Pillar and Web

This is another stitch mentioned in Found Poetry as a stitch with a poetic name. Certainly there is a sense of mystery about the name.  Where are the pillars?  Who is caught in the web? The stitch itself has never really "spoken" to me.  Here it is from Daniela Forconi's site.

But in rethinking it especially with this sense of mystery, I can see some possibilities. Maybe for some simple lace faggotting on under garments or frills on shells.  Here is my photo take.  It's not that lacey.  Well, maybe the branches are, but they are rigid as is the fence (web). I was trying to catch in the photo a woodpecker - hope that you can see him - on a rather cold day in February.

Maybe the stitch would also work for a cowl in chunky yarn for those cold winter days, then the pillars, like the trees, would be strong, yet graceful and the web would keep the warmth in and the cold out, as a fence would protect an area. Now what about the birds? Would you add a feather or two to your design to give it a little mystery, like a Dream Catcher.

Now I could go on about catching the mystery of dreams in lace, with maybe a lovely hand painted yarn - suddenly a rather plain stitch has become amazing.

In case you missed the bird here he is.

Catch a dream today!!

Syncopated Brioche

Here is another pretty knitting stitch with a lovely poetic name - Syncopated Brioche.  Remember the song Syncopated Rhythm, well here it is in yarn.

This stitch has a lot of texture and movement.  Here are my photo takes on Syncopated Brioche. The picture above is from the Barbara Walker site.

Cherry in Spring

Blossoms and leaves give a lot of texture and movement to trees.  Adding a second colour to this brioche stitch or adding beads would give it a floral "feel."  Here is another in blue.

Scilla in Spring

I love blue and green together and the texture here is very inviting. Again adding beads to the Brioche Stitch would really enhance this texture. 

I am working on some lace scarves base on the seasons. This picture of Scilla is my inspiration for one of my two Spring ideas - Showers and Flowers.  I have almost finished Showers and thanks to doing some test knitting for Vogue designer Lynette Meek, I will finish my scarf with a "mock crochet" stitch.

Pictures soon!!!

Have an enhanced day!

All Fool's Welt...

I have been writing up knitting stitches and combining them with photography to show how these stitches relate to "life." Not that knitting has to actually relate to life - it can be an escape from life or a distillation of life.  We can capture a "moment" in knitting - particularly in lace - just as we can capture a moment in photography.

Here is the first one -

All Fools' Welt...
...or Wager Welt.  This is a plain and very simple pattern based on garter stitch and stocking stitch. It's found in Barbara Walker's first treasury of knitting stitches.  Barbara includes an anecdote about the stitch, as well. From looking at the stitch, it's difficult to tell in an 8 row repeat how many rows are purled. The French called it Puzzle Stitch and the Germans called it Dispute Stitch. The English, however, believing that only a fool would not know the answer called it All Fools' Welt.

Here is the stitch from the Barbara Walker site. It looks like 3 rows of garter stitch and 3 rows of stocking stitch. To produce the 3 rows of garter stitch, you would knit 5 rows. For the 3 rows of stocking st, you would, Knit the first row, purl the return row and then knit the next row.  The pattern then goes into garter stitch again and so you would knit the return row.  Got the answer? 1 row is purled.

Here is my photo take on the stitch.

These are Christmas lights in Barcelona.  To me they look a little like rows of garter stitch interspersed with stocking stitch at least for the first and second set of lights. Winter celebrations also include the "Lord of Mis-Rule Day" and slap stick pantomimes - so I guess the name All Fools fits in here too.

Celebrate today!!

Aquarius Shawl

Finally I have launched the Aquarius shawl.  This is the second of 12 lace shawls based on the signs of the Zodiac.  Sagittarius is being test knit, as is Pisces.  But Aquarius is finally up on the Queen Anne's Lace Knitting site, Ravelry and Patternfish. Here it is:

Aquarians are the future thinkers.  They are often referred to as the electricians of the Zodiac. They live somewhere out in the future and come back every once in a while to "check in." As a result Aquarians are often given to "non-sequitors" - statements that are perfectly clear to them; but seem "out of the blue" to us because we are not "there" yet.

The presence of the Internet with its electronic implications is a very good environment for an Aquarius. We are indeed living in the Age of Aquarius.  Trying to capture this personality in lace was a challenge.  I decided to use as the main stitch a pattern that resembled a circuit board and I finished the shawl with another stitch that suggested "streams" of energy emanating out into....wherever...

Aquarians seem to be "at peace with the world." Perhaps because our world is not theirs or they have seen it all and it all does work out in the end.  They make great company.  Take time to chat to one as she/he passes through  :)

Snowy Evening KAL

I have finally got all the connections working to post my Snowy Evening KAL, if you would like to follow along.  The link to the free PDF is here. 

 http://queenanneslaceknitting.com/index.php?route=account/download_free

I am using Fantastic Knitting Zephyr Lace Weight yarn in Ice Blue.  Others are using lace weight or fingering weight yarn.  The scarf begins with a provisional cast-on.  If you have never done a provisional cast-on.  I have a video of one using a crocheted chain on YouTube.  The link is here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHAz6h_SAKM

Here is a picture of the first part of the scarf.  It's an easy stitch.  Please post any questions or pictures of your progress.  You can also post in Facebook on the Queen Anne's Lace page or in the group on Ravelry

I'd love to hear from you

Lily Pond Scarf

Lily Pond at the Brickworks - Toronto

It took me a while to get a picture that actually looked like the idea I had in my mind when I designed Lily Pond scarf.  Water Lilies are at their best in July and August and then only on a sunny day. In my mind I saw the rippling water and the reeds that fringed the pond.  I had to capture this is lace.

I have been fascinated by a drop stitch pattern in one of Barbara Walker's Treasuries.  I knew that I would knit it one day. Well, that day came when the idea of a lily pond and that particular drop stitch pattern merged.  Here is my mind's image made real.

Water and Reeds

And here is Lily Pond scarf knit in Fantastic Knitting Zephyr Lace weight hand dyed yarn - Pond.

Lily Pond Scarf/Shawl from Queen Anne's lace

Make your ideas real!!

Scorpio Shawl

This is Scorpio Shawl, the first in a series of 12 shawls based on the signs of the Zodiac. I have been fascinated with the Zodiac personalities and the way people born under a particular sign actually resemble the characteristics of that sign. The idea of interpreting these various personalities in lace was a challenge I decided I would love to take on!

The Scorpio Personality

The Scorpio personality is fascinating. Although Scorpios seem to struggle through life, often moving against the stream, their goal is to find peace through understanding the real meaning of our existence. Scorpios are passionate about their beliefs and will rarely be deterred from their course. They are drawn to the underworld, seeking to understand what is “under it all.”


To capture this personality in lace was a real challenge. I decided to use an over all garter stitch lace to
suggest the strength that Scorpios bring to a situation.

A variation of Faun's Eyes

I then varied an old Shetland lace stitch Faun’s Eyes to create a sense of mystery. For the Mandela - the emblem of life, I added a small circular pattern and finally I finished with a deep knitted on border, again to suggest the depth and passion that is central to the Scorpio personality.

Mandela Pattern

Knitted on border

The idea is to be able to knit your own signs - sun, moon and or ascendant or to knit the sign of someone you wish to be close to. Or have a shawl for ever sign. Enjoy