Quantum Tea
All Things Knitting
Faina's Scarf, my first lace
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23rd July 2005
The Great Unknown
I am going to try knitting Faina's Scarf by Fiber Trends. It's a geometric lace scarf, to be knit with Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool in Dawn Rose (colour 12), which is a dusty pink colour. I was planning to knit the Koigu Patch of Berries scarf, until I met the pattern. This is my second Fiber Trends pattern, and the last one (the Acorn hat) had great instructions, so I have hope.
I have never knit lace before. I'm hoping this doesn't end up the knitting equivalent of a twelve car pile-up with severed heads bouncing down the highway. The adventure will begin after I've done the finishing work on my summer purse and completed Hubby's socks. This scarf is not for me, hence the girly pink yarn.
Any lace-knitting tips would be greatly appreciated! I plan to have emergency chocolate on hand when I start.
24th July 2005
Faina-along!
Who's up for a Faina's Scarf knit-along? You need 450 yards of sportweight yarn and size 4US needles. This is the scarf:
It's a gorgeous scarf and I don't want to mess it up. I need a support group! I have 3 hanks of Silky Wool to play with, 75 yards more than I need. I didn't expect to like the yarn as much as I do, I may have to knit another one for me later. There are some nice colours available.
Drop me a comment either here or there if you'd like to play. I'd really appreciate the company!
Tuesday 9 August 2005
Holy Lace Batman!
I couldn't resist that title! This is the first 36 rows of the Faina scarf and it's working!
I've only had to tink part of one row where I forgot a yarnover. It will need blocking and it looks much better in person, but it's working! The sskp and sk2p gave me a little trouble (you want me to do what with that stitch?) but I understand why it's there now (thanks for the closeup Hope!). I did the cast on over two needles, and that seems to be loose enough.
This is not quite the first lace I've done. I picked up another skein of Silky Wool and tried Knitty's Branching Out lace scarf as a tryout for Faina. I messed up rows 1, 3, 5, and 7, having to rip everything out each time. It's only a nine row pattern and I messed it up dismally. I'm determined to get it right one day, but Faina is a lot easier, 78 row repeat and all. Maybe the geometry of Faina is making it easier for me. Either way, I really like this pattern. I'm not a chart girl and having the whole thing written out is wonderful.
Friday 19 August 2005
Caveat Knitter
Row 88 of Faina is kicking me around the room. After FOUR attempts, I give up, I'm going out.
Saturday 20 August 2005
Faina continues
Sat down this morning and did row 88 of the Faina scarf first time through. No rip-outs, no errors, nothing. Row 92 is next.
Tuesday 23 August 2005
Let there be lace
Found a long flexible set of unlabeled needles in my needle case that happened to be the right size for Faina, which aided the photography process. It's a little hard to photo a ten inch wide scarf on six inch double points.
This is the second row of the first repeat of the pattern, row 136 of 423, 32% complete.
How did this happen? I'm knitting lace!
1st October 2005
Halfway to blocking
Faina is now half done, and I'm still using the first ball of yarn. The yarn comes in 175m skeins, which I read as 175yds, a whole different (and much shorter) animal. I need 450yds for the scarf. I have three skeins which is 525m, or about 574yds. I should be done in two balls of yarn even with the fringe, which leaves a dilemma: What do I make with the third ball of pink yarn I already wound? I also have a ball of purple. Maybe a two strand pink/purple lace thing. Can you do lace with two strands of yarn?
The scarf is going to need blocking because the ends curl in badly. I'm thinking I'll get it really wet and pin it out on a towel. Any blocking advice? I have another scarf that needs blocking too, just in time for cooler weather: the acid green Morehouse Farm Snake Scarf.
21st October 2005
Tough Love
Faina is now on the second ball of yarn at last. There's a seed stitch border, I guess that'll have to do for weaving in the two ends. I can make the rest of the scarf with the second ball, and fringe with the leftovers. I'm on the third pattern repeat (row 93 of 133) out of a total of four, plus two half-pattern ends. The scarf is a lot lighter than I was expecting, and very soft. Silky Wool drapes well, and shows the lace pattern nicely.
I'm still loving the lace effect. My lessons from this pattern have been making holes without freaking out and two new ways to decrease. It's a surprise present, I hope she likes it! The lace pattern has been forgiving, there are at least three mistakes in there so far, but I'm having trouble finding them, so they can't be that bad, and it's my first lace project. This is my second Fiber Trends pattern, and both have been clear and error-free. I picked up the Pineapple hat last weekend, to go with the Pumpkin and Acorn hats I already had. I'm thinking about making the Fuchsia Lace scarf some day.
Wednesday 30 November 2005
Digging a ditch
I'm up to row 102 of the last repeat on the Faina scarf. Thirty more rows, a decrease section, fringing, then I get to try my new stripy blocking towel. I'm going to block the green Morehouse Merino snake scarf too. It will have to block in the back bedroom because Quantum likes to lie on knitted things. I dislike knitting deadlines, I want to be done with Faina. Hubby's out tonight so I'm going to try and get to the decrease section, it's all downhill from there. Faina is a great pattern, made with wonderful yarn, but I want it done before it starts feeling like an albatross.
Ah! well a-day! what evil looks
Had I from old and young!
Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung.The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Go read Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams for more about Coleridge and the Ancient Mariner, it's a fun read.
Tuesday 6th December 2005
End of an Era
 |
Finished knitting Faina's scarf on Saturday, blocked and fringed it on Sunday. My Christmas knitting is over. For my first lace project, I think I did good. It's a great pattern, and I could see making it again, but not anytime soon! It was an easy pattern to follow. I haven't found a bad Fiber Trends pattern yet, but I do need to finish projects before they start feeling like an albatross. Faina required fringing, and I never want to fringe anything again. Ever. Fringing is an evil technique, especially fringing requiring an extra knot. Keeping track of the pattern was an issue, and 78 row patterns are wearing. This was the first time I've blocked anything, and the striped towel was a big help. Big thanks to Jan for suggesting it! I didn't do a perfect job with the lace pattern, but I doubt the recipient will find the I can no longer say I can't do lace. End of an era. This year I did my first lace, my first two colour stranded knitting, my first fingerless gloves. Last year I did my first socks. What's next? Spinning? |
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