Jenny stick those cold feet into a hot tub of water and get started. If you like Estonian and you can do the nupps, then do the Estonian shawl...they are marvellous. I can give you a tip...when making your yarnovers for the nupps stretch your left needle out and make sure you have lots of room and I use the click shut plastic yarn markers that look like big safety pins. I put it through all the yarnovers after they are made so when I come back on the purl row I don't miss one and have the nupp unravel on me (a tip I picked up watching an Estonian lacemaker make nupps on u-tube) The larger you make the yarnovers the easier it will be to purl them all together and you will have pretty nupps. Also every 10 rows or so, use buttonhole thread of a contrasting color and a size 24 tapestry needle and run a lifeline through every stitch on that row. DO use lots of yarn markers to mark off all repeats and be careful NOT to put your lifeline through any yarn markers. I do some very difficult patterns that have pattern on every single row and the lifelines are essential!!! They will save you a lot of exasperation when you make a mistake and have to back up...nothing will go past that lifeline. Also since your silk is so wonderfully fine, you will want to make sure you use very small needles. I have two gossamer shawls on 0000 needles but you can use 00 if the 0000 needles frighten you. Make sure you have excellent lighting and as little distraction as possible so you can focus. It is NOT hard but distractions can lead to mistakes. I copy my patterns and put them in plastic folders so I can tape colored moveable tape on whatever line I am currently on. It helps prevent you from dropping your eye off the correct row.
What pattern to pick ? Since you bought such sensational yarn, Pick the pattern that speaks to you, not to anyone else...the one YOU like best. You would be surprised, but some of the prettiest shawls in that book are the easiest. Oh if you have the dvd in the back of the book watch it...she is full of tips. (also if that yarn is really tooooo skinny you can double it considering how much you have...just take the yarn from both ends and start knitting from there. NONE of those patterns use 5,000 yards (I am working on a pattern that uses 6,000 yards so they do exist, but not in Nancy's book) Cearbhael -----Original Message----- From: Jenny Brandis Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2013 5:59 AM To: lace@arachne.com Subject: [lace] WANTED knitted lace pattern I have just received 100gm of 2 ply silk that is from ebay I am hoping to make a piece of lace such as a wedding ring shawl or Estonian shawl but now the yarn has arrived I am getting cold feet. Jenny Brandis Kununurra, Western Australia - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
