A couple of days ago, I showed a quick and easy way to use spool knitting to embellish a handmade mask.
There are also tutorials
on the web
for spectacular
masks for
crocheters and
tatters.
Here are links for some dazzlers:
Have you seen the tutorial for the exquisite Tatted Mask on Instructables? Awe inspiring!
And, here’s a link for a gorgeous Hairpin Lace  Mask from Stitch Diva.
If you are looking for something a little more whimsical, then Melissa Mall’s crocheted critter  1/2 masks on Crochet Me might be just perfect: Critter masks
If you would like to be inspired  by the sculptural potential of crochet, then definitely check out …read more

Several of my readers and I have been talking lately about  NOT recycling needlework and craft magazines so that a valuable ethnilogical, anthropological, historic and sociological resource is not lost. (Besides, we just plain like old needlecraft magazines and books!)
First of all
check out the
lace behind
the bunny
tatting
shuttle….
It’s  a fragment
of needle lace that
I bought 20 years
from a lace collector.
I am fascinated by fragments of  interesting lace whenever I come upon them, as I feel that they are a valuable resource that have clues to the history of needlework.
Anyhow… check out the tiny flowers… aren’t they gorgeous?  Bear with me… this gets a …read more

Many years ago, I bought some samples and fragments of handmade lace from a woman who had been collecting lace for years.
One of the tiny pieces that I bought then,
and have cherished ever since,
has always been a mystery to me.
But, now, I am convinced that I  know what it is!
Lynn and Elizabeth left comments
on yesterday’s post and have confirmed
that the piece of  ‘mystery lace’
that I wrote about yesterday is
definitely needlepoint lace.
And, I am convinced that this
3 inch/7.5 cm square is, as well.
It’s utterly exquisite, and is worked on
an extraordinarily miniature scale!
When I was googling around,
researching handmade lace,
I googled on ‘needle …read more

As I was strolling past a rather wonderful old table in our favorite thrift shop, I felt like a hand reached out and grabbed me by the scruff of my collar and said, ‘Look at this!!!’
Sitting on the table, under a rather
dreadful flower arrangement,
was this wonderful table runner.
It’s 50 inches long (about 125 cm)
and about 12 inches (30 cm) wide.
I am in awe of this lace.
I have no idea how it was made.
Clearly, some parts of it were
woven.
Some parts are worked in
buttonhole stitch over
connecting threads.
I am wondering if
the motifs were
worked separately
first, and then
stitched to a backing
cloth….
The central medallion
was worked 3 …read more

Here’s a nifty little pattern I recently completed, a bit different than the average square dishcloth (although I did quite a few of those, too). It’s the lace star cloth pattern (link to it; it’s FREE), done in basic Sugar n’ Cream cotton.
You start with a circular cast-on…while you don’t have to, this one is so neat. Once you get going on the pattern, you pull the loose end to tighten up the center and it works beautifully. A regular cast on (one you might use to begin a straight edge) can leave you with a gaping hole that’s impossible to pull closed.
I …read more

If you’re not yet a member at Knitting Daily, you should definitely consider it. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a knitter because they also feature crochet and crochet patterns. And you don’t have to pay a dime…just register with your e-mail address.
This is a free download offered at Knitting Daily TV. It’s called Maggie’s Wrap and isn’t it cute?
Of course, its lacy prettiness isn’t going to keep you warm. This is more of a garment made to be noticed. The cropped design should work up pretty quickly and you can add your own unique flair by choosing the …read more

As we approach the end of another year, I look back on my completed projects of 2008 and I can’t help but feel kind of disappointed. I’m not in a competition or anything with anyone (except perhaps myself), but I read a lot of knitting/crafty blogs and so many bloggers churn out projects all the time, while I’m lucky to complete something, no matter how small, in a month.
Then there are the projects that take me an entire year…

This is probably my favorite project of the past year, the Arctic Diamonds Stole from Interweave Knit’s Winter 2006 edition. It was …read more

Maybe you’re in a mall right now, braving the post-Thanksgiving crowds.
Maybe you’re in your house, needles in hand. I much prefer this scene.
If you collect knitting books like you collect yarn, one book you might love is Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush. You really can’t go wrong with Nancy Bush. I cannot wait to get my hands on this book. It’s not only the projects, which are sure to be lovely, but it’s also reading about the history behind these intricate designs.   
Any non-knitters reading this? This would make a great gift for the crafty person in your life.

Image: Amazon

Christmas is about a month away, so anyone out there who’s knitting or crocheting or crafting gifts has probably already started. Every January, I ask myself if I’m going to knit gifts for that year’s Christmas. I have to start thinking about it in January because I’m a slow knitter. It’s been a couple of years since I knitted gifts and I don’t know when I’ll start up again.
There are few things as satisfying than working on a project for hours and then gifting it and seeing the recipient really appreciate it. On the other hand, there are few things as frustrating as …read more

I have been in love with lace since I was a child. I began making lace when I was a little girl. One of my grandmother’s friends taught me how to make holes (on purpose!) in your knitting, and that was it for me….. addicted!
I’ve been making lace ever since. I started crocheting lace when I was a teenager, then learned how to tat in my 20’s. And, I’ve been knitting lace ever since I learned to put those holes where I wanted them!
But, that was lace making in the 20th C, and the title of this posting is about …read more