Where Have I Been?
I’ve recently been exposed to the works of a knit lace designer named Herbert Niebling. All I can say is wow.
Meet LaceFreak
I had the good fortune of starting up a correspondence with a lace knitter on Ravelry who calls herself LaceFreak. She knits exquisite lace and keeps more laceweight yarn in her stash than anyone I’ve ever known. My original intent was to make it my business to see what she could do with some of Carol’s laceweight yarn.
It has now become an obsession with one of her completed projects, called Lyra. A lace design by Herbert Niebling.
Check out her pictures on Flickr here.
Suffice it to say, that my next project…or at least one of them…will be the Frosted Fern doily, so that I can start to get used to Niebling’s techniques in lace knitting.
Current Knitting
Just as I start to reach the final repeat of the petal motif on the red lace tea cloth, I will soon have to switch to the next pattern stitch in the design.
In some ways, I enjoy going on to the next section and learning a new rhythm and pattern. In other ways, I know the knitting will get slower as I have to carefully read each instruction.
Current Reading
What a delightful gem I just finished reading.
Snow Falling On Cedars
There are some books, such as Middlesex
Current Spinning (Stash)
I arrived home from the work week to find this puffy little package waiting for me.
YAY!!! No wonder it was so puffy, look at all the great BBF Roving.
This is my first installment of the Black Bunny Fiber Club. It’s a blend of some special Merino and kid mohair…it’s gonna spin up quite beautifully…I just know it. I rolled up the roving in a nice big ball and Nico just had to check it out.
Now I just have to clear one of my spinning wheels so I can spin up this incredible fiber.
loverly roving, eh what?
thanks for the nico pix!
I checked out lacefreak’s pix – OMG! didn’t know you could knit something that gorgeous.
have a nice weekend (all three of youse boys)!
I have Snow Falling on Cedars in my library. It unfortunately fell victim to the “I read 10 books at a time, and sometimes they fall off the radar” syndrome. Maybe I’ll pull it out once I finish The Sea and Poison.
I, too, just recently discovered Niebling and am completely smitten. Love your red lace, too.
Loved that book, yup.
Cute kitty.
I can see why you are obsessed with Lacefreak’s work. It’s beautiful.
Nielbing’s lace is some of the first I worked. It’s great stuff: a real nice change from all the strict geometry of Northern laces, like Shetland and Orenburg.
You’ll learn a lot about patience and dressing lace.
that’s not knitting, it’s magic. wow. Me and my knitting are truly humbled. Are you planning to attempt something like that?
That roving looks like it will be lovely yarn, if Nico doesn’t make a nest in it.
Like Cara said..it’s magic. I have heard that his patterns are very difficult to come by..is this true? And thanks for posting the link. One day, I will try…..
Nico is so sexy and elegant, btw.
Joe, please read my blog for the 26th, okay?
I love lace myself, and have admired many a Neibling pattern. You knit beautifully and I am sure your lace will be amazing.
Lyra is fabulous and I too would love to knit it— but there is no easy (or even available) access to the pattern! So frustrating. I love knitting lace patterns in a larger scale yarn. I particularly loved the Azalea Tea Set from Kenzel’s first book. It was fun. Its at bevqw on Ravelry. Bev
Like Bev said–the Lyra pattern is just about impossible to track down. People on the knitted lace list have been trying to get the publisher to reissue it for years (I do mean “years”). If you find a legal way to acquire it, snap it up. Or tell me, and I’ll snap it up, instead!
I loved Snow Falling on Cedars too. I recently read another of his books called East of the Mountains….it’s wonderful too, I highly recommend it.
I’m glad you like the yarn and fiber — I can’t wait to see you work your magic with them.
Perhaps some lovely photos of Nico were my payback…
— President of the Nico Fan Club
i just came across your blog and had to comment. i felt the exact same way about middlesex. it’s one of the only books i look forward to re-reading again and again.
snow falling on cedars is a great read, too. i’m glad you enjoyed it.
I’m so happy you are going to try a Niebling. I just know you will find it interesting to knit this type of lace. I love your fiber. If I was able to spin faster I would have tried to join the fiber club but I’m way too slow 🙂