Saturday, November 5, 2011

Vintage Knit Lace



I finally finished this sweater - and it only took two years!  And now that it is finally complete, I can say that this is one of my favorite hand knit pieces.   


It is amazing how a lack of finishing notions stops me in my tracks – in this case it was buttons.  Because I knew that I would be unable to finish the sweater without them, I tucked it away over a year ago.  Last weekend, I noticed the unfinished project mocking me from the bureau drawer and decided to do something about it.  The only finishing details it needed was to be sewn together, the edges of the sleeves crocheted, and those darn buttons.


Thank you again, Burda Style, for your blog post about Dorset Buttons.  Now instead of being disappointed when I cannot find the right buttons, I just make my own.


Because I see things much better as a visual representation, I made myself a knitting chart for the lace pattern.  I am forever losing my place when the instructions are written in prose, and this really helps me visualize what the pattern is supposed to look like.


The yarn is a cashmere/merino blend from Colourmart.  This is the softest yarn I have every worked with.  And I love the color!  I have quite a bit of yardage left, so I may be able to squeeze out another sweater at some point.

One work in progress finished, so many more to complete.




Sweater:  Made by me. (Gleam Sweater - from freevintageknitting.com)
Skirt:  Made by me. (Simplicity 4044)
Earrings:  Antique fan earrings from Shadows
Snood:  Made by me.
Shoes:  Seychelles “Little Owl” in Navy Suede

3 comments:

  1. That is a lovely sweater! I've never had the courage to start a project that big - I like your method of directions! I might actually be able to tackle a project like that if the directions were written that way : ) I love the color and the buttons are a perfect match! Beautiful : )

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  2. I to transfer knitting patterns into something I can understand better. And Yesterday I also finished a jumper I have been working on all year. I just hope it fits the person I made it for. Your cardigan is lovely and such an adorable colour.

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  3. This is such a beautiful sweater. Well done, it's been on my 'to do' list for some time. Perhaps it will be my next project :)

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