My First Attempt at Lace

#1

So, anyway, I was finished with my aunt’s cap and was still feeling in a knitty mood after all the gardening this afternoon, so I was looking through the Interweave Knitting Traditions magazine I got months ago and found the pattern for the Quiviut Lace Headband.

Ouch.

Let’s put aside that I am a reasonably intelligent person who can read diagrams as well as the next man. The fact that I knit combined or eastern style is really challenging on this one. I’ve got Grumperina’s conversion sheet out, but I’m still damned if I can get the right leaning decreases to look right.

So I frog back to the first row. I start western style knitting. I can do it, it’s just slow as molasses in January. You would figure that following the directions knitting in the style the pattern was written in would help… No, it’s all the tbl’s. I knit one through the back loop and my mind switches right back to combined. GAH!

OK, this is a practice swatch. Yeah, that’s the ticket… I’ve got to get this, my oldest daughter actually asked me to knit it for her. Such a simple thing. I’m going to bed now, this is just silly.

#2

First of all, I would like to say that intelligence is not to be measured by lace knitting patterns!

Lace knitting requires 100% of your attention, and speaking for myself, those first couple pattern repeats are usually a bit of a pain cause you need to divide your attention to what you are doing, verses the pattern.

You may never completely memorize a pattern, but knowing the groove helps A LOT!

With pieces that are done in completely lace (I mean to say, a pattern that is lace throughout rather than a pieces that has sections of yarn overs and others that are plain knitting like a garment - vs a shawl) then you are bound to do frogging. At some point the phone will ring, or there will be someone at the door, or a playful kitten or a distraction in any form, and you will not remember where you were, or have dropped a stitch, and you will need to frog.

My best advice, life lines, patience and as little distraction as possible. All will be…better! And as Lissaplus2 would say…chocolate!

#3

You can still knit the chart in your style, just know that / is a right leaning dec and \ is a left leaning one and however you do them is how you do them regardless of how they’re labeled in the key.

#4

Well, as of this morning I have learned that there are approximately 50 gajillion ways to make your stitches lean one way or the other LOL. I’m playing around with what stitch gets me the look I am wanting, then I’m writing the diagram out in long hand.

#5

And as Lissaplus2 would say…chocolate!

AMEN!! just get you a bowl of it and set it next to ya while your knitting…and some in the kitchen so you have an excuse to get up and refresh your brain!!