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My first lace knitting

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Mon, 2010-05-31 17:12 — mrossnyc

I finally finished knitting and blocking my first lace project, which was homework for one of the workshops I took at the MSKR last weekend. The first pic is not a picture of a lace trampoline, but shows the technique we learned how to block lace using PVC, rubber bands, paper clips and a nylon thread going through the points.

blocked_doily

And then here's the doily off the frame after blocking.

full_doily

The yarn is from School Products and is the Provence Lace Merino in one of the blues. They weren't really labeled in the store when I bought it so I'm not sure, but it's a light blue. The yarn itself feels a little rough until it gets wet. Now it's nice and soft.

This was a good starter piece, it was fun watching the design emerge as it came off the needles. I do wish I had thought of adding a life line occasionally to make ripping out the mistakes much faster. Oh, the lessons we learn...

Comments

Tue, 2010-06-08 07:39 — RickeScott
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Very lovely and I'll have to

Very lovely and I'll have to try blocking that way. Very clever!

Wed, 2010-06-02 06:34 — MMario
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I kept meaning to say

I kept meaning to say something to you at the retreat; it looked good even incomplete, and it blocked out beautifully!

Mon, 2010-06-07 13:53 — mrossnyc
mrossnyc's picture

Thanks Mario, I am quite

Thanks Mario, I am quite pleased with how it all came out.

Tue, 2010-06-01 18:01 — TheKnittingMill
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Just BEAUTIFUL Michael! I

Just BEAUTIFUL Michael! I can't believe this is your first bit of lace! That's truly astonishing to me. Really lovely!

Tue, 2010-06-01 17:37 — Kenny
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That's so awesome, your lace

That's so awesome, your lace and Matthew's blocking method. Do you know how long is each PVC piece?

Mon, 2010-06-07 13:51 — mrossnyc
mrossnyc's picture

Thanks Kenny! Each side is 3

Thanks Kenny!

Each side is 3 feet long with a 90 degree join on each corner.

For his piece, he also had a cross-shaped join to provide support for the 6 foot square frame with the cross braces.

Tue, 2010-06-01 16:01 — Kerry
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Very nice, I like it. Are

Very nice, I like it. Are you really using paper clips unbent or where do you get those hooks?

Mon, 2010-06-07 13:52 — mrossnyc
mrossnyc's picture

They are plastic-coated

They are plastic-coated paper clips from Office Depot. Just bend them open carefully.

Tue, 2010-06-01 15:28 — TomH
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Looks great!

Looks great!

Tue, 2010-06-01 15:19 — Joe-in Wyoming
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Traditional Shetland

Traditional Shetland blocking for lace shawls is very similar but omits the rubber bands and hooks. I've used it for my work but can see how using the tensioners and hooks would really speed up the process. Although, as Tallguy points out, lacing the points onto your frame doesn't really take that long. -- Books, knitting, cats, fountain pens...Life is Good.

Tue, 2010-06-01 07:23 — QueerJoe
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Wow...I didn't get to see

Wow...I didn't get to see yours at the retreat...did you do that while there? It's very nice, and I am still amazed at how easy Matthew has shown us lace blocking can be.

Tue, 2010-06-01 08:34 — mrossnyc
mrossnyc's picture

In most of the pics of me

In most of the pics of me from MSKR, this is the thing I was working on. It's also the piece I spent the first night frogging all the work I did that afternoon. While I obviously didn't have it done in time for the class, the technique is easy enough to remember what I did to help Matthew block his big project.

Mon, 2010-05-31 20:50 — chipsir
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Good job all around, are you

Good job all around, are you hooked on lace now?

Mon, 2010-05-31 18:50 — Aaronknits
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Yay, it's finished! It

Yay, it's finished! It looks great! Excellent job blocking!

Mon, 2010-05-31 17:49 — Bill
Bill's picture

looks like lacing that

looks like lacing that evenly would be almost as tricky as knitting it!
...but that lacing method is the way fabric is stretched for couture embroidery...(minus the paperclips)...LOL

Mon, 2010-05-31 21:01 — Tallguy
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Actually, the lacing up is

Actually, the lacing up is very easy to do. And because of the way you lace it up, it AUTOMATICALLY adjusts itself to come out perfectly even. It's really a miracle!! You know, most of the best methods are also the simplest as well. We like it better when it is complicated and hard... but after a certain age, you go for simple and efficient.

I used this lacing method for tying on my weaving to the apron. Simplicity itself, and always gives you perfectly even tension across the warp. Try it. I prefer a stress-free life.