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August 20, 2007
Choose Your Own (Lace) Adventure
I know I've mentioned it before - my knit fantasy. It's not to design sweaters. It's not to knit a car. It's not even to write a book. My knit fantasy is to be a fabulous Lace Designer. A new Evelyn Clark, so to speak. Well, I can kind of live the fantasy now!
About a month ago, Jessica, of Rose-Kim Knits, featured a shawl she had knit using Evelyn Clark's new book Knitting Lace Triangles. I HAD to have the book! I waited and waited, and finally last week I got my copy. (From the Knitty Noddy. Very nice service.)
I had it a few days before I figured out what I was doing - my fault not Evelyn's - and while it's a great book, it's not REALLY about designing your own shawl. Although, I guess, if you had more patience than me you could use it a starting point.
What the book is, though, is a mix and match kind of a thing. Choose your own adventure if you will. Clark gives you four lace patterns (each with 10 stitch repeats, 3 with 10 row repeats, one with 20) and the knowledge to put these four lace patterns together in any kind of combination you'd like. There's an 18 row beginning for each pattern, and various transitions to get you from one pattern to the next smoothly. You can also opt NOT to use the transitions.
The book is spiral bound so you can open it flat and there are charts for all of the lace patterns, as well as the beginnings, edging and transitions. She suggests that you photocopy then cut and paste your charts together, but I found it easier to just copy the chart into Excel and print it out from there. The patterns aren't complicated at all so you don't need a lot of symbols. Using the draw tool in excel gets you K2TOG, SSK and SK2P no problem.
After a few false starts, I'm on my way:
I started with the Ripple beginning then one repeat of Ripple, and now I'm alternating between Medallion and Leaf Lace. I plan on alternating between these two until I like how big it is (I've got a lot of yarn and I believe that bigger is indeed better) then I'll go back to Ripple for a couple of repeats until the edging. I'm actually pretty much copying one of the ready made patterns she's got in the book - with at least one tweak. Turns out I'm not that original. The yarn is Twinkletoes sock yarn, which I bought off of Ebay a long time ago. I'll have to see what I can find about it for my next post on this shawl. (ETA: Margene sent me a link to Twinkletoes sock yarn. Now I just have to figure out what color this is....)
I'm enjoying the yarn and the pattern and I think my chosen adventure will be great!
Tomorrow - lots of SPIN OUT Prizes! The mail brought a lot of goodies today and I'm going to try to take pictures and write up the big post for tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who donated over the weekend! We're over $2000 now! THANK YOU!
Posted by Cara at August 20, 2007 01:17 PM
Topics: My EC Shawl
Comments
What! I'm the first to comment? Yikes.
Love the blue yarn.
Posted by: susan at August 20, 2007 01:57 PM
Beautiful! I am working out some lace designs, myself and it is so gratifying. Mine are mostly rectagular stoles, though. I can't wait to see the finished product.
Posted by: Kristin at August 20, 2007 01:59 PM
I remember when we were all crazy over Twinkletoes yarn. The shawl is looking so pretty! Nice work, grrl!
Posted by: margene at August 20, 2007 02:12 PM
I had not heard of this book. It looks interesting. Thanks for sharing. Your shawl already looks beautiful.
Posted by: Sarah at August 20, 2007 02:19 PM
Thanks for the book review - I'm going to check that out.
Posted by: Carole at August 20, 2007 02:20 PM
Oh, that's pretty. I haven't tackled lace yet for the simple reason that I don't like how triangular shawls look on me, and I haven't found a lot of rectangular shawl patterns that I like. But, a BOOK that can give me ideas on how to put one together? That could be awesome.
Posted by: ames at August 20, 2007 02:30 PM
I saw Jessica's post about this book and meant to hunt it down myself. Thanks for the details...love a spiral bound book like this!
I'll be following along with you. Nice start.
Posted by: Jan at August 20, 2007 02:36 PM
I love that color! Great start with it.
Posted by: Sarah at August 20, 2007 02:42 PM
What a great book! Thanks for pointing it out to us :)
Posted by: Veronique at August 20, 2007 02:43 PM
That sounds like so much fun - I want that book too!
Posted by: teresa at August 20, 2007 02:49 PM
Oh-oh! I didn't know about that book. Must get it - NOW! (thanks for the link)
Your shawl looks like it will be beautiful. That yarn color is gorgeous.
Posted by: Kirsten at August 20, 2007 03:04 PM
Ack! I've been waiting for that book to show up somewhere in my vicinity. I'd love to be a lace designer, but the thought of it sometimes gives me a headache. Oh the math! Oh the seamlessly moving from one lace pattern to the next! Ack!
Posted by: Teresa C at August 20, 2007 03:14 PM
ahhhh i want that book!! i often dream of being Evelyn Clark in another life! haha. off to knitty notty!! :-)
Posted by: margaux at August 20, 2007 03:26 PM
The mix-n-match concept is brilliant! You really are designing your own shawl, sort of, because theoretically there are infinite combinations of these four patterns. Although if it were me of course I'd be sneaking other ones in there too.
Posted by: Lucia at August 20, 2007 03:27 PM
When you knit lace, do you knit with the center yarn or the outside yarn on the cake?
Posted by: lola at August 20, 2007 03:29 PM
oooh, this book sounds like a lot of fun! i'm going to have to figure out how to pick myself up a copy :)
Posted by: gleek at August 20, 2007 03:54 PM
Now if they only made a book like that for socks, I would be all over that. I am really hoping that the Vogue sock book is like that. Can't wait to see what you knit up!
Posted by: Ava at August 20, 2007 05:05 PM
Would you please post a little more informaation about using the draw tool in excel. I use excel a lot, but mostly for calcuations. I forget that you could use it for fun stuff.
Posted by: Cath at August 20, 2007 05:34 PM
Hi! I'm a long time lurker and I enjoy readuing your blog very much. Here's something that I think can help you to make charts easier http://home.earthlink.net/~ardesign/knitfont.htm. Is a font for your computer with all kinds of knitting symbols, I hope is useful.
Posted by: Navi at August 20, 2007 07:02 PM
Sounds like a great book. Love the shawl. The color is great.
Posted by: Tonia at August 20, 2007 07:16 PM
What a lovely color and a fabulous beginning. I cannot wait to see it complete. The book does sound great.
Posted by: Sharon at August 20, 2007 07:29 PM
This is going to be fun to watch!
Posted by: Carol at August 20, 2007 10:03 PM
1. I loved those books growing up. I purposely made poor choices so I could do every adventure.
2. Now I must go buy this book. You are the second person to mention it in I think as many days. Coincidence? I think not. :)
Posted by: carrie at August 21, 2007 12:55 AM
How pretty! this will be a great knit :)
Posted by: Lolly at August 21, 2007 07:31 AM
Ooooo, looking good! I just love the idea of a book that lets you mix, match, and be creative. =-D
Posted by: Gigi at August 21, 2007 09:05 AM
I got to Knitty Noddy in a search for the perfect pink silk lace. That book fell into my cart. What can I say?
Posted by: Donna at August 21, 2007 10:22 AM