W.O.N. (What’s On the Needles) – One Skein. Which Stitch? Ugh!

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July 25, 2017
Tilli Thomas Beaded Lace in Spider Stitch #3

Decisions, Decisions!

A project can sprout from anywhere. Sometimes it’s borne of a genuine need such as replacing an old sweater or creating a special gift; sometimes it’s inspired by something shiny in the sale bin.  Often, it begins with experimenting with an untried stitch or fiber. Whatever the excuse, if it’s my own design, there are lots of decisions to be made.  I want yarn, stitch, and pattern to come together so that I’m the only one who knows where the idea originated. In the case of this W.O.N., it started with a yarn. And, like having a conversation with my father, one yarn led to another.

Tilli Thomas Beaded Lace in Natural with Gold Beads, Spider Pattern #3

The Beaded Spider Scarf

New Yarn, New Stitch

In September of last year at the Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool Fest, I unexpectedly scored two skeins of Tilli Thomas Beaded Lace silk in a Fabulous Yarns goody bag. Gorgeous! But it suddenly reminded me of the long neglected Tilli Thomas Symphony Lace, a slinky mix of kid mohair and silk, that I had plucked out of a sale bin a while back. The fact that I had only one skein of it had created an unreasonable burden on me to choose just the right project for it. Time to let go of that! I decided I would have to use the old before doing anything with the new. Why? Well, you have to put some limits somewhere. Right? The stash can’t just keep growing and growing. So, I began poking around for stitches and came up with three possibilities:

1

Have you visited String Geekery? Here, Naomi Parkhurst of Gannet Designs works mathematics magic by transforming words suggested by her patrons into lace, cable and/or color patterns by manipulating their numerical values. Some of the resulting patterns are a little clunky, some a little odd, but most are amazing in ways very different from traditional stitch designs. I’ve been looking for an chance to test some of them out. Below is her string translation for the word “Brouhaha” (left). I gave it a whirl in my Tilli mohair (right) on #6 needles.

This yarn, this stitch –not the perfect partners.  Brouhaha devours yardage like crazy. My precious one skein would have come up very short. Besides that, the stitch begs for a much finer yarn where its delicate intricacy can really standout. The search continued.

2

Next I tried the Sea Foam Lace stitch that I found at Knit-Together  with almost the same result – too much lace for too little yarn. I unraveled so fast I didn’t have chance to take a picture. (Sorry about that. My blogger muscles are still developing, taking a pic is not yet a reflex.) Even if I had found enough of the Tilli to complete a scarf in this stitch, it would have been quite hefty. Beads add weight! I do like the stitch, however, and think it will knit up into a great scarf or shawl – needless to say, in a much lighter yarn.

Sea Foam Lace stitch, Knit-Together.com

Sea Foam Lace stitch, Knit-Together.com

3

And the winner is . . . Spider Pattern #3! found at Knitting-and.com.

This stitch is looks like an ugly duckling next to it’s sister stitches Spider #1 and #2 and both of the other stitches that I tried. Yet it worked. I started out with the intention of just making another swatch but kept knitting until I ran out of yarn. The beaded mohair yarn just wants to be seen and felt; the stitch shouldn’t get in the way. After blocking the openness will let the beads shine and it won’t be to warm. Mohair can be toasty

The Beaded Spider Scarf, nearly done .  .  .

The Beaded Spider Scarf, nearly done . . .

Once fringe is added and it’s been blocked, my “Beaded Spider” will be considered officially off the needles. I promise to supply a pic this time.

Next

In the meantime, now that my “obligation” to knit up the mohair has been completed, what to do with these beauties. . . ?

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