Working on the Veil of Isis

This has to be one of my favorite projects that I have worked on in a long time - The Veil of Isis from Bad Cat Designs. I have to say that reading this pattern was intimidating, but once I started knitting it - the beautiful elegant simplicity of this project became apparent. The brilliance of Andrea (Miss Bad Cat herself) is so evident in this pattern.

Anyway, this project started as another one --- I bought the yarn in Salt Lake City a couple of years ago, but I ended up not liking the pattern. So the yarn aged in my stash, fondled every now and then - but, Yes, mostly ignored.

Then, I ran across the Veil of Isis pattern - so beautiful, so tempting - and I almost bought new yarn. Then I remember -- sitting in my stash was some beautiful Misti Alpaca Lace in a Medium Sage Green --- a perfect compliment to my red hair and pale ruddy skin. And amazingly, I had just the right amount. The pattern required beads - let's go for the gold. And so, I started...

Quickly, I reached the sea urchin stage - where people look at what you are working on and ask "Why? It's a blob!!!" But for me that is the beauty of lacework - it is the ultimate in faith-based knitting.

There is a beautiful quote in the introduction of "A Gathering of Lace" which describe lace as sitting politely in your lap while you knit. To me, that sounds like a dainty lady - ankles and hands crossed - sitting in a parlor, waiting for her introduction. Elegance. Grace. Lithe.

While I want to think about lace like that eventually - after blocking, after finishing - just like a lady -- She is finished. For me, lace under construction is more like the "The Ugly Duckling". Knitters making sweaters, scarves, vests or gloves - whether fair-isle or cable, plain or simple - can hold up their work and everyone can "Oooh" and "Aw" and SEE what it will become. Lace knitters hold up their blobs and charts and people go "Huh" and "Oh, OK" and pretend to get it.

Isis is under construction, but here is a little snippet of the beauty that she will be.

I can hardly wait to meet her.

Comments

[deTraci Regula]

What a beautiful piece of work! Loved seeing it.