Ridgetop
Herd Master
Gorgeous blanket!
I can only knit and purl. That's it. I like knitting since I find it calming but working intricate patterns like you do might not be as calming as the basic stitches. I did learn to crochet a border on my knitted blankets this year. I make small ones with chunky yarn and use about 350 yards for a small blankie to donate to the abused women's home. I can't imagine making anything so exquisite as that cobweb lace baby blanket! Not to mention the beautifully spun lace weight wool you did. DH and I took a spinning class. He did well - I did not. The teacher was kind though and classified our finished product as "Art Yarn". We used a purchased wool at first, but I was most successful with the Dorset wool I had processed from our own sheep. Since it was coarser fleece I think it was easier to spin for a beginner. With the wool sheep I always hated the waste of the fleece. I gave some to a friend that did spinning and weaving but she ended up with so much from just 6 of my sheep that the next year I had to toss it. When the teacher had me bring in some fleece the class tried processing it. Most of the students were successful. I felted mine by mistake.
I decided that I prefer the White Dorpers since they don't need shearing and we love to eat lamb. No more wasted wool fleece to make me feel guilty.
I can only knit and purl. That's it. I like knitting since I find it calming but working intricate patterns like you do might not be as calming as the basic stitches. I did learn to crochet a border on my knitted blankets this year. I make small ones with chunky yarn and use about 350 yards for a small blankie to donate to the abused women's home. I can't imagine making anything so exquisite as that cobweb lace baby blanket! Not to mention the beautifully spun lace weight wool you did. DH and I took a spinning class. He did well - I did not. The teacher was kind though and classified our finished product as "Art Yarn". We used a purchased wool at first, but I was most successful with the Dorset wool I had processed from our own sheep. Since it was coarser fleece I think it was easier to spin for a beginner. With the wool sheep I always hated the waste of the fleece. I gave some to a friend that did spinning and weaving but she ended up with so much from just 6 of my sheep that the next year I had to toss it. When the teacher had me bring in some fleece the class tried processing it. Most of the students were successful. I felted mine by mistake.
I decided that I prefer the White Dorpers since they don't need shearing and we love to eat lamb. No more wasted wool fleece to make me feel guilty.
However, I just reconnected with an old friend out of the blue. She is a knitter and said there is a knitting club at the senior center on Fridays. I will go there and learn how to properly cast on the stitches. Of course, then I need to learn the strange and baffling language of knitting pattern, i.e., kn, p, kno, os, etc. what do those strange codes mean? And the real problem - I am a lefty. But I think I might knit right-handed. The benefit is that this group knits hats for cancer patients, blankets for disabled vets, and other charitable works.
