I will be hosting a KAL and technique discussion at my Yahoo Group, BadCatDesigns. You can request group membership here. Be sure you include something about yourself in the comment field!
We will use the group to discuss techniques and share some supplemental files. If you watch the video you might notice some swatches and small doilies that I use to demonstrate specific techniques. We will be playing with some of those charts at the Yahoo Group. Over on Ravelry I host a forum and we can use that forum for chat about the projects and techniques. You can join that forum here!
What you will need
The new Interweave video, Knitting New Vintage Lace
The video includes an instructional
video covering most of the techniques we will use, plus PDF files for two full
projects; the Ripple Doily and the Ripple Shawlette.
The Game Plan
We will review techniques and chat
about various options for center starts, working in the round on small needles,
going from a doily to a shawl design, tab starts, ideas for the top edge of
your shawl, bind-off and more! In the
video you will see quite a few small “swatches” and I will share the charts for
these so you can practice techniques and make some pretty, little doilies! Then we will embark on the Ripple Projects at
your own pace.
Materials for Project One: Ripple
Doily
#10 crochet cotton (200-300
yards.) I used Aunt Lydia’s color #0995
(Ocean.) Any cotton crochet thread will
work well, and if you use one that is heavier get a little more and choose a
larger needle and beads size, to work well with your thread choice.
US 1 (2.25mm) knitting needles: a
set of double-point needles and a 16 inch circular (or size for gauge)
US 14
(0.75mm) and US 0 (3.25mm) steel crochet hooks
8/0
Japanese seed beads to match your thread (you will need 84 of them.)
Gauge: 32
stitches and 48 rows in 2 inches, in pattern
Materials for Project Two: Ripple
Shawlette
Sock weight yarn (462 yards/100
grams.) I used Noro Taiyo Sock Yarn in
color #3. Any sock weight or hand-spun
yarn will work. Long color changes are
ideal. You could use several colors to
get the same effect. This would be a fun
project for handspun yarns in assorted colors (maybe spun from fiber samples
you have collected.)
US 4 (3.5mm) knitting needles: 32
inch circular (or size for gauge)
US 14 (0.75mm) and US 0 (3.25mm)
steel crochet hooks
5/0 or
6/0 Japanese seed beads to match your thread (you will need 120 of them.)
Gauge: 24
stitches and 28 rows to 4 inches, in pattern
How are we going to do it?
We will open the BadCatDesigns
Yahoo group for on-topic discussion and supplemental file sharing. You will have to join the Yahoo group if you
want access to any files that I share. You have to join Yahoo to become a
member, which is free.
We will also use my Ravelry forum for both on-topic discussions and socializing. You have to be a Ravlery member to join,
which is free. The link to join Ravelry
is below. Once you join Ravelry, follow the second link to the new forum.
Joining the KAL is free and open to everyone, but you will
need the pattern files (they are PDFs) included with the video to fully
participate. The pattern files are ONLY available with the video.
You will also need a current version of Adobe Reader (or
another PDF reader of your choice.)
These are free and available on-line.
Here is the link to download Adobe Reader.
Things to Think About
Knitters of all levels are welcome but the techniques are
not beginning techniques, so be prepared to have fun learning new techniques
and practicing old ones. I will provide
plenty of step-by-step, printed directions to complement the video, along with
fun practice projects and who know what else! The practice pieces use heavier
weight cotton yarns. I will share two
versions of the Shawlette. One is the
piece shown in the video, knit using the suggested Noro yarn and the second is
one I made using various colors of spindle-spun yarn, that I spun and knit
during my trip to Colorado to film the video.
I would be happy to chat about spinning for lace projects when we
discuss materials and techniques. Please join us! I have a PDF with all the above information plus some fine print with group rules. Please feel free to email me requesting a copy. Feel free to leave comments here, but if you want a reply be sure you are logged in and include your email address, or I can't reply:)
Photo credit goes to Joe Hancock and Interweave!
