Lace & me

Veröffentlicht am von Carina

It’s getting there. Slowly, but steadily. About 50 cm (19.2 inches) of lace knitting so far.

And yet… it’s been quite a journey already.

Knitting… then unraveling. Knitting again… unraveling again. And then knitting once more. Why? Honestly, I don’t really know. The pattern itself isn’t complicated. Not at all. But somehow I keep adding stitches where there shouldn’t be any, or dropping one without noticing, only to discover the mistake several rows later. It’s a bit like the lace scarf has a life of its own—and not always a cooperative one. Exhausting, really, at times. Especially when I remind myself why I’m doing this in the first place: my sister.

Luckily, Caityrosey had already kind of foreshadowed (in a very gentle, between-the-lines kind of way) that lace knitting might take a while to fall in love with. And AnastasiaMW reminded me that blocking can magically even out a lot of unevenness. I am so grateful for those comments and the encouragement. I really needed it. And to be honest—I still do.

The yarn hasn’t helped either. Part of this beautiful purple skein was already a bit twisted and ragged, so I had to introduce new strands twice already. That means I now have way more ends than I ever planned for. Not just two neat little tails to hide, but several. A whole little collection of them.

So now I’m also thinking ahead: how do I actually finish a lace scarf like this in a way that makes all those ends disappear as if they never existed? What’s the best way to weave them in so they stay invisible, secure, and not lumpy in such a delicate fabric? Any tips or tricks would be hugely appreciated.

And for now, I’ll just keep going—slowly, carefully, stitch by stitch.

Over the years, some of the photos that used to be here got lost – thanks to a total blog crash, a stolen hard drive, and whatever else can possibly happen to images along the way. The same goes for the link to the pattern – it seems the instructions have disappeared from the web as well. If I happen to come across either of them again, I’ll be sure to add them back in. Thanks so much for your understanding.

 

Lace Debut

Veröffentlicht am von Carina2 Kommentare

I never really thought much about lace scarves. Honestly, I never thought about lace at all. It just wasn’t on my radar.

That changed earlier this year when All She Wants To Do Is Knit started blogging about lace, “laziness,” and her wedding shawl. While she was trying to pick a pattern, she linked to several finds on Ravelry – and that was basically the moment lace quietly sneaked into my life.

So suddenly there I was, scrolling through the most beautiful shawls I had ever seen, already thinking of my older sister who turns 50 in May. And just like that, things got serious. On Tuesday I finally went into the yarn store to get lace yarn.

I chose a bright purple, 100% merino wool. It’s for her scarf. And somehow this project feels different from everything I’ve done before. More intentional. More thoughtful. Almost… grown-up. Does that make sense?

Over the years, some of the photos that used to be here got lost – thanks to a total blog crash, a stolen hard drive, and whatever else can possibly happen to images along the way. The same goes for the link to the pattern – it seems the instructions have disappeared from the web as well. If I happen to come across either of them again, I’ll be sure to add them back in. Thanks so much for your understanding.

The very kind gentleman in the store helped me pick a pattern, and I could barely wait to start last night. It’s a simple one – basically a beginner kit. The lace isn’t too fine (I’m using size 3.5 needles / US 4), the repeat is every four rows, and the rows themselves are manageable. Very friendly for a first lace adventure.

I actually found the pattern by chance. And to be honest, it wasn’t love at first sight. Not at all. That changed when I saw what Avelinux had done with it. If my sister’s favorite color were bright green, I probably would have copied that version without a second thought.

The shop owner (more of a quiet expert than a salesman) also steered me away from my grand lace fantasies – feathers, flowers, spider webs, all the dramatic things I had in mind. According to him, those are not exactly “beginner-friendly.” So I listened. Reluctantly at first.

Now I’m knitting the “Little Leaf Lace Scarf,” and I absolutely love it. So far, I’ve managed about an inch… but it’s a very promising inch 🙂

By the way, did I mention my sister’s birthday is in early May ? So yes – posting might be a bit quiet for a while. I need to KNIT.

The Pouf

Veröffentlicht am von Carina21 Kommentare

Growing up in the ’70s, we had poufs in our living room – of course we did. I remember at least two of them very clearly. One was covered in bright red faux leather, with tassels on each corner and – brace yourself – gold Cleopatra figures all the way around. (No comments, please.) The other one came from Spain, checkered in brown and black, also probably faux leather, with a huge ranch-style brand stamped right on top.

They were just… always there. Part of the furniture in every sense. So when I eventually moved out, I took the red one with me. Not because it was particularly stylish (let’s be honest), but because it was practical. And, well, no one else seemed to want it anyway.

