First the good news: the Clapotis is DONE and I adore it. But who knew dropping stitches was so hard? I finished the knitting portion and it took me nearly another hour to drop all the rows to the end. Pictures tomorrow maybe, depending on how much sunshine we get today. It's lovely, and such a fun pattern.
Unlike Lily Chin's Charlotte's Easy Lace Shawl. Easy pattern on paper, but too hard to see what's happening on the needles (a quality I demand in an "easy" pattern) and the many K2togs are too hard on my hands. I started and ripped it three times and kept losing my place and finally gave up. And the few inches I did complete before losing my place for the last time were, frankly, bleh. It didn't look much like the blocked and posed and enhanced photo, and even that isn't very interesting. Off in search of an easy lace pattern that won't cause hand pain. I really do want to learn to love lace, but so far I'm not feeling the love.
And I need dog tranquilizers. I wish I had a doggycam so you could see what these two little bastards do when I pick up my knitting in the morning, one of my favorite quiet times to knit something complicated. Dudley is the biggest pain in the ass, but Murphy joins in - the attention getting, the barking, wrestling, and sheer brattiness because I'm not paying attention to THEM and they are the center of the universe. I will quit blaming myself for my inability to concentrate on lace.
I'm totally into the Wishcraft book. I read another Barbara Sher book and backed into this one, but obviously at the right time. I'm in the "barnraising" section and laughing to myself as I mentally compile my support team for a relo to a beach town, from my cousin who would be thrilled to have me use her house as a base of operations while I move, to work connections I have up there, including a good ole boy broker who invites everybody to come fishin' off his dock - outside his palatial home on the Intercoastal. Just a good ole boy, you know. When I said there are no jobs there, I was thinking ten years ago. That area is opening up and growing up. My current job is filling in the gaps in my background in land development - I now know "raw dirt to finished house" better than I did, and I did know it before. This really will work.
I just ordered the Barbara Sher book. I am so loving this time in my life. I feel like the world is my oyster, sort of. I know there are going to be obstacles, but they don't seem to matter as much, now that I am not in my 20's. I think I like that best about middle age- knowing what matters and what doesn't. Beaches matter. Life matters. Lilttle things jsut don't!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I did that Lily Chin shawl. Easy, my ass. Looked awful, too. I ripped out the first 6" at least half a dozen times. I sold the thing and tossed the pattern, and I'm not one bit sorry.
ReplyDeleteHow about trying Kiri? It's a fairly easy, intuitive pattern and dead easy to spot mistakes. And it looks gorgeous in BH cotton!
ReplyDeleteSo where's the clapotis pics? :)
Thanks Cat, I thought it was just me! It looked like crap and was much harder to knit than advertised. Debi - I hadn't thought of Kiri! I love Kiri! Thanks! Photos of the Clapotis may have to wait until the weekend, I need to weave in ends and the sun needs to be high enough in the sky to get the color right. Then I will put it away for about 8-9 months.
ReplyDeleteGinnie, the B. Sher book is great, very practical and at the same time imagination food. I started thinking about a "barn-raising" to relocate to St. Augustine and realized that I DO know people, and people who know people, and I am not locked into looking for a "paralegal job" at all, and this may be the time to shed the Scarlet P forever. It could work.
ReplyDeletedid anyone tell you that lace looks like boiled ass (ask rabbitch, lol) until ya block it? sounds like this pattern was a pain anyway. ummm, lily isn't all she's cracked up to be, apparently. try a fiddlesticks pattern. i'm doing the peacock shawl, and the instructions are crystal clear, and the owner is wonderful about helping. i had several questions about what pattern to pick (this is for my wedding), and she was extremely helpful, since this was going to only be my second lace project. i'll hunt up the website, later, i gotta get knitting, lol.
ReplyDeleteand i feel your pain about hand pain. i have arthritis in both hands, and anything that makes me work that hard is just not worth it.
Try some of the traditional Shetland Lace patterns. Martha Waterman's book on Knitted Shawls is a good inspiration. The first Barbara Walker Treasury had the best collection of simple lace patterns.
ReplyDeleteThere are some simple ones (beside Old Shale) that are lovely and not at all difficult. I'm doing "Razor Shell" right now, and I love the look of it. Two row repeat--that's all. Vine is lovely and it's only a 3-row repeat. There's also ones like Chevron Lace, Horseshoe/Fishtail (Similar effect, slightly different execution), Willow, Broken Acre, Alternating Feathers, Travelling Leaf, Snowdrop, Cat's Paw, Twisted Rib Lace, Crest of the Wave, and Wheat Ears.
Also, what about the Travelling Vine and little Arrow stitches? You know enough to make up your own shawl pattern. Pick a stitch you like and start.
I should mention... there's two lovely free shawl patterns at two blogs. The "Print O' The Wave" Shawl on "See Eunny Knit!" is beautiful, but might be more trouble than you want. I think the Kiri Fern Lace Shawl on "All Tangled Up" will suit you better. It's a popular pattern.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.eunnyjang.com/knit/
http://www.alltangledup.com/
I am aware that lace needs blocking, but ugly is ugly and especially since this is a cotton shawl, blocking wasn't going to save it. I think I'm going with Kiri. We'll see!
ReplyDeleteHi Catherine. About K2togs, I find them hard on my hands, too, but have found that the little trick of slightly opening them up with a quick little motion helps me to get them most of the time on the first try. I really enjoy reading your blog. Thanks so much for blogging. Best Wishes
ReplyDeleteLella