Monday, October 12, 2009

Edging Forever

Edging mania. Edging everywhere. I'm in edging hell (or heaven, depending on how you think about it), and it's not going to end any time soon.

This is the edging and start of the border for the Shetland Lace Shawl by Hazel Carter. The pattern is in A Gathering of Lace. My lace knitting pals and I decided to knit this pattern as a group project, and I've mustered quite a bit of enthusiasm for myself to keep this one moving.

So far, I'm pleased with my yarn choice: Yarn Place's Heaven, in the color Glorious Blue -- a tencel and merino blend in deep turquoise that is truly glorious. This cobweb yarn has a bit of shine, good stitch definition, and will make a feather-light Shetland shawl.

Since the shawl will be knit in the traditional Shetland style favored by Hazel Carter, I'll be finishing this border, then knitting the center, then knitting three more edging+border combos to graft onto the center square. Like I said, edging forever.

Since I've been stalled on The Princess Shawl edging, I've been knitting other diversions, like the Figure 8 Fantasy Shawl, by Kristin Omdahl, which has now turned into something a little different.

I've knitted four figure eights, and am crocheting them together, with the desire to make a more rectangular stole. Knitting those figure eights is a bit addictive, I must say. I probably could have knit four more.

The yarn is Malabrigo SuperSock in the color Stonechat -- a very interesting mix of red, burgundy and a sandy stone color.

This crochet edging is my own, and I'm winging it to get to that elusive rectangular shape. I'm a bit fascinated by freeform crochet, so depending on the outcome of this experiment, I may do more.

The sad truth about Spring Blossoms: it's still unfinished. This one has been lingering in my knitting basket for many moons, unfinished because ... I underestimated the yarn needed to complete the wide edging.

It's truly lovely, and I will finish it, but I need to decide how to complete the last corner. It will either be with a flashy motif in a different yarn, or maybe a similar yarn. I refuse to rip out all of that gorgeous eding. I found a slighter duller color that I may be able to finesse into something, but it remains an idea at the moment.


There you have it. Four projects with entirely too much edging for one person to complete swiftly. I shall persist.