Probably only two things really scare the living hell out of me
OK, three.
The first thing that has scared me forever is my house burning down. Now, I've had no experience with this, no close calls or anything, but every year around the holidays, when people start plugging in all kinds of electric lights hanging on kindling, I get very twitchy, and any time I smell anything electrical when I shouldn't be smelling it, I freak out.
The other thing that scares me...uh, we'll talk about that some other time, and the THIRD scariest thing in the whole wide world is.....LACE.
Rather anti-climactic, isn't it?
Here is this piece I just started. Teeny yarn, teeny needles. Sorry the pic isn't much better but at least you can clearly see the (gasp!) openwork, which is the very cringe-worthy thing I am talking about.
To clarify, I'm not afraid of teeny yarn or teeny needles. Maybe it's just that I feel like if I make something girly and lacy that all of my strong-willed stubborn bitchitude is going to leak out of my left ear and I'll be rendered completely helpless/useless and start trying to attract attention with my decolletage.
That's not irrational....much.
The truth is...there's just no "winging it" with lace. You can't change your mind! Or, it's harder to be in the middle of it and say, "I know! I'm going to COMPLETELY ALTER this pattern!" when the pattern is lace.
Well, it's hard for me, anyway. I mean, I can be in the middle of something and say that it needs a bit of lace, but I can't be in the middle of lace and say that it needs a bit of something else. It just IS. Lace is sort of my creative soul-sucker. Being a non-pattern type person, having to look at a chart or piece of paper to see where I'm at makes me absolutely nuts.
In short, when I do a lace thing, I don't feel like I have accomplished anything more than copying someone else's idea. Which I hate. My "You're Not The Boss Of Me!!" kicks in, and every time I have to go back and make sure I did the exact stitches in that exact order, it irritates the hell out of me.
Anyway...here is a picture of what that exact series of repeats is eventually supposed to look like.
going out on a limb.....been there, done it, didn't get a tshirt. (BTW--one year last friday--nothing succeeds like keeping going.....)
ReplyDeletelace is completely wingable, Shel!! Want a hole? Make a hole! You can do it!!
Smooches for lil Nap......on his nose. He won't like it any more than my Goomba does, but it's good for him and it's from his auntie Suzie!!!
Napoleon just came back from his first fun-time car ride!! Not that we take car rides with the cats much. Or at all. But we did. Unlike Jack, he just rolled over and fell asleep--no panic attacks or anything!
ReplyDeleteI picked an easy repeat pattern, so it's going faster than the dreaded Frost Fire...28 rows, each one different? Just kill me...LOL (But of course, it was fabulous, and beautiful...). I just don't like having to think that much.
I believe the last time I did anything lace (scarf requested specifically by my mother) I declared it the "Devils Work" and my mother his secret agent.
ReplyDeleteThe last time I did any kind of extensive lace work, it was a little thing called The Life Aquatic hooded sweatshirt, from VK, Summer 2005. Oh yes, I remember it well. Gorgeous pattern, which has since been lost to the divorce. Frost Flower reversible lace panel. I love the whole IDEA of this pattern.
ReplyDeleteBut I also I remember many a weekend day, sitting on the deck at the lake, sweating the stiches and not enjoying myself. It did end up being very beautiful. Unfortunately, most photographic evidence has disappeared in my rush to remove anything mildly embarrassing from the blog, BUT, here is a finished item photo...
http://catsanddone.blogspot.com/2005/12/life-aquatic-hooded-pullover.html
And, you can't actually see the lace panel in that shot! HA!
What's worse? That's my kid modeling the item in the picture, but the pullover was a gift for my step-daughter, who BEGGED me to make it, then wore it once and never again. Bitch.
I'm happy to report that the scarf is going fairly well--I'm absolutely IN LOVE with the yarn. It's so soft, I want to cry.
Ah-HA! Found a picture of the pattern. Norah Gaughan. Amazing...
ReplyDeletehttp://store.vogueknitting.com/p-498-hooded-pullover.aspx