Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Lace Sampler Patterns 3 and 4

Sampler Here is a picture of the Sampler Patterns 3, bottom left, and 4, top left (click on picture to see larger image).



Pattern 3 is another example of lace that is biased.  Lewis says, "This kind of bias, where the side selvedges lean and the top and bottom edges are straight, will occur in all patterns where the decreases are adjacent to their eyelets and are consistently to one side or the other... You can use these patterns just as they are for fabrics with biased selvedges or for circular knitting.  In the latter case, the jog in the knitting where one round ends and the next begins will spiral up the tube.  If you were to insert vertical panels of another pattern within the bias pattern, you would make very dramatic spiral patterning."



Pattern 3 looks wider than pattern 4 above it, because pattern 3 was knit on 58 stitches and pattern 4 was knit on 51 stitches (so the pattern repeats would come out right).



Pattern 4 is a "Diamond ground pattern." Ground patterns can be used as accents, fillers and allover repeats.  This little diamond does not have a center eyelet; it is a solid diamond surrounded by eyelets.



Notes on the experience of knitting these two patterns:



  • I didn't learn any new stitches.


  • Pattern 3 took more concentration than did pattern 4.


  • By the time Pattern 4 was done I was beginning to be able to read the eyelets.  Anytime you can read your knitting there is less stress involved in working a pattern.


By the way... there are copies of Susanna E. Lewis' "Knitting Lace: A Workshop with Patterns and Projects" for sale on Amazon.com.  Today used copies are selling at $120 (US) and up.  It's pricey, but a very good book if you have some spare cash to spend.



Now I'm off to sleep.  I got up at 4AM today for a swim.  Finally!  My shoulder surgery was in July and here it is March of the following year and I feel okay.  I think I'll continue the pattern of yoga one day and swimming the next.  It's feeling good.



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