Before I start on the topic I have titled, I want to say that I do knit and enjoy it, but not for the same reasons I enjoy spinning. Knitting has always been a means to an end for me. If I wanted a unique sweater, I would have to knit it myself. The process of knitting has never thrilled me, but I still do it. I believe that makes me a product knitter, right?
Spinning is a different story. I love the entire process of working with fiber, from helping out on shearing day to hand processing and spinning the fiber I picked right off the sheep. There’s something very basic and primal about it for me—very pre-Industrial Revolution. We might call that old school, but it’s more like centuries-old school.
That said, I may need to pause and tell you that I am falling in LOVE with the process of lace knitting. There is something about how the pattern works itself with numbers, turning it into a new and fascinating journey through each row. There is nothing dismissive about working a lace row. You must stay alert and attentive to each ssk, k2tog, or yo. If you take your eye off the road for just a moment, you might find yourself lost in a forest of missed stitches and dropped yarn overs, then tinking your way back onto the path. Most knitters would call that a challenge; I see it as an exhilarating joy ride with wool.
My Shetland Lace Knitting class was a success. The instructor, Gudrun Johnston, was excellent in her teaching style, sharing some history of Shetland lace while the 10 students worked on completing the first part of the mini shawl in garter stitch. As Kathy Cadigan described it, “It was aces.” So very true.
It felt natural and easy to knit the rows, read the chart, and follow the concept of the first stitch being a yarn over. It just fascinated me that by doing a yarn over at the beginning of each odd row, these beautiful loops formed for later picking up for the next section of the shawl. In my mind, it was brilliant, and that’s when I knew I was hooked.
It has only been a few days since the class and finishing my sweet little shawl, but enough time has passed that I’ve started the Homin Shawl by Gudrun Johnston as my next lace project.
I wonder why, after all these years of knitting, I now crave more information about this lace. I want to know it all—the how, what, why, and which sheep. Who were the folks behind those knitting pins, working away on the delicate yarns to create the most beautiful knitted pieces?
I hope to share what I discover along my search for more information.
To start off, I want to share the KBTH Lace Virtual Conference PDF, dated March 2006, “The Same, but Different: Shetland Lace in a European Context by Elizabeth Lovick.” Grab a cup of tea and spend a few minutes reading the presentation. Not only does it provide some history and terminology, but also insight into motifs and patterns.
My rearranged workstation board.
Happy lace knitting.
Share your thoughts…