Hey, folks! It has been a while! I am currently in full autumn mode. John and I went on one [last?] boat ride last night and the changing leaves tell the tale:
Here is one of my favorite homes along the river:
From the river…
Close Up View
You expect to see Snow White and her Seven Little Friends pop out!
I have been doing a little knitting and none of it is getting me very far. I did finally finish my Vintage Mood vest — it is blocking/drying as we speak. I will add some pictures when it is wearable and on Lettie. It is a bit disappointing. Sally and I each started a new cardigan that we will unveil shortly and I am knitting a shawlette for our annual Silent Auction at work. I didn’t think I had time, but the shawl is actually moving along pretty quickly.
I thought I might share a project that I finished, entered into the MN state fair, but never really wrote about (except here). I am referring to my Niebling doily, Gloxiniaeflora.
Gloxiniaeflora by Herbert Niebling
This was a long, difficult journey! I thought it would progress like my Lotus Flower from last year, my mindless knitting project that I could take anywhere! Oh no. Not this one. It was a bear.
1. I used tiny thread, size 30 DMC Cebelia Crochet Coton
2. I used tiny needles: size 000
3. the sts were very difficult to manage
For example:
The little flower thingies are made by working 12 sts thus: slip 6 sts as to purl. K6. Pass the 6 slipped sts over the 6 sts just worked.
Okay. Go to your knitting basket, take out some stockinette knitting and try this. On any yarn. It does not work. Or at least it did not work for me. There is not enough slack in the sts to get them to pass over the 6 knitted sts! And my thread was so thin, I was sure it would break. So, I tinked the row back and then the row prior because there was no way I was going to take it off the needles.
On the row before the ‘slip-k6-pass’ mish-mash I worked the 12 sts as follows: [k1, yo] x 5, k7…sometimes I did [k1, yo] x 6, k6 depending on my mood. In any case, when I got to the pattern st in question, I dropped the yo’s as I slipped the sts and therefore had more yarn to work with. The sts passed over quite easily.
I also had to go out and buy Addi Lace needles. Regular Addis, even at size 000, were too blunt to do even the simplest k2tog. Anyway, it took forever and I was very glad when it was all done.
I was very pleased to win the sweepstakes because it felt like I had really earned it with this one! The table linen judges are extremely generous in their praise and their points, so it was very nice to read their comments.
At the fair…
I starched this baby at about 50% (50-50 starch to water) and blocked it on my styrofoam board. I love this delicate little creature and marvel at the genius that is Herbert Niebling. I never tire of knitting his designs and will end up the little old lady whose house has every surface covered with useless doilies!
Beautifull work ! I love Herbert Niebling 🙂
Comment by samy — October 2, 2012 @ 3:32 am
Niebling just went on my “must research and be inspired by work” list…that is a BEAUTIFUL doily. It is so obvious that you deserved the Sweepstakes award. Just stunning work!
It’s turning fall here, too. We’re hoping that it stays fall for a bit and we don’t get the freak early snowfall that hammered our trees last year. Enjoy yours!
Comment by twinsetjan — October 2, 2012 @ 7:07 am
Beautiful pics of the river and the lace. You made me homesick for MN and check out more on Mr. Niebling. I’ve got a long way to go before that gets checked off my bucket list.
Comment by Jio — October 2, 2012 @ 7:22 am
Wow! What a gorgeous doilie! You certainly deserved top prize. I think I would be blind by the end of this. I can’t even do cross stitch, it makes my eyes so crazy!
Comment by Linda — October 2, 2012 @ 7:58 am
I could look at your Gloxinia for hours! If I toggle my computer up and down a bit, it actually shimmers. What a work of art! Love the scenes on the river too. If I ever disappear you might just look for me there. Unfortunately, “hi, ho, hi, ho, it’s off to work I go!”
Comment by Kathy W. — October 2, 2012 @ 9:24 am
What an absolutely beautiful doily! Congratulations on the accomplishment.
Comment by technikat — October 2, 2012 @ 10:42 am
The doily is beautiful. You are so clever to make modifications that help you achieve your goals more efficiently and more easily ( the yo’s to allow more slack in the psso’s). Your blog and your creations are always so inspirational. Thank you.
Comment by Mary Lou — October 2, 2012 @ 1:13 pm
Your doily is incredible! I can’t even imagine how small 000 needles are and how hard it would be to knit with. Congratulations on your fair win. I can’t imagine how you couldn’t win with that. It’s gorgeous!
Comment by Cheryl — October 2, 2012 @ 1:17 pm
Useless but beautiful. They are not useless, though. They are akin to the finest sonata played by a master and are therefore works of art.
Comment by Needles — October 2, 2012 @ 4:11 pm
Simply gorgeous. Congratulations on this clever knitting!
Comment by Joan — October 2, 2012 @ 7:35 pm
I think that doily spans the Sweepstakes prize for this and the next two years. No one else should be eligible until 2015.
Comment by chloe — October 2, 2012 @ 8:13 pm
Stunning. The doily and the persistence. And those nupps on steroids – scary!
Comment by twinsetellen — October 6, 2012 @ 11:12 pm
It’s good to know the fair accepts knitted doilies. I thought they didn’t. I have a finished Niebling (Enzianbluete) that I’d like to enter next year.
Lovely work!
Comment by Nora — October 7, 2012 @ 11:12 pm
Hi, this is gorgeous and you are deserved a prize for all the hardwork you have put in. May I know where I can find this pattern please! Thank you ????????
Comment by Clara Lo — July 14, 2013 @ 12:42 am