A Little Bit of Lace

Back in May I fell in love with a gorgeous, 45% silk, 55% merino blend, lace-weight yarn with a rich, blue/green/gray color. The whole skein measured in with a substantial 1,000+ yardage. Since I didn't have any particular pattern in mind when I bought it, I wanted to be sure that I would have enough to finish a project without needing to go back for more.

After several weeks of pattern hunting and experimentation to get just the right design for the yarn, I was able to settle in and make some progress. The pattern utilizes some Estonian Lace stitches that really compliment the yarn. When I started the first stage of the pattern, a 3-in-3 star,

I noticed that some of the glass beads that I had in my needlework cabinet blended almost perfectly with the yarn. Of course, that sent me back to the pattern to decide where I could incorporate those beads :) After a longer period of time than I'd care to admit, I began to place them. I detest ripping progress back, so I did NOT want to put them in the wrong location. Since I'd already begun my work, I used a crochet hook to maneuver each bead onto the stitch before it was knit.

I quickly realized that my local craft store was not going to be able to meet my beading needs for this project, so I hurriedly placed a bulk order online so that I would have enough to keep me busy during an upcoming, long-distance ride. While en-route, I was able to knock out most of the blossom stitch repeats, and even managed to do it without spilling my stash of beads.

While I absolutely loved working the blossom stitch, I'm always terribly impatient to finish a project once I've crossed the halfway point. I couldn't put it down, so it was fortunate that I had a lot of sitting time with my first graders. There was no need to feel guilty when prioritizing knitting time over chore time while giving lessons :) I finished up over Labor Day weekend and was all set to block it, but my camera chose that day to extinguish its battery power. The frustration!! I was so close to being finished, but for the sake of documentation I was left looking at this until I could get to the store. (Please forgive the lousy indoor photos. I had waited long enough for batteries, I wasn't waiting for a day without rain for proper outdoor lighting.)

Finally, I was ready to block! First, I let it soak in some warm water for about 10 minutes. Then I laid it on a clean sheet on our bed and began to block across the top and down the center, stretching as I went.

The shawl, completely blocked, took up most of the bed. The overall measurements (using size 5 circular needles) turned out to be 75"w from tip to tip and 35" down the center back. I thought I was going to go crazy trying to get everything pinned evenly. I'm a bit too OCD for my own good sometimes. After it was blocked, I sprayed it down with some warm water since the points seemed a bit too dry to block properly.

Surprisingly, it was only a couple of hours before it was dry and I could take it up. I have to say, that after all of that time, effort, and the hand application of over 2,000 beads, it's going to be hard to part with! The addition of the beads gives it a nice, heavier weight than most shawls, so it drapes differently, but I think the overall effect is stunning.

Another Week, Another Wardrobe

This post is a bit late in publication, I'm afraid. You have my apologies. Life was forcing its way like a whirlwind through our home last month and I just could not bring myself to sit at the computer editing photos and writing composition when there was so much to be done and so little time in which to do it. In basically a week and a half, my husband came home from his full time job and turned out two pieces of furniture while still managing to tackle everyday responsibilities. I'm not certain that he slept more than a couple of hours each night. While I do stay up with him most nights, I have a ridiculously difficult time hauling myself out of bed in the morning to match his 5:30am wake-up call.

This last project was another wardrobe made of Walnut and Spalded Maple. While it may be a pain to work with due to differing degrees of hardness throughout the boards, the Maple is a beautiful wood full of rich colors and patterns.

When he is moving quickly without the luxury of taking an evening off every now and then, it's amazing how quickly the piece takes shape.

The back, with diagonal paneling detail

Maneuvering panels to make more work space

Preparing to route out for a joint

Even when pressed for time, he'll still add a special detail that will set each piece apart. This time, he pulled out his antique Stanley 55 hand plane to carve a reeded checkerboard trim.

If my memory serves me correctly, I believe that he did all of this in two nights. (Not including the time to glue up.)

Even the drawer received special attention with hand-cut dovetails.

 This piece had to be versatile because it was needed in a small space and would have to accommodate a changing wardrobe. In order to maximize its potential, he incorporated adjustable shelving and a removable hanging rod.

 In less than a week, he transformed a pile of lumber like this....

 

 into this beautiful and highly functional piece of art.

* You may be wondering about the missing hardware. It was to be added by the one who commissioned the piece at a later date. The drawer was rigged with a temporary pull that prevented it from closing tightly until then.