Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Summer Knitty and a Contest

The summer issue of Knitty has arrived! It features this drop-dead gorgeous shawl by Dubliner Kieran Foley knit from our Helen's Lace. When you go to the link, you'll see a contest where you can win the yarn to make your own Cold Mountain Shawl.

It's kind of funny....I've been finding out lately that many of the men I know who knit are partial to lace. There are the famous ones like Franklin Habit but also the not so famous ones like Aiden and David.

I don't know exactly why I am surprised. I guess it's mostly because I have trouble giving away things I knit and you don't often see men wearing lace shawls. Sure, I make the occasional baby sweater, but on the whole I am a selfish knitter. If I knit it, I want to wear it!

This selfishness is compounded my complete awe of the lace knitter. I have knit some very small lace projects, but nothing on this scale. One day I will gather up the courage to journey down that road.

On a completely different note. We leave for TNNA first thing in the morning. There may be a couple short posts and intermittent tweets between now and when we get back, but I don't want to make any promises.

I can promise that the OpArt blanket will be finished by then. Less than 10 rows to go and 6 hours in the car in each direction. Even a pokey knitter like me can get that done. I wonder if I'll be able to get it blocked in the hotel room?

3 comments:

twosicilianchicks said...

wow that is gorgeous!!

Miriam said...

You know if you ever need a pattern, or any lace advice, I'd be happy to help you out. In fact, if you want something lovely and easy to start with, I can put together a kit and send you the curriculum for my intro to lace class, which should walk you through everything :)

Aidan said...

You can do it! I highly reccommend you invest in a pair of 7" Signature Arts needles with stilletto tips. Then all you need to do is wind a hank of lace weight yarn and cast on. There are only two stitches -- knit and purl. You already know those. Everything else is just how you manipulate those two stitches.

Do you work well off of charts? If not, all is not lost. Let me know and I will make a lace book for you for each of the motifs. They also serve as a great row counter.

I've knit just about everything at least once by now. Socks, sweaters, hats, mittens -- and those unfortunate leg warmers (it was the 80's) -- and there is nothing quite like lace.


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