Letters
Clerestory Shawl: Fancy
Dear Kay,
I’m choogling along on Jeanette Sloan’s Clerestory Shawl. This single-stranded Gleem Lace cobweb is going to be amazing. It looks like a mess right now, but when I spread it out, I can see what will happen after the Mighty Redemptive Power of Blocking.
I’ve just arrived at the center panel in this shawl, Tumbling Block lace. To give you a better view, here’s a swatch using Lichen and Lace Merino Aran. Superchewy.
It is one of the coolest lace patterns I’ve seen. It has decreases and yarn overs on both the right and wrong side, so it is keeping me on my toes. I activated my Extreme Stitch Marker Protocol, and that makes all the difference.
You can’t go too far off the rails when you’re arriving at a stitch marker every ten stitches. The quick repeats make this quite manageable, I’ve discovered.
I’m happy to see folks ordering up this yarn. Gleem Lace is special—a bit daunting if you’ve never tried a laceweight yarn. But once you get it on your needles, held either single or double, it’s mesmerizing to knit. And the patterns we rounded up recently are good pairings for it.
Thing I’ve Noticed
Are you finding knitting to be a calming thing to do these days? I really do crave it at the end of the day, in a way that feels necessary, medically required, almost. Creating order in my little knitting projects feels big to me right now. I hope it’s giving you peace, too.
Love,
Ann
I know what you mean about craving knitting at the end of the day. I find myself really NEEDING it after my day job, aka the thing I do in order to afford pretty yarn.
yes I feel the same way. I work on a computer from home and sometimes after a particularly difficult person or a meeting that is well you know. I stop and knit a row or a few and then go back to work.
I’m enjoying my knitting projects but I need to find some place to wear them besides my doctors’ office and food shopping. I love the Open guide by Jeanette Sloan. You selected an amazing designer!
We need to shift our intent a bit. I just finished a beautiful needlepoint pillow cover. It was months of pure pleasure to work and was almost, almost, as much therapy as knitting is. But when I finished, I rolled it into a pillow case which is where it’s going to stay unless I feel I should have it made into a pillow. It was the joy of working on it that was important, not actually getting it on the couch. That is how I’m looking at my knitting at the moment. I am knitting for the joy of it, not for a finished project that I can wear out in public.
Ah! But here we have hit upon the two different sub-species of knitters! The process knitters and the product knitters.
I used markers between each lace repeat in the Mood Cardigan!! I used to be reluctant to use so many but after many frustrating mistakes knitting lace I now use them with abandon. And yes I do look forward to knitting time – at the end of the day or whenever I can grab it.
Definitely, knitting is keeping me sane these days. Have never been so “productive”
I crave knitting throughout the day. It is my therapy.
That shawl is going to be so beautiful! I am working my way up to making one, starting with a rib lace scarf, Lichen and Lace worsted weight yarn, and plenty of life lines!
I too find knitting a much needed escape. I’m knitting the Clerestory Shawl in Neighborhood Fiber Rustic Fingering (Lakeland). The pattern keeps me on my toes and the world falls away.
As therapy, knitting is beating chocolate lately. Never thought I’d say those words!
Chocolate Trump’s knitting for me every time! 😀
I have finished…tiger lily in Lichen and Lace. Went down several sizes in needles. Love doing it!!!!! I marvel at Jeanette’s design of the lace and reversal of the lace at each end. I also blocked it larger so the lace would really stand out. It is a treasure and I will be doing another one of her patterns in this Field Book. Thank you so much for the introduction to Jeanette and her designs. Knitting is passion and I save time each day to fulfill that desire,
I so appreciate your advice about your Extreme Stitch Marker Protocol. I have been knitting a scarf with a constantly shifting lace pattern. After ripping it out for the fifth time, I finally turned to MDK for help. So many stitch markers, but no more ripping and re-knitting. Thank you, Ann!
I just finished the first of two lace socks (Kate Atherley’s Oh Valencia!), and setting markers for every repeat saved me over and over – so much easier to spot a mistake and fix it when it’s within tinking range. I also took advantage of color to mark key transition points (BOR, instep, etc.), which becomes like a GPS reminding me that there’s a lane change ahead.
I also am finding that knitting in pattern is particularly soothing right now, especially once you’re tuned into the project. Something about rhythmic counting just sets the mind into a comfortable mode of creating order in the midst of chaos!
Jessica, You have expressed what I felt but didn’t understand. I just finished the Twinning Wrap and that’s why it was so soothing to work on! The “rhythmic counting” does help “create order in the midst of chaos.” Thanks for this.
Honestly, I feel like knitting is helping my stress levels almost as much as my therapist right now! I manage a retail store, so it’s been a long and horribly stressful 7.5 months, and it feels like no end in sight.
I’m not finishing much of anything— I have startitis out the wazoo— but rather than getting frustrated by that, I’m trying to be kind to myself. I’m recognizing that at any one moment, subconsciously I may want to be doing a mindless garter stitch. Another time I may need to focus on an intricate pattern to stop thinking about what’s stressing me out, or want to feel close to the loved ones I can’t travel to see by working on something for them. Or just want to be working with a crazy bright color if I’m feeling sad!
What I’m hoping is that sometime in the future, I’ll look back on the 10 projects I’ve been working on, off and on, since March and remember they helped me get through this, each in their own way.
Megan,
You have so aptly expressed exactly how I am feeling. “Startitis” has overwhelmed me as well. I love my knitting and enjoy every project I have going.
I have only completed 2 projects since Covid began. One was a sweater vest in bulky yarn that took less than a week. (A necessity for my daughters birthday). The other was a very quick beanie again in bulky yarn.
I am taking pleasure in returning to projects I have put aside. I also need both simple and complex knitting to entertain me and that is why I knit, for entertainment in these trying days. I am less able to curtail my desire to begin something new but have given myself permission. I have found it rewarding to
discover ways to use my stash yarn which makes starting a new project OK for me now.
Hugs
My doctor asked just yesterday what I was doing to manage stress and anxiety in these trying times. I said ‘2020 is the year of the shawl. Just took my fourth one off needles.’
I have not started yet but I will be knitting this. My yarn is a gift from my son who did not understand I wanted 2 of the same color. He gifted me deep aqua and pebble beach. I now plan to knit the wings in blue and the center in grey. I have not started as I am finishing something else and I will be starting soon. Seeing others work does help me know what to expect.
Got two projects going to represent different needs: the easy straight knitting blanket for when I want to watch tv and just let my hands go, and the more intricate lacy sock, that requires me to focus on something other than the world on fire. Two types of therapy, both desperately needed.
My comfort knitting has taken a backseat to working long hours in a town I’m not liking very much (no LYS is #1 on the list). My C-19 knitting consisted of knitting mitered squares over and over^100. I just couldn’t concentrate on anything. Last weekend I picked up the project bag that was bulging with squares and found that I’m only 20 squares from a good sized lap blanket. More squares, more peace of mind.