Friday, October 05, 2007

Knitting: ISE5 Update

This is my 3rd International Scarf Exchange (ISE) and once again it feels like my first. I start off with the best of intentions - researching, stalking, planning. Then indecision kicks in, followed by a confidence crisis, topped off with a pinch of performance anxiety.

Best intentions are fine but they're not very productive. So having coasted through a myriad of emotions and possibilities this week, I think I may have narrowed it down - the pattern anyway. I'm desperate to have a go at a lace scarf which incorporates beads. Sadly I cannot cope with a lace pattern with more than a 4 row repeat. This is due in part to my impatient nature and also down to the medication I take. Roughly translated, I have the attention span of a gnat!

Lace knitting is supposed to be intuitive (I had a discussion with myself about this when I made the Backyard Leaves scarf) and many people who dare to attempt the beautiful shawls out there just amaze me. It's not a complete loss since I can identify where the YOs are and whether to use a K2tog or a SSK on the small pattern repeats, but that's my limit.

At this point, my plan is to cannibalise some of the lace patterns that I like. I think I've narrowed it down to two contenders - Yarnharlot's snowdrop shawl - I think the center panel would make a nice panel for a scarf, and Sivia Harding's diamond lace bookmark (which looks coincidentally a lot like the Angel Pearls Beaded scarf.

I had thought about making the Heartstrings Beaded Lace Scarf II (left) for my pal but I really don't think I could cope with it just now. It's certainly one I would love myself and I fell in love with it when I saw a few versions made during the ISE4. Maybe next time round I'll tell my pal that I like it alot!

One other scarf/shawl that I wouldn't mind trying (eventually) is the Lady Eleanor Entrelac Shawl from Scarf Style. There's something magical about it - perhaps it's the yarn, or the knotted fringe. I'm not sure, but I do love it.

The next hurdle is yarn. I'm trying to decide whether a lacy whispy scarf with beads or a heaver DK weight scarf with beads. I'm working on some swatches at the moment (yes, me, swatching, amazing!) with everything from laceweight to DK. Guess I'll wait and see which one turns out best.

2 comments:

T said...

Hiya. Piglottie told me about your blog. (I'm the person asking about the li'l piggie) Gotta say I can't believe how many different things you do well.

Anonymous said...

I'm with you on the medication thing. I'm also doing the scarf exchange (I'm your spoiler) and due to my meds I'm not able to handle a many row pattern repeat. Best of luck with your scarf. I hope you like yours when you get it. It's coming along as long as the cats stay away from it.

Your Upstream Scarf Pal