Today is a sort of twist on my yarn along and my WIP Wednesday, because this post is also a review of Heather Zoppetti’s new book, Everyday Lace. It is also part of a Scavenger Hunt and you can win prizes! I was pretty excited to see Heather’s tweet back in the spring asking if anyone would like to take a look at her new book. I have been a fan of Heather’s photos, blog and general body of design work for a while so I immediately said “Me Please!”.
Fast-forward to a few weeks later when I received my digital copy. I opened up the file and started to browse and my gut reaction was that this was a book that deserved to have time spent on it. First, the photography and styling are amazing, I can only imagine how much nicer this book is to hold in your hand, all 144 pages of it. I have knit lace, but I don’t consider myself a lace knitter. When I think of lace, I think of intricate shawls in super-thin yarn. I know that’s not true, but it does hold me back from doing more lacey items! Recently I was even contemplating purging my stash of laceweight yarn because I just don’t use it! I have knit lace samples, and I do find that there is magic when you block lace, and I have a deep admiration for the detail that goes in to a lace design. Everyday Lace is not a shawl book, which is refreshing. There are accessories, garments and socks. And not all the patterns are in laceweight yarn, but I am reconsidering my stash in light of the patterns that do call for it.
What were some of my favorite designs? The Akron Cowl, Ephrata Camisole, and Strasburg Arm Warmers. I keep thinking about the cowl, so you might see that in a future WIP post! What hopped on to my needles first? The Murrell Hat. Diving in to my stash I found I had a leftover skein of Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool from my Gemini sweater (a top with a hint of lace – there are intentional holes in there!). I cast on on Saturday, and cast off Tuesday night. It needs a little bit of blocking, but I am pleased with it. In a bit of being silly, I took a quick photo of the hat once I finished the brim and propped it on my closest model, a brachiosaurus. Then when I finished I popped it on my head to take a quick-and-dirty photo and realized the brachiosaurus was in that photo too! Any mistakes in the hat are purely my own, I’ve gotten in the groove on plain stockinette for the fingerless gloves I’m currently sample knitting for Plymouth, and apparently I have trouble counting to 6. Or 2. The pattern is laid out simply and the charts were very easy to read! I am looking forward to giving this hat a soak and a block and I think it will be pretty cute!
You may have noticed from the graphic at the beginning of this post, there is a Scavenger Hunt going on as part of the blog tour! At the end of the tour (launch day, 9/11) if you turn in the complete list of questions with your answers to Heather, you will be entered into a drawing for some yarny prizes! Click here for Heather’s post with details and links to the participating blogs!
(My Question) What am I currently sample knitting?
(Heather’s Question) What three projects appear on the back cover of Everyday Lace?
It looks good on the Lorax, too!