LTKA Section VII - Lace

Square 56 - Elkhorn and Fleurette Panels

I had some trouble with this one. First off is not an easy one to chart because the rows do not all have the same number of stitches. I could not figure out how it would come out even in the end. I threw away my chart and went directly to the book and it eventually worked out.

Lace Section Complete

Yeah the Lace section is done. Here are all of the square together. Just one more section to go and the knitting will be done.

LTKA Square 55 - Single-Stranded Lace

I really don't like this block. It was a pain to knit and it looks like crap. The thing is, the example in the book doesn't look much better, so I guess I did it right. I do see one glaring mistake, but as with my other blocks, mistakes that I don't catch before binding off stay as a testimony to the imperfections of human endeavor.

I give you the Single-Stranded Crap Lace square.

More LTKA Lace

"Lace - the invention of a goddess and the occupation of a queen"
Vinciolo

It appears that over the past couple of days I have fallen behind in posting my latest afghan squares. I am on the Lace section which seem to be going really quickly. Maybe they are going faster because there is so much not to knit.

Square 52 - Lace Diamonds

This was really straight forward -- no muss no fuss.

Square 53 - Bumblebee Pattern

This was fun to knit. It only caused me a little trouble. I had to back out one or two lines at one point because I added or dropped a stitch (can't remember which). It does look a little like bumblebees. I was surprised.

Square 54 - Seafoam Pattern

I just realized I have less than 10 squares to go and I will be done with the knitting phase of this project.

This pattern was weird to knit and, frankly, I didn't care for it. Once I blocked it - and it does require blocking - it looked fine. For blocking this square I wet it completely and then pinned it into shape on a piece of foam board then let it dry. I could not get it to hold the appropriate shape using just a steam iron.

LTKA Square 51 - Faggoting and Fancy Rib

faggoting: an open work stitch joining hemmed edges

I am a bit of an etymology (the derivation and history of words) buff, so I looked up the origins of the word faggot from a non-crafting point of view. It is more than just a uncouth word used in reference to homosexuals.

faggot (1) 1279, "bundle of twigs bound up," from O.Fr. fagot "bundle of sticks," from It. faggotto, dim. of V.L. *facus, from L. fascis "bundle of wood" (see fasces). Esp. used for burning heretics (a sense attested from 1555), so that phrase fire and faggot was used to mean "punishment of a heretic." Heretics who recanted were required to wear an embroidered figure of a faggot on their sleeve, as an emblem and reminder of what they deserved.

faggot (2) "male homosexual," 1914, Amer.Eng. slang (shortened form fag is from 1921), probably from earlier contemptuous term for "woman" (1591), especially an old and unpleasant one, in reference to faggot (1) "bundle of sticks," as something awkward that has to be carried (cf. baggage). It was used in this sense in 20c. by D.H. Lawrence and James Joyce, among others. It may also be reinforced by Yiddish faygele "homosexual," lit. "little bird." It also may have roots in Brit. public school slang fag "a junior who does certain duties for a senior" (1785), with suggestions of "catamite," from fag (v.). This was also used as a verb.

"He [the prefect] used to fag me to blow the chapel organ for him." ["Boy's Own Paper," 1889]

Other obsolete senses of faggot were "man hired into military service simply to fill out the ranks at muster" (1700) and "vote manufactured for party purposes" (1817). The oft-heard statement that male homosexuals were called faggots in reference to their being burned at the stake is an etymological urban legend. Burning was sometimes a punishment meted out to homosexuals in Christian Europe (on the suggestion of the Biblical fate of Sodom and Gomorah), but in England, where parliament had made homosexuality a capital offense in 1533, hanging was the method prescribed. Any use of faggot in connection with public executions had long become an English historical obscurity by the time the word began to be used for "male homosexual" in 20th century American slang, whereas the contemptuous slang word for "woman" (and the other possible sources or influences listed here) was in active use.

Online Etymology Dictionary, (c)November 2001 Douglas Harper

Square 51 complete.

This one did not give me much trouble at all. I really kind of enjoyed working with it.

LTKA Square 50 - Arrowhead Lace

I just finished Square 50 after about 5 starts.

I was working on it last night and became frustrated. I would get about 6 rows in and then completely lose my place in the line and could not figure out what to do next. Frogging was the only solution.

I decided that I was being distracted by the moving speech given by Michelle Obama at the Democratic National Convention. This morning I started again with no distractions and found that I was having the same issues.

I finally decided to try charting the pattern and using stitch markers to keep my place. It is my opinion that these two tools are critical in dealing with the technical requirements of Lace.

Here is my hard fought result of Square 50.

LTKA Square 49 - Tilted Trellis

I completed my first lace square today!!!!

I also learned that I have been executing yarn overs backwards for 2 years. The difference is amazing. Ok you can stop laughing now.

Anyway here are the results of my learning.

The Afghan

In April of 2008, I became obsessed with knitting a major project. I didn't know what to attempt as I had never endeavored to knit a big project. Up to this point I had knit a couple scarves, a few hats, and enough washcloths to last for several years. I also wanted this next project to expand and solidify my abilities as a knitter without boring me to tears.

Browsing the Internet for male knitters one day, I came across the blog of a young man in Texas who was knitting a modular afghan. The afghan was from the Learn to Knit Afghans by Barbara Walker. I began reading more about this project and this book. You knit 63 completely different squares which then get joined together as an afghan. The squares are designed to teach different knitting skills and concepts. By the end of the process, you have learned a practiced most of the techniques and stitches you would ever need for almost any project you undertake as a knitter.

I decided that this would be my first major project. It was practical and useful. The squares would be easy to knit and provide a sense of accomplishment every time one was completed. If a pattern square was boring or one that was irritating to knit, it would be over soon and I could move on to another square.

So I ordered the book from Amazon with rush delivery. The following day I had my new knitting bible in hand. The next week I was on a business trip to the Seattle area. I decided I would start the project while on the road.

The first evening I went to a yarn shop and began internally debating about the colors I wanted to use. The book suggests picking 2 light colors and 2 dark colors. Not being very savvy with yarn yet, I stayed away from yarns that I had not seen at my local Michael's store so no Cascade yarn or Southwest Trading Company. I also wanted to keep things on the cheap so I went with Vanna's Choice by Lion Brand. I also picked a nice conservative palette -- White and Beige as my light colors, Navy and Colonial Blue as my dark colors.

That night I jumped into the first square.

Fast forward to today. I am on square 48 of the 63 squares. Most of the squares have been pretty easy. I think my biggest challenge will come when it is time to bind them all together. Should I crochet a border then join or just join? I'll let you know what I come up with.

You can see the squares I have already completed here. You will also find a couple pictures of a Pet Snuggle that I knit for our cat, Gregory. As I complete more squares, I'll post and blog about them.

In the beginning . . .

And so begins my blogging life.

I intend this to primarily be about my trials, tribulations, and triumphs associated with knitting. However, as I am highly political and tend to have an opinion about everything, I know that I will post about a wide range of issues and topics. I am obsessed with knitting right now so be assured of some type of knitting post regularly.

Wish me luck.