Book reviews: a little lace

[stitchy_stitchy]

Galina Khmeleva's article on Orenburg lace in this month's Piecework led me to wonder: what is the difference between a "gossamer" and a "warm shawl"? Teh Intarwebz had surprisingly little useful information on that topic - but there were references all over the place to her book: Gossamer webs : the history and techniques of Orenburg lace shawls, and my library actually had a copy. The book was informative (although it never did directly answer my question, except to mention that the warm shawls were knit with heavier yarn), covering the traditions involved in making and selling the shawls, the women who make them, and the work that goes into it. (Once again I'm flabbergasted by the amount of work put out by genuine "production knitters". I feel slow and inadequate, but that's pretty normal.) A big chunk of the book is taken up with the charts for a single, fairly large, shawl.

While I was at it, I also checked out A Gathering Of Lace, maybe the classic book of modern lace knitting - I'd seen a reference to it for a technique for starting a circular shawl without leaving a hole. Looking through the book did nothing to tone down my urge to knit a lace shawl - and now I have so many more to pick from! It's mostly a collection of patterns, but, with the exception of some of the sweaters, they're absolutely timeless. I might have to get my own copy; I had to get it through inter-library loan, so it's not even like I can go back and check the book out again whenever I want. And then I just need to figure out what I'm going to do with a half-dozen lace shawls...

Comments

[sarbah77]

I got it for Christmas. I love to look through it and dream what's next. But I'm not quite sure I'm up to the challenge of so many of them, yet. I'll get there!

[stitchy_stitchy]

Part of the deal with lace knitting is that it's not as hard as it looks. The "beginner triangle" is a good way to get your feet wet, or a couple of the sock patterns (the one with the lace cuffs on toe-up socks is a really complicated sock pattern, for some reason. The lace is easy, but I'm not sure what the deal with all the short rows on the foot is...).

Most of the others? Not hard. Just big. :)

[sarbah77]

I know. You've seen the one I knitted!

Some of the edging patterns just don't make sense to me *yet* but it usually requires me sitting down and working through it before it does.

[stitchy_stitchy]

Duh. Yes, I remember now, and I look at your Ravelry profile and see all the other beautiful lacy things you've made. :)

I think I've spent too much time on the Rav forums. I've apparently developed a knee-jerk response to any suggestion that a category of knitting is "too hard"... and I'd absolutely agree that a couple of the charts in this book are kind of intimidating.