I'd better start thinking about what's in my lacy queue!