Anyone who wants to see a Wedding Ring Shawl in progress, go check out missalicefaye. She has completed the center for her shawl and it is magnificent! I just finished the second pattern repeat thanks to her kick-starting my ambition. Only three and a half more to go for the center :-) A round of applause for missalicefaye and her beautiful, inspirational work!
On another note. misalicefaye mentioned that information on making a shawl frame could be found in one of Hazel Carters books. She is absolutely correct! I have that book. It's in "Shetland Lace Knitting From Charts" by Hazel Carter. It's available at a fair price at Schoolhouse Press. Basically, she tells you to take 4 lengths of thin wood, she suggests 4 feet, nail or glue the corners to make a square. Then, using a length of strong thread (one for each side) she tells you to thread it through a point of the edge, pass the thread over the frame and catch the next point. No pegs, no holes, just over and around to the next point. On line I've also seen people using PVC pipe and joins. This way you could possibly break it down easily but you'd have to be sure that it didn't rack. With PVC, you might also make other shapes so circular shawls could be blocked.
So not only is missalicefaye a wonderful knitter, she is also a font of information:-)
9 comments:
(Just found your blog thru someone's comment on Knitters' Review forums.) What gorgeous work here - love your work! Terry
Oh, Jane, you're too kind. :) Thank you!
That was indeed the book I was thinking about. I look forward to seeing your shawl frame creation! :) It certainly would be easier on the knees...
Hooray for Wedding Ring Shawl progress! Can't wait to see your next photo update.
Dear Terry,
Thank you for checking out my blog. I'm glad you enjoy my work because I'm addicted to knitting this lace. I will check on the Forum since I've never posted there.
Dear Alice,
Making a frame is very tempting. I'm going to have to look at that idea seriously because my shawls keep getting bigger and bigger and I'm rapidly running out of floor space big enough to block them on without moving furniture!
Hee Hee. I have a cure for SlickPick needles, Jane. I took some old Addis to my gunsmith and he is beadblasting them to get a less-slick surface. He says they will be more like anodyzed aluminum, but very smooth. When I get them back, you are welcome to try them out. If they are as nice as he promises, I'll order some #0-4 KnitPicks and let him have at them.
Dear fleegle,
That is a really interesting experiment! I can't wait to see what you get with that process. I've been knitting with Inox coated needles on my Wedding Ring Shawl so they don't slip and the points have been pretty good. Most of the time, I actually want the needles to be slick for other weights of yarn so it never dawned on me to try to alter the old Addi Turbo's. Thanks for the offer of trying out the needles but I think I will wait and watch how they work for you first :-) As I've said before, you have a really different kind of a mind. Must be that inventor streak you have!
Re: Excel. I am currently reviewing a nice little thingy that plugs into Excel. I think Excel charting is easier (and cheaper) than the alternatives. Stay tuned!
Years and years ago my husband and I invented all sorts of cool kayaking gear--breakdown paddles that could be stored in the boat in case your main one got ripped away in a rapid...life jackets with crotch straps that couldn't be ripped away in a rapid...now we invent knitting needles...
Swatched for a Black Widow Spider Queen shawl tonight. I'll post a pix soon. I am not sure I have the courage to pursue the concept.
Dear fleegle,
I look forward to the information on using Exel to chart lace. I'd like to experiment with making up a pattern sometime. As for a Black Widdow Spider Queen Shawl, why not? I swatched in a navy blue silk/cashmere blend by ColourMartUK and it was very pretty although it is not really to gauge in the yarn I tried. It was not that hard to see the stitches and if you have one of those "Natural Light" bulbs for your lamp, you can see really pretty well (I have one for when I knit at night). Can't wait to see your swatch!
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