Translating Written Instructions Argh!

Quick update on the lace edgings project:

I am now on my second attempt to correctly "translate" LONG rows of written instructions into a chart.  Good grief, it's difficult.  My first try was riddled with errors.  I'm going to attempt to use my second attempt tonight, and hopefully it's all correct.

The eyes cross on about row 25 of "make 1, knit 2 stitches together, knit 1, do this two more times, knit 3..." repeated more times than I can apparently easily count :-)

Project 22: Lace Edgings

I'm going to chart a series of lace edgings and insertions, which were originally published in Weldon's Practical Knitter, Twenty-Seventh Series (1895)

When I've finished, I will have an e-book available with the charts.

Edging #1 is "Leaf and Lace Border".

"This handsome pattern, knitted with Strutts' knitting cotton No. 8 and steel pins No. 15, measures about 4 1/4 inches in depth.  Worked in wool it forms a suitable bordering for shawls, coverlets, etc."

That leaf motif seems to have been very popular with the Weldon's pattern writers.  I've seen it used many times in their patterns for quilt squares and other lace projects.  I like it too.

A Nice Lace Border

My friend Kathleen Cubley posted the instructions for this "VanDyke Border" over on the Knitting Daily Blog.  It's from one of the Weldon's Practical Knitter issues.

Several readers had a bit of trouble knitting it and Kathleen asked me to double check the instructions for accuracy.  As I told her, never doubt Weldon's :-)  The instructions are just about always dead-on in my experience.

I verified that the written instructions are correct, and provided Kathleen with a little chart to share with her readers.  If she decides not to provide the chart, I'll make it available here.

Kudos to Piecework for making the Weldon's patterns available to today's knitters!  And now that I've knit a lace border, that helped me decide that I'd like to knit more of them, so that will be Project #22.

Project 22?

I'm searching today for Project #22.  Not sure what I'm going to choose.  I'm thinking of socks (there are some cute socks for children) or maybe doing several lace edgings/insertions.  There are tons of those, and some look quite interesting.

Off to ponder...

Project 21: Fascinator Finished

My reluctant (yet fetching) model Cara wearing the Fascinator.  It's a little smaller than I thought it would be, but is a nice size for a very light head covering.  It measures about 32" across and took 1 skein of Rowan's Kidsilk Haze yarn.  The tassels are a very Victorian touch.

Still unsure whether I'm going to try to chart this.  I'll have to play with how to chart the lace pattern (which is actually pretty simple) and see if there's an easy way to write the directions. 

Fascinator Vs. Cloud

Knittingand posted an interesting reply to my last post, mentioning that a "cloud" was a specific type of fascinator, a light, lacy rectangle with tassels on the ends.  I did a little internet searching and found this vintage clipping:

The article says that clouds are "light scarves of fine knitting [worn] over the head and round the neck, instead of an opera hood when going out at night".  The instructions given are for a rectangular shape (or a square?), then finished with tassels.

So, Knittingand, you are correct!  My fascinator is going to be triangular in shape (I think, one never knows until the last stitch is cast off what these Weldon's 'mystery' patterns are going to look like).

Project 21: Fascinator Update

I'm a bit over half done with the Fascinator.  It's a pretty lace pattern, which is shaping up to become a triangle, I think.  I love the Rowan Kidsilk Haze in Candy Girl, it's so soft and airy.  A perfect yarn for a "cloud", as fascinators were also called.

Note to self: when making corrections to your lace chart, BE SURE to make said corrections dark enough so they are legible next time through the pattern.  It's not much fun to rip out 2" of Kidsilk Haze, which "grabs" every stitch and doesn't want to let go.

I'm not sure I'm going to create a pattern for this one, though it's really lovely.  It's one of those that has lots of repeats in odd combinations which makes for a kind of weird chart.  I'll see if I can come up with something that is readable.