Dear Soo,
I would like to be able to say that your fabulous knitting inspired me to push myself to knitting limits as yet unknown. But it was not inspiration so much as sheer green-eyed monstrous envy that forced me to reach for the stars.
You kindly commented on my Hemlock Ring, lo those many months ago. I innocently clicked on your name to check out your blog and BAM! Hit between the eyes with a baseball bat. There was Lyra, laid out beautifully on your dining room table, waiting to be given to Mom. I did not want to knit Lyra. I wanted to own Lyra. I wanted YOUR Lyra. I wanted Soo’s Lyra on MY dining room table. But, I knew better than to ask :).
I considered befriending Soo’s Mom (“Hi, my name is Lv2knit. My, what a lovely table covering. I believe it will fit in my purse is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”). That seemed even more far fetched, so there I was — on my own, embarking on the Niebling Quest for the Holey Grail.
As I look back on my journey, I see road signs along the way:
Plus
…leads to Lyra.
Yep, these recent FOs helped prepare me for my lil Niebling. I had never really knitted true lace before and the Peacock Feathers Shawl helped me sort through some of the issues I might encounter (does the word ‘lifeline’ ring a bell?). My Hemlocks were knit in the same way as Lyra: Emily Ocker cast on, from the center out, crochet bindoff. So I was unwittingly taking baby steps to my goal. And now my Lyra is finished:
Here is a picture of The Blob:
Oops — wrong blob! (That was for Lorraine’s benefit!) I love the hand sticking out of The Blob.
Here’s the real blob:
Blocking this baby was an all-bay uster-bay! 2-1/2 hours of back-breaking work! I’m not sure why, but my version is tiny compared to the original — about 37″ square instead of 49″! C’est la vie.
The blocking stage:
So many pins, so much time! Hard to get good pictures of white on white AND very hard to see what I was doing at the time (note to self: never block a giant white doily on a giant white pad!):
Now the quest is over and I have my own Lyra on my own table:
The quest now seems worth it, aching back and all — but I don’t know if I could do another, at least for a while!
Thank you, Soo, for your support and inspiration!!
PS: Eldest daughter finally woke up this morning, so I proudly pointed out that I had finished Lyra. Her response, “You made that?” “Yes.” “When did you work on that?” An observant lil sucker, isn’t she??
Stunning! Breath taking! WOW!
Comment by Susan — March 15, 2008 @ 10:28 am
Breathtaking.
Comment by surly — March 15, 2008 @ 10:41 am
gorgeous!
I’ll be right over – with my larger purse, of course 😉
Comment by Christy — March 15, 2008 @ 10:44 am
Museum Worthy! How inspiring!
Comment by pat — March 15, 2008 @ 10:45 am
Your Lyra… c’est tres, tres magnificique!
Comment by Susan — March 15, 2008 @ 10:57 am
I’m not a great one for things very lacy but your Lyra is truly, truly stunning. May be I should befriend Soo’s mom (or yours???) Thanks for the inspiration. And get yourself a good backrub!
Comment by Ros — March 15, 2008 @ 11:27 am
Wow. Gorgeous.
Comment by Cathi — March 15, 2008 @ 11:29 am
It is simply stunning. Hooray for you. Wow. I’m out of words.
Comment by Jewel — March 15, 2008 @ 11:48 am
Wow! It’s gorgeous!!
I feel like a proud grandma. (Although I’ve never been a grandma — I just assume this is what one would feel like. That sort of pride of the creation without actually having done anything!) 🙂
Comment by Soo — March 15, 2008 @ 11:50 am
Even though I’m not a knitter, I enjoy your blog. This is just a beautiful FO…congratulations and tell your oldest daughter to mind herself if she wants it left to her in the will!
Comment by mary — March 15, 2008 @ 11:57 am
Susan you’ve climbed the Mt. Everest of knitting! Lyra is absolutely incredible. This means that there is no knitting project that you can’t create. You are truly a master knitter.
Comment by Marie — March 15, 2008 @ 12:07 pm
That’s beyond words! Wow! just Wow!
Comment by michelle — March 15, 2008 @ 12:22 pm
That is a beautiful Lyra. Spectacular job! Which Niebling next?
Comment by tinker — March 15, 2008 @ 12:32 pm
It’s absolutely gorgeous! Beautifully done!
Comment by yochen — March 15, 2008 @ 12:54 pm
Beautiful!
Comment by Lisa — March 15, 2008 @ 1:25 pm
Gorgeous! Transcends the doily factor completely!
Comment by Nancy — March 15, 2008 @ 1:28 pm
That is just so perfect. Hard to believe that one thing is the same as the other. Well done.
Comment by Shandy — March 15, 2008 @ 1:52 pm
I am soooo impressed. Speechless with wonder.
Comment by Marsha — March 15, 2008 @ 2:08 pm
Wow! Absolutely gorgeous! I want one, too.
Comment by Nilda — March 15, 2008 @ 2:22 pm
So how does it feel that everyone is jealous of you now? I am so totally gonna knit me one (some day).
Comment by Ãœhltje — March 15, 2008 @ 2:41 pm
Wow! It’s beautiful!
