Love and lace

Lace seems to the cool thing to knit.  All the best bloggers are doing it. Me, I had very little idea that such a thing as knitted lace existed until a few months ago when I ventured into KnitBlogLand. Even after seeing the beautiful things that La Harlot, Grumperina, Eunny, and others made, I still had no particular interest in doing it myself. Years ago I had crocheted a couple of lacy shawls that I still have, so I saw no need to jump onto the lacy knit shawl bandwagon.

Until last month. I don't know exactly how the idea started, but somehow I decided that I should knit a lace scarf - out of Rowan Kid Silk Haze, no less, the so-called crack cocaine of yarn - for my older son's girlfriend's birthday. She happened to mention in a mid-August e-mail that her natal anniversary coincided with the first day of classes. September 5, to be exact. I had exactly 23 days to find a suitably easy-but-attractive pattern, find and purchase KSH in some shade of green (her favorite color), climb the lacy learning curve, knit it, block it, wrap it, and send it off with #1 son when he went back to New York University on September 3. No problem, right? Who can't knit a stinkin' scarf in three weeks? 

That was a rhetorical question. You know where this is going.

I used KSH acquisition as an excuse to visit a new-to-me yarn shop the next day. The very nice ladies there applauded my statement that I had never done lace before, but "I'm a pretty good knitter and I can do this." I really think they were sincere, although in hindsight there may have been some clandestine hooting behind their paws at my overconfidence. Nevertheless, they found me a nice scarf pattern that offered the choice of three different laces, and they had a lovely light green KSH (colorway Meadow, I believe). Swipe of the credit card and I was on my way, looking forward to a delightful weekend knitting the scarf for Ms. R.

 

I settled in on the porch. Cast on, knit maybe 1", screwed it up, frogged it. Rinse and repeat. And again. Try a different lace pattern. Ditto and ditto. Finally I gave up on the so-called beginner lace pattern and did a pattern I vaguely remember using to make a worsted-weight stole about 35 years ago. It's based on a 4 plus 4 repeat: K2, *YO, K2tog*, repeat between *s, end K2. Repeat this row until there is you run out of yarn or there is peace in the mideast, whichever comes first. Now, really, could you ask for an easier stitch pattern?  No. Not unless just wrapping the yarn around the needles counts as a pattern.

I couldn't even keep that straight. The combination of the fine yarn, the fuzziness of it, and my ordinary needles defeated me again and again. I don't know exactly how many times I frogged the thing because I lost count at eleven. Eleven! Have you ever frogged KSH? Not fun. I was so determined not waste any of that yarn.

Other lace knitters have mentioned something about needing super pointy needles for lace. A little blog research revealed that someone else had said that Inox needles were pretty good. Lo and behold, I had a set of the right size Inox dpns that came in an eBay grab-bag of needles. They did make the K2tog easier, occasionally even doable, although I was still having trouble with the [clearly written and error-free] pattern. As a last resort I ordered a set of Knit Picks Options interchangeable needles and cables and holder (I love interchangeable needles; already have 2 sets - love 'em, love 'em) because the points looked wicked sharp and pointy.

And away I went on vacation for a week.

The package from Knit Picks awaited upon our return home. The new needles definitely improved the ease of lace knitting, but did nothing to enhance my ability to knit the frickin' pattern. Much frustration prevailed, although because of my Scandinavian, raised-in-the-Midwest heritage, there were no outward bursts of violence.

And then, purely by chance I came upon a stitch that makes lacy fabric without any of those pesky yarnovers or k2togs. Seafoam stitch, which looked like this:

 

I found that photo here and the directions here. Thank you, Lauren and Lucia. You saved my ass life. When I read these words on Lucia's blog: "I would suggest working all elongated stitches in a fuzzy yarn like mohair. That would result in gorgeous, yet very easy to knit, fabric" I knew I had a winner.

 

The scarf turned out beautifully.

 

All credit goes to the yarn, though.  See this?

   

I saw it, too, but about 8" too late. After all the initial frogging there was no way I was going to go back to correct it. Only the gods can make something perfect.

The scarf went to NYC, nicely wrapped, with #1 son and was duly presented to Ms. R. Here she is wearing it as a headband at her birthday party:

 

He later e-mailed me that she really liked it. She had her outfit for the party all planned but when she opened the scarf package she changed her clothes so the scarf would coordinate. (That's my boy in the background. I'm sure that tall shiny object in the center was purely for decoration ;-)

Sadly, in that same e-mail he said that they had parted, after 2 years together.  My heart aches for them today. But I will never regret the scarf.

Comments

[Chris]

What persistence! What a lovely scarf!

[Jeanne]

The scarf really turned out well. Watch it...you may inspire me to knit lace.

[Noo]

Oh I love seafoam stitch! I knitted a koigu scarf using it (here: http://www.spittingyarn.com/blog/?p=80) last December and I have been itching to try it out again. Perhaps using a fuzzy yarn like you. Thanks for the inspiration!

[Dana Franchi]

I bought Inox to do a shawl, since yo's and 100% silk are tricky at best. Major improvement over the snubby Addis I had been attempting it with. Love the scarf, too bad it's no longer in the family.

[miss ewe]

It's perfect! I have a ball of KSH waiting to go for a first lace attempt, but I've been sitting on it wondering what to start with.

What size needles did you use? 37st cast on?

Thanks for this inspiration!