Nuptial lace
When two of your favorite people get married and enrich your family, it’s time to pull out all the stops and let the organ shake the rafters. In a knitterly expression of love, I’m pulling out the cashmere and the prettiest lace patterns I could find. The bride (and the rest of the family, including Selkie the Labrador, much to Mingus’s horror) were visiting for a long weekend, so we had the opportunity to pick out the perfect yarn and the perfect pattern. Our winner?
Maureen Egan Emlet’s Mediterranean Lace, from Meg Swansen’s A Gathering of Lace. With their usual perfect timing, the Spiders gifted me this book (and Norah Gaughan’s Knitting Nature, and a gift certificate to a local fabric boutique, the generous gals) for my birthday. Ms. Egan Emlet’s design is kind of a mantilla shape, with a large central diamond on the back and two rectangular panels of ivy lace to drape over the shoulders. The bride and I prefer a rectangular stole, so we’re going to ditch the back diamond and just have a long panel of ivy lace with that exquisite leaf edging. It’s knit on size 2 needles, so now’s my chance to acquire an Addi lace circular. Oh, and a 48″ size 0. I guess I’m going to have to special-order that at work — not a needle size most places bother to stock! It’s a big project to take on, this Mediterranean Ivy stole, but Marika is entirely worth it and I do have until next May. The ivy chart doesn’t look too complicated, as the 28-st repetition is only patterned on the right side, and it should be easy to see the leaf shapes forming. You can start placing your bets now on the time it will take me to work the border, which is picked up and knit in the round (on that 48″ size 0), and to crochet the chain edging. I think the basic ivy rectangle had better be done by January! Wish me knitting luck and well-manicured fingers — that cashmere is heavenly soft, but fragile.
Posted: August 17th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
What a beautiful gift! Looking forward to seeing it develop over the next 9 months.
Posted: August 17th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
*sigh* It’s going to be beautiful! And what a lovely, not-so-bride-y, and wearable color!
Posted: August 17th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
I just got “A Gathering of Lace” with an Amazon gift certificate last week, and totally fell in love with that design! That leaf edging is just so lovely. I can’t wait to see it grow on your needles! Good luck!
Posted: August 17th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
Wow! I covet that book deeply; that stole will be lovely as a rectangle. Marika is very lucky, it looks like it’s going to be stunning. (and it’s not even white, hooray)
Posted: August 17th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
Wow! it’s old (in its tradition), new, and blue — 3 out of 4’s not bad. Maybe you should keep it and just let the bride borrow it to have 4 out of 4. I’d say you’ll be tempted with cashmere that lovely. The soft blue looks so pretty photographed against the hosta leaves
Posted: August 17th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Holy cow… knit on size 2s?? And the border is on zeros?? Oy. It’s going to be beautiful and I know your soon-to-be sister-in-law will be eternally grateful.
Posted: August 17th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
the boys thought something was wrong when the heard me gasp when i saw the yarn. i didn’t even know what it was, and i made funny noises, lol. she is a very lucky lady to have a knitter do this for her. i think you’ll have it done shortly after christmas (that last minute holiday knitting always seems to jump up at ya)
Posted: August 17th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
Weddings are a knitter’s dream…heirloom knitting at its finest! It’s so wonderful that you’ll be a part of that…her descendants will say, “and *Mrs. Garter* made that for my mother/grandmother/aunt/great aunt!” Not to put too much pressure on you!
Will you be knitting green coordinating lace for all of the bridesmaids and the flower girl? Just kidding.
Posted: August 18th, 2007 at 4:58 am
wow, she’ll love you forever. it’s so stunning! i can just see her keeping it in a hope chest and showing it off from time to time. you’re making an heirloom, that’s for certain.
Posted: August 18th, 2007 at 6:13 am
Fabulous choice ! I snagged the only copy of that book at my local B & N Booksellers this past spring. The checkout lady must have thought I was nuts the way I went on about Meg, and her Momma.
I started in on Frostflowers & Leaves in June and am close to finishing now.Oops, I did say something about Christmas knitting last week, didn’t I ? I blame it on the laceweight alpaca.
Posted: August 19th, 2007 at 8:32 am
That will be absolutely exquisite!
Posted: August 19th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Oh, I’ve always wanted to make that pattern. It is gorgeous, and a lot of work. You are a brave and loving woman. I will live vicariously through you, then make it myself taking advantage of your travails! Thank you!
Posted: August 20th, 2007 at 4:25 am
that will be beautiful! i love the soft lilac color!!!
Posted: August 20th, 2007 at 8:04 am
Amazing. I cannot wait to see that lace come together. The border would frighten me away, I’ll admit. But you - I know you can do it!
Posted: August 20th, 2007 at 9:02 am
Happy Belated Sarah! So glad you liked the books, we had a feeling you’d appreciate them
Posted: August 20th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
it is lovely. hopefully the dress has some cleavage. oh laceknitting is just so interesting but takes a lot of focus than i don’t have right now. and thank you sarah for the lovely comment on my norwegian knitting frenzy.
Posted: August 21st, 2007 at 8:33 am
wow, quite an undertaking! I’ve looked at that shawl in my copy of “Gathering” and always reluctantly turned the page, knowing I could never hold up to such a feat. Good luck. I’m sure it will come out just beautiful!
Posted: August 21st, 2007 at 1:39 pm
Wow! I’m really very impressed. Size 2 and size 0 needles! What a fantastic welcome-to-the-family gift!
Posted: August 28th, 2007 at 10:44 am
That is absolutely gorgeous! I love the idea of non-traditional colors (I used white for my shawl, but haven’t used it since), because it expands the opportunities one can use such a beautiful item.
Posted: September 17th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
[...] Sarah of Blue Garter- Within two and a half years of knitting Sarah has not only taken on the most intimidating projects, she also designs her own garments, models for magazines, hikes mountains, rides horses for weeks on end, makes her own greeting cards, sheesh, the list goes on…..She’s rockin, all the way around. [...]