copyright Taunton Books

I hopped up and down,

pointing at this totally

awesome book that I

bought more than 15 years ago.

Luckily,

Hand Manipulated Stitches

for Machine Knitters

by Susan Guagliumi,

published by Taunton Press,

in 1990, is still available.

This book is stuffed full of

useful ways of maximizing

the creative possibilities of working with knitting machines.

It’s one of those ‘foundation’ books that you just have to have if you are going to be using the knitting machine as a tool in your fiber arts.

I am soooooooooo glad that it is still in print, and I hope that it will stay in print for a long long time…. this book is an excellent textbook on making gorgeous, complex fabrics on  the knitting machine. The secret is in  using simple tools that you use to move the stitches around in logical and fascinating sequences.

I’ve been working with knitting machines for decades. I actually bought my first knitting machine when I was 15 years old.

I have owned many different knitting machines over the years, and at this point, am down to just one- a rather simple bulky style machine that doesn’t read cards, but still allows me to make all manner of fun stuff.

Here are a few links to posts that I have written about  few knitting machine projects:

Working short rows to knit a round baby blanket: a-baby-blankie-for-fathers-day/
and here’s a quick tute on a super simple lace edging:
a-lace-edging-worked-on-a-knitting-machine

Using a knitting machine to make the edging for handwoven placemats: knitting-machine-edging-for-woven-placemats/

Knitting machines have much in common with looms, and many weavers are quite fluent on both knitting machines and looms. Both have so much potential for creating absolutely glorious fiber arts. Bliss. Pure bliss.

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photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

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 the crocheted mask gallery of

Nicki Hitz Edson: Gallery

The woven masks of Susan Barrett Merrill are breathtaking. They are an exploration of spirit and soul: Zati Masks.

And what if you need a snoozy little mask to ease your naptime? Ah, then, the  Goodnight Mask by Regina Rioux Gonzalez is the answer.

So…. there you have it… yarn is unmasked as the secret ingredient of all manner of masks, from giddy to glorious!

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photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

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 little convoluted….

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

So….

I was doing some

web searching into

Lux knitting books,

because Leslie

sent me a list of

Lux knitting books

that her mother

had cherished

and collected over the years.

I tried all over the net to see if I could track down more about the Lux Knitting books. I am thrilled to have found a 1951 copy that now keeps my grandmother’s 1958 copy company.

Well… in the search for information about the Lux Knitting books (no luck so far, although in a previous post, I listed the links that another reader had sent in for patterns from New Zealand versions of the Lux Knitting books)-

anyhow… as I was searching, I went, of course, to the Arizona University site, to see if they had any pdf’s of Lux Knitting books. nope…

BUT…. I did find the most WONDERFUL pattern for a crocheted doily that has little flowers that are dead ringers for the flowers in the needle lace fragment in the bunny pic. Isn’t that cool?  Here’s the link: 1915 crochet pattern on page 10.

This may not be a thriller for some people, but I am sure that there are lots of us who just LOVE historic needlework, so what can I say, except: Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

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photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

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 lace’, and this

awe inspiring video came up:

It’s entitled: Puncetto Valsesiano

It’s utterly breathtaking!

After Lynn told me to google on ‘needlepoint lace, I found another wonderful site: marlamallett.com

I have been in love with lace all my life, and am delighted that there is still so much to learn about it- how magical is that?

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photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

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.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

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.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

I am wondering if

the motifs were

worked separately

first, and then

stitched to a backing

cloth….

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

The central medallion

was worked 3 times

and 2 other sets of

medallions were

placed between them.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

The flowers in the medallions

look like they were woven.

Now…

were they woven on pins?

or in the air?

I love the assymetry of the flowers.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

I think that this flower

was worked from the

center out, with

buttonhole stitches

worked over supporting

strands.

Hmmm… the outer petals

look to me like they are series

of buttonhole stitches over

small loops.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

I wonder if each leaf

or petal was worked

from one template

or pattern piece, then

turned and the next one

worked in sequence.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

These motifs were

worked with braid

forming the edges.

The braid is integral

to the structure of the entire

piece.

This is a truly lovely piece

of work.

This piece of lace has some damage that I will gently repair. I will enjoy using and studying this fascinating and mysterious piece of the lacemaker’s art for years to come.

I would love to learn more about this style of lacemaking-  do you know anything about it?

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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 didn’t block it, mainly because it’s a dishcloth, not a doily. It’s going to get wet and wrung out over and over anyway, but maybe next time I make one, I will block it just to see how much of a difference it makes.

Image: © D. Sandeen

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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 perfect button for it.

Scroll down to Episode 111-2 and download this free pattern as a PDF file if you’re looking for a cropped cardi crochet project, for yourself or for someone else.

Image: Knitting Daily TV

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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 a straightforward lacy project and I made it in Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere, which was a real treat. 

What about you? Care you share your favorite project(s) of the past year?

Image: © D. Sandeen

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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

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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 working on a project for hours and then gifting it and seeing the recipient react in a lukewarm or downright cool fashion.

One thing I try to remember is who appreciates my knitting and who doesn’t. I knitted this scarf for my mom a couple of years back… 

As you can see, it’s lacy and it was time-consuming, but I did it because I liked the project and I wanted her to have it.

She didn’t appreciate it. Instead of foisting more handknitted goodness on her, I just buy her storebought gifts and that’s that.

Sometimes we as crafty people want everyone to love our gifts as much as we do, and it doesn’t always work out that way. So to avoid frustration, I only knit for those who appreciate it (too often, it’s only other knitters!) and buy stuff at the store for those who don’t.

Are you Christmas knitting/crafting this year? Why or why not?

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