Finding Beauty in the Positive and Negative

January 13, 2020

lace shawl

Sunset Shawl

(Brie pattern by Justyna Lorkowska)

 

When I first started knitting, my second handknit was to be an intarsia pullover for my husband in fingering weight.  It was a Rowan pattern and gorgeous.  Yes, my second project!  No scarves for me!  Why?!  A glutton for punishment I guess.  I'd successfully knitted a sweater for myself by Alice Starmore in worsted so thinking of my mentor's words to pick items you're excited about so you'll stick with them I selected the fingering weight project next, because it was gorgeous and I knew it would look fantastic on my husband!

 

Alice Starmore pullover

Pullover pattern by Alice Starmore

 

Although the sweater I made for myself had cabling and popcorn stitches it was primarily garter AND used worsted weight yarn.

I was well into the back of his sweater when I swore I'd never knit with anything other than heavier weight yarns ever again, because it was SO SLOW going.  Then when I knit the front I started knitting in a different gauge since I started the intarsia (colorwork) and really didn't know how to get the tension right.  The halves didn't really match up well nor was it going to fit well.  I was NOT going to frog (rip-it, rip-it) it though, because I was DONE with the whole thing.  I never did knit the sleeves and ended up felting the back and front thinking some day I might use it that way for a bag or something.  Still might, but there it sits.

Fast forward about 20 years and at some point I forgot those sworn words and was knitting socks and shawls and lace!  I love knitting lace!  I love how the beauty of it's delicateness and hole-e-ness doesn't display well until blocked.  So there's a surprise waiting at the end.

Never say never as they say.

 

lace cowl

Falling Snow Cowl

(Appia Cowl pattern by Hilary Smith Callis)

 

**You can find me on Ravelry - Biehive**

 

"It is important to expect nothing,

to take every experience,

including the negative ones,

as merely steps on the path, and to proceed."  Ram Dass