Pretty Doily

The Lacy Knitters Guild newsletter always has some interesting designs. The Petit Chevalier doily is exceptional in several ways.

First, it is based on a collar pattern by Marianne Kinzel (who calls it the Cavalier Collar). Second, it was adapted into a doily by the great knitter Eugen Beugler for the Lacy Knitters Guild. And, third, the decreases for the feather-and-fan border are done as purl2tog on the front side. I had never seen this version of feather-and-fan before — and I like it!

I knit my doily in DMC Cébélia, size 30, in ecru on US0 (2mm) needles. The doily has 88 rounds. Finished size is approximately 14 inches.

New Doily

While looking for the next doily project, I went through my Lacy Knitters Guild newsletters, always a treasure trove of ideas. When I came upon this project, I knew it was next in line for me.

The details:

• Pattern: Decorative Lace Cushion, Belgian Pattern, from the guild newsletter 2011-3, charted by Pieter Strydom, 77 rounds. The design also appears as the center of Herbert Niebling’s Christel doily, found in Kunststricken Grosse und kleine Decken.  
• Thread: Lizbeth, size 40, #40-168 Latte Foam, almost all of the 300-yard ball. I am liking Lizbeth thread more and more.
• Needles: 1.75mm (US00).
• Finished size: about 12 inches diameter.

This one was fun to knit. Perhaps I will knit the Christel version some day.

Frustrating

Knitting the doily was easy; taking its picture to good effect has been much harder. The thread colors are very subtle