Fast forward to the ’90s: I decided to have an old sofa reupholstered and thought it would be a brilliant idea to have the Cleopatra pouf done in the same fabric. The upholsterer held it at arm’s length, gave me that look, and clearly had his doubts. But to his credit, he went along with it. And you know what? The sofa and the pouf actually looked great together.

Unfortunately, looks aren’t everything. Not long after, the sofa ended up back at my parents’ house. It was just too uncomfortable – too high, somehow awkward, and definitely not made for everyday lounging.

Can you imagine kids slouched on that sofa, or anyone curling up to watch a movie? Not really.

The pouf, on the other hand, was a completely different story. I used it all the time. I sat on it, put my feet up, balanced trays on it—basically, it did whatever I needed it to do. And after about 17 years of that kind of loyal service, it definitely showed. The top was cracked, the fabric badly worn, the colors faded. It had seen better days.

These days, casually having furniture reupholstered isn’t really my thing anymore (possibly because all my money disappears into yarn… just a guess). So instead, I decided to take matters into my own hands and re-cover the pouf myself. And that’s exactly what I did!

Over the years, the photos that used to be here got lost – thanks to a total blog crash, a stolen hard drive, and whatever else can possibly happen to images along the way. The same goes for the link to the pattern – it seems the instructions have disappeared from the web as well. If I happen to come across either of them again, I’ll be sure to add them back in. Thanks so much for your understanding.

One square and four rectangles, joint with slip stitches, and a (mindless) pattern, consisting of four different rows (dc, nothing else)  that I would be willing to translate and post upon request.

lovely egg cozy

Veröffentlicht am von Carina6 Kommentare

It was probably right around Valentine’s day when the stores started selling Easter Chocolate, Easter eggs, Easter jelly beans and Easter candy. There were still another two months to go, but you would get all sorts of Easter decoration at the drug store and Easter greeting cards at the stationary shop. Easter EVERYWHERE! I did my best to ignore all of that until …

… I ran into Crazy Dazy’s  lovely Egg Cozies. And before I knew it I found myself in an armchair knitting a little bunny lady.

The pattern is easy to understand, anyone used to knit in rounds with four (or five) double-pointed knitting needles shouldn’t have a problem to follow. However, this little lady will stay single, a lone wolf … Knitting something that small, those tiny ears, embroidering the minuscule nose, and making a mini pom-pom is definitely not for me. Sadly!

Fortunately, Easter in our house is with hard boiled eggs that do not need a cozy 🙂 Consequently, the lady will either become a stuffed animal and live with the boy or move out …

—

Update in 2019: the pattern is no longer available for free. It can be bought at ravelry.

The swimmer

Veröffentlicht am von Carina2 Kommentare

No! More! Winter! (Please…) I really can’t take it anymore. I am so tired of the cold, the ice, the snow. Especially after spring already showed up. We had sun, we had crocuses, we even had a bit of gardening going on. And now this again. Really?

Of course, from a knitting and crochet point of view, winter has its charms. Cozy projects, warm yarn, all of that. But still. I am seriously longing for daylight and warm weather. Aren’t you? So I decided to take matters into my own hands. If summer won’t come to me, I’ll just “crochet summer” instead.

And here is the result:

Any idea what this might be? It belongs to a gentleman in a blue bathing cap and matching speedo – a swimmer!

Over the years, some of the photos that used to be here got lost – thanks to a total blog crash, a stolen hard drive, and whatever else can possibly happen to images along the way. The same goes for the link to the pattern – it seems the instructions have disappeared from the web as well. If I happen to come across either of them again, I’ll be sure to add them back in. Thanks so much for your understanding.

He is very committed to his look. Very confident. Slightly round in the middle, and perhaps not blessed with the longest legs—but honestly, he owns it. I am quite pleased with how the swimmer turned out.

Especially after I finally managed the floating tire. That part nearly defeated me. I tried again and again. I almost gave up. And then—out of nowhere—it clicked. Like a bolt from the blue. Literally blue, because of the blue cap, of course 🙂

The trick was doing it from the outside toward the inside. Not in rounds like usual. More like an LP record playing, spiraling in toward the center. For anyone who never handled vinyl: yes, that kind of record. Once I figured that out, everything fell into place. The swimmer. The tire. The whole summer scene.

So here they are: the swimmer and his floating tire, fully ready for summer—even if summer is clearly not ready for us yet.

Looks like there are at least two of us now, patiently waiting for warmer days…