Monday, February 1, 2010

Ready, set ... knit some lace!

Today is the first day of the Adventures in Lace knit-along. I must confess that I cheated.

I've always struggled with lace, plus I'm a slow knitter, so I decided to give myself a head start by casting on and completing the first repeat over the weekend. I set up a table near a sunny window and worked sloooowly to ensure I got off on the right foot (no frustration or tears).

The pattern I decided on is the
Forest Canopy Shawl . One of the reasons I chose it is the pattern is designed for beginning lace knitters-- it includes helpful tips and written instructions as well as charts. For example, I'd never heard of a lifeline , and will definitely be using that technique.

I'm using the Misti Alpaca silk/cotton blend I bought recently with size six needles. It is so soft and such a pleasure to knit with.
I also treated myself to a pair of Addi Turbo needles and ohmygoodness I love them.

16 comments:

Rachel said...

Oh wow. This is just gorgeous, Stacy. Wow, and wow again. The yarn is so pretty and your stitches are so even. It will be a beautiful piece of art!

Better keep the cats away from your knitting bag!

Linda said...

Dear Stacy,
Thank you so much for stopping by our blog and leaving such thoughtful words for my husbands recovery, we really appreciate it:) Your knitting is just SO beautiful I cannot wait to see your progress:)
Warmly
Linda

Theresa said...

SOOOOOOO PRETTY! Love that yarn, the colors are as soft as the yarn sounds! Have a blessed day and keep knitting my friend!

GerryART said...

Thanks for the link to definition of lifeline, I've saved the link.

Love that you are using this luscious yarn for such a neat project.

Good luck with the pattern. : ^ )

Thimbleanna said...

I loooove Addis! I don't love the price, but that's another story. Your lace is going to be beautiful -- such a gorgeous color!

Kitty said...

I started a little early, too. And for the same reason.

The forest canopy shawl was my first lace shawl, and I think it's a good choice for a beginner. The yos create defined sections so you can see how the lace builds on top of itself, if that makes any sense. :D

It's looking beautiful! I can't wait to see your progress!

Jenn said...

I started early too. I simply couldn't resist taking advantage of quiet time on Sunday to get myself organized. Your shawl is looking good. Thanks for directing us to the lifeline explanation...that definitely makes me less nervous about taking on a bigger lace project as I've discovered with my little scarf if I drop a stitch I'm screwed!

ImplausibleYarn said...

Thats coming out so beautiful! I love that you cheated for some reason or that you admitted it, it seems pretty rebellious for a lace knitter!

Sumea said...

It's looking Beautiful! and the yarn is Lovely. I am very much looking forward to seeing this progress.

Warm February Hugs xxx

Sumea

Dogwood said...

Stacy, dear Stacy~Wow, that is going to be so beautiful! I love the design and the yarn and the colors! Oh, boy you are going to have some lovely lace!

Feeling better I hope...

PunkiePie (Jen) said...

It's going to be gorgeous! I can't wait to see MORE!

Maiden Jane said...

It's so pretty! I'm still winding my yarn - 1200 or so yards takes a long time. My husband is even helping....

Joshy and belle said...

its so pretty, id have to cheat a bit too! im not very good at knitting! fliss xx

Suz said...

wow I think it is beautiful
cheat...no....not cheat...head start

Erin Wallace said...

The lifeline tip is great! I had to frog my lace - lifeline wouldn't have helped. Somehow it was totally wrong from the beginning. I wish I had cheated and then maybe I'd have something to show on my blog!


Anyhow, yours is gorgeous and I love the yarn - looking forward to seeing more!

Woollywotnots said...

Oooo it is going to be lovely. Your choice of yarn is gorgeous. :-)