Comment by Viktoria — March 15, 2008 @ 2:55 pm
I gasped when I scrolled down to the picture of YOUR Lyra on YOUR table.
Breathtaking is indeed the word. Lovely.
Aren’t you glad you resisted the impulse to turn to a life of crime?
Comment by Pam — March 15, 2008 @ 4:01 pm
Your Lyra is beautiful! I have been looking for my own copy of the pattern since you first starting blogging about Soo’s Lyra and your own. Downright difficult to even find, much less pay ridiculous amounts of money for.
I’m beating the green-eyed monster as I write and trying get a dollar limit in my head before I’m finished telling you just how wonderful your Lyra is! Great Job!
Comment by Danielle — March 15, 2008 @ 5:04 pm
OMG!!! Talk about being green with envy. It’s beautiful Susan, truly beautiful.
Comment by Bonnie — March 15, 2008 @ 6:17 pm
It’s amazing…and, um, now I wanna make a Lyra…as if i didn’t have enough large, table sized lace thingys…
Comment by Lori — March 15, 2008 @ 6:44 pm
How beautiful! A delightful piece of lace knitting. Most impressive.
Comment by Elizabeth Risch — March 15, 2008 @ 6:46 pm
It’s absolutely gorgeous Susan.
Beautiful work.
Comment by Tiny Tyrant — March 15, 2008 @ 9:37 pm
Absolutely stunning! Brava!
Comment by Carol — March 15, 2008 @ 10:06 pm
I’ve never seen any knitting more beautiful. What an heirloom you’ve created! And like Soo, you have inspired me!!! Congrats!
Comment by Lisa — March 15, 2008 @ 10:17 pm
Marvelous! I look forward to seeing it in the special honors blue ribbon display case at the state fair this August. 😀
Comment by June — March 15, 2008 @ 10:42 pm
Breathtakingly beautiful!
So… does this mean your Lyra pattern is available for rent to one of your lurking admirers now?
Comment by Country Mouse — March 15, 2008 @ 10:46 pm
Forget what I said in my contest-entry e-mail about Oregon Cardigan being my favorite of your knits. THIS is my new all-time favorite. Oh, my. I feel about *exactly* as you described feeling about Soo’s. Lovely design, and LOVELY work.
Comment by sonja poor — March 16, 2008 @ 1:07 am
Wow. Absolutely exquisite!
Comment by Romi — March 16, 2008 @ 2:45 am
Clearly inspiring…. an heirloom!
Comment by PainterWoman — March 16, 2008 @ 4:09 am
Oh Wow!!!! I dont know that I would or will ever have the stamina to complete something like that! I can dream about it though! So breathtaking!
Comment by Jaclyn Bailey — March 16, 2008 @ 4:53 am
Looks absolutely gorgeous on your table — Fabulous!
Comment by Anne — March 16, 2008 @ 6:47 am
Yes!
Comment by jam_mam — March 16, 2008 @ 7:07 am
Ah… swoon. Lust. It’s breathtakingly beautiful.
I’ve been dreaming of lace for my dining room table, but I keep putting it on hold.
Did you use wool or cotton? It looks like wool; I think you blogged it was wool. Wool would double as a shawl, but cotton is traditional for a doily. I wonder why? Because it can be finer, or it washes better? But you’d have to starch cotton.
Comment by LaurieM — March 16, 2008 @ 8:24 am
WOW! You are amazing!
Comment by Christine — March 16, 2008 @ 8:43 am
It’s spectacular!
Comment by Miss T — March 16, 2008 @ 10:07 am
That is one of the most beautiful pieces of lace knitting I ever saw. You are amazing. Just looking at your blog inspires me. Some day.
Comment by Maureen — March 16, 2008 @ 11:01 am
Simply gorgeous — gorgeous and inspiring! What yarn did you use?
Comment by Linda D. — March 16, 2008 @ 12:36 pm
Who says nothing beautiful can come of something so potentially detrimental as envy? Gasp and swoon, darling. Gasp and swoon.
Comment by Karen B. — March 16, 2008 @ 2:16 pm
Absolutely gorgeous!
Comment by Nicole — March 16, 2008 @ 4:11 pm
Susan, I think I am smelling a Blue Ribbon Maybe even the Sweepstakes!! I can’t wait to see this Beauty in person! BRAVO!!
Comment by Kim LaBerge — March 16, 2008 @ 8:36 pm
Simply gorgeous! I will have to search for a Niebling pattern to do myself. I’d love to do the round Lyra.
Comment by Eve — March 17, 2008 @ 1:39 am
That is absolutely stunning. Truly breathtaking.
Comment by Felicia — March 19, 2008 @ 9:22 am
Wow, I can’t believe that’s a knitted piece, and how it looks after blocking. Did you find it difficult to block it out? Well, well done! Keep up the beautiful work.
Comment by Ger — March 20, 2008 @ 1:21 pm
I don’t think I have ever seen anything so beautiful! I have fingerprints on my screen from trying to touch it!
Comment by Tammy — March 31, 2008 @ 11:38 am