MG: Lelah!

here is my Lelah. thank you Christine! thanks for a gorgeous pattern and for enticing me into lace knitting. i used 4 balls (50g) of Jaeger Cadiz (50% silk/50% viscose). other than stitch/row adjustments for a customized fit, i followed the pattern scrupulously.

Lelah was quick and satisfying to knit, but the finishing process involved lots of procrastination on my part. i was intimidated by the elastic casing across the top, so it took me a while to procure the proper thread--clear nylon (to hide inexperienced hand-sewing). then it was another long while before i gathered myself to sew. though my effort is a bit wonky in places, it really was less scary than i thought.

i wanted spaghetti straps for my version of Lelah, since strapless makes me feel self-conscious. my straps are crocheted chains (same for the empire waist tie), but attaching them became another time-extending event. the first time around, i was in a rush. i put on the top, hurrily pinned the straps in place, and got sewing. the results were less than stellar--too close in front and too short.

i learned the importance of proper straps. knitted fabrics stretch to any pulling force, greatly altering the lines of the garment (in this case: unflattering). so i took another long hiatus to ponder placement and to summon the will for ripping out the first try. i finally made the second effort this week. i took my time, measured for length rather then pinning them. i'm finally happy and done; no more fussing! closeup of the straps (two strands at each shoulder):


my favorite part of Lelah is the lace. i loved knitting it. more lace stitches with medium weight yarn in my future i think!

MG: deeper into the fiber fold

Lelah has been blocking for a couple of days; this yarn takes a while to dry. here it is waiting impatiently on my towel-on-a-basket blocking system:


my thoughts about the yarn... though there was a learning curve involved, i thoroughly enjoyed Cadiz (50% silk/50% viscose by Jaeger). once acclimated to the 12 (i counted) itty bitty plies (great potential for pulling in different directions or splitting) a lovely fabric emerged. as long as i didn't work against the twist, the yarn created beautiful definition and dimension. post-wash, the fabric plumps into marshmallow-y texture and drapes beautifully. i really love this yarn.

but i don't think i will use silk again... sigh... i recently found out about how most sheep are treated in the Australian wool industry. such practices are... i don't know how to describe such knowing infliction upon living beings...

i'm still working out what this means to me in detail. i will not use Australian wool from now on, unless it's specified cruelty-free, but how much do i know about where the wool in my yarn comes from? most labels do not reveal this.

i don't think petro-chemicals (e.g. polyester, acrylic, etc.) are a healthy alternative for me or for the earth. and for now, i don't think using wool is inherently cruel. i can imagine some ideal situation: if a flock were lovingly tended and caringly sheared, the use of wool would not be extracted at a cost paid by the sheep. it's important my wool should not be bought with physical or mental trauma. but really, how much do i know about how the sheep who produce my wool are treated? how much do i know about whether shearing traumatizes them or not. i don't know... i need to learn more about this.

this prompted me to re-evaluate what i know. i do know cute little silkworms die in silk production. so, no more silk for me...

well, one needs positive conditioning as well as negative, so what fibers can i be excited about? organic cotton, hemp, tencel, bamboo, soysilk; all lovely to covet but expensive and/or hard to find. i know i say this a lot, but i'm a graduate student... i'm poor! which led me to this:


i went to a spinning class at Deep Color Studio this week!!!!!!!!!!! [please tolerate a few more]!!!!!!!! I LOVE IT!!! i'm addicted. spinning fibers are much cheaper than yarns, but still i have to ration; if i'm not careful, there is the distinct possibility i would spin myself out of house and home.

for the duration of the class, i can rent a wheel at $5/week. which means, there is an Ashford Joy in my apartment RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!! the photo above is the yarn i spun in class--my very first. it's all lumpy, uneven, undertwisted, overtwisted, but Claudia at Deep Color Studio, the instructor, promised it would still knit into an object of beauty.

deeper and deeper... and quite content.

MG: Lelah & lace-mania

swatch washing report: my Jaeger Cadiz grew a bit wider from washing; the top part of Lelah will have to be recalculated.

i was nervous about casting on for Lelah--never knitted lace before--so i started a swatch to be sure i understood the lace pattern. another swatch? yes, they are great coping tools for anxiety-ridden me. i get to knit while still unsure of myself. here are the odd row instructions:

row 1: p k yo k k slanted-double-decrease k k yo k p
row 3: p k k yo k slanted-double-decrease k yo k k p
row 5: p k k k yo slanted-double-decrease yo k k k p
oh the pattern progressions! {k1, k2, k3} yo! oh the symmetry! sigh... knitting the swatch promptly induced lace-mania. thank you, Christine, for creating such a beautiful pattern to lure me into lace. i won't show you the swatch because look:


that's Lelah at about 5 inches along. i can't believe how much i enjoy knitting it. actually, that photo is from a couple of days ago, and i'm now ready to start on the eyelets.

oh, as Kitty Kitty mentioned, i googled to find cast-ons who play well with lace stitches. the knitted cast-on (knitted-on) seemed beloved by many experienced lace knitters, so i followed according to their wisdom. here is a closeup of the cast-on edge:


i like the simple, inconspicuous edge, which conforms to the contours of the lace nicely. though the first round was a terrible tug-a-war since knitted cast-ons are worked pretty tightly, i think it was worth it. links for the knitted cast-on:

• StitchGuide (video and illustration)
• wonderful-things (illustrated instructions for knitted and cabled cast-ons)

MG: looking to Lelah

spring has set my heart astir for warm weather projects, and i saw this gorgeous top @ mellowtrouble. it's Lelah designed by Christine of Knitting for Boozehags. i love the clean lines and leafy lace stitch; covet covet.

Kitty Kitty was sweet and sent me some of the Jaeger Cadiz (50% silk/50% viscose) she found on sale. i have five skeins in greyish white--perfect for a summery tank; so i knitted a little swatch in the round (my flat and circular gauges differ significantly).


on 4mm needles, the gauge measures 20 stitches x 27 rows (10cm/4inch square). my target circumference is about 78.5cm/31 inches, so 155 stitches. i need an even number divisable by 11 (for the lace), so 154 stitches. ok, ready, but which cast-on to use? any recommendations for lace cast-on methods?

oh, i should wash the swatch to see if gauge changes. stinkypoo.