Monday, May 08, 2006

Honeybee & Faggoting

Here's my sample knit of the top border of "Violets by the River". Again, done in sock yarn. I thoroughly enjoyed knitting this. It was just fascinating to see the design being formed by working different techniques. If this is just a tiny taste of lace knitting, I think I'm going to fall in love. All I can do at this point is to follow the instructions carefully. But I hope to one day understand how different stitches work together. Pattern designers are amazing people in deed!

I leave you with a picture of Ted's (Knitterguy) "Violets by the River". Click on the picture to get a better look. What a beautiful sight! *sigh* I just hope that my attempt will turn out half as good.

12 comments:

aija said...

Lovely! Lace scares me. :)

Agnes said...

Wow ... how lovely! It's good that you keep practicing using the heavier sock yarn ... do it until you feel confident with the lace weight. I'm sure you're going to do well.

Anonymous said...

It looks pretty good. Just 3 suggestions.

1) The k1, yo, k1 sequence that is used to gather the multiple YOs in row 5 could be worked tighter, I think.

2) If the multiple YOs aren't giving enough length so they can be gathered successfully, you can work more YOs in throws. So it could be that Row 4 will be OOOOO rather than OOOO. Row 3 would be OOOO rather htna OOO.

3) Work some more samples of this until you get it down pat. It's really a lovely pattern when worked carefully.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you are hooked already... :)

City Wiccan said...

Is it really called "faggoting" . . . that term makes my skin crawl.

What an awesome stitch!! I do wonder how designers do it!

Jason said...

Quickeye, that's what I said before, but look what happened. :-)

Agnes, isn't Ted's shawl just lovely and amazing? I sure am going to practice some more. It's so much fun!

Ted, thanks again for the tips! I can definitely see the problem areas. I'll do some more test knitting.

Kerry, there's no turning back! LOL

Matthew, It's really called "faggoting". It's even in the dictionary. Don't you want to do lace now? ;-)

~drew emborsky~ said...

The lace is amazing!! Amazing lace? Good job! :)

City Wiccan said...

Hmmm . . . I'll have to start petitioning the dictionary people. LOL

Jason said...

Drew, there's actually a lace contest going on called "The Amazing Lace". :-) It's at: http://amazinglace.licketyknit.com/ Isn't that interesting? :-)

Matthew, maybe we should correct people when they use the word incorrectly. We could go right into a discussion on embroidery or knitting. Hmmm... maybe that won't help much in changing their derogatory behavior. Too bad for them. :-)

Charles, it didn't take that long at all since it's quite fun. You just have to pay close attention.

Yeah, I got an email from KnitPicks on their lace stuff. I'm researching a few products for blocking. I need to buy them before the shawl is done.

Crafty Andy said...

Fagotin, is what I have been trying to get instructions for. My mother use to make great Neck pieces in fagotin with other stuff, but they used regular sewing needles. The Lace is phenomenal.

Tallguy said...

Is it really called "faggoting" . . . that term makes my skin crawl.
******************
Yes, Celtic Knitter, there really is a term in needlework called “faggoting”. In embroidery, it’s a stitch in which groups of parallel threads are tied together with fagot stitches. Faggot stitch is a counted stitch worked on the diagonal. It is generally worked in rows as a filling or in pulled thread work. It produces parallel diagonal rows of straight stitches on the reverse. Or you can ornament or join (fabric) by faggot stitch. You may have seen this on some old museum pieces, or from the hippie era, where each piece of woven fabric was joined with an ornamental but functional stitch, which often leaves tiny open holes.

In knitting, you can also create a vertical column of these holes by doing a Knit 2 together, Yarn Over on every row. A series of interlocking threads appear over these holes, and this is called a “faggot stitch”. The faggot stitch is a major building block in lace.

There is a whole write-up on the term here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faggot_(slang)

A faggot or fagot is a bundle of sticks or branches, tied with two bands, usually meant for use as firewood. It has also been used on occasion to refer more specifically (attested from 1555 in English) to wood for funeral pyres or a burning at the stake; recanting heretics had to wear an embroidered figure of a faggot on their sleeve. There is also a story that I heard long ago saying that a homosexual was often thrown into the fire -- just to get these fires burning really well; hence “faggot” being applied to any homosexual as potential fuel for pyres!

There is a rather beautiful, yet simple to knit scraf here: http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/scarves/cameo-faggotst-scarf.html The perfect beginner lace project! (and so very boring to do!!)

Jason said...

Thanks for the info Tallguy! And for the link to the scarf pattern too. Andy, I hope that pattern link gives you something to work with. :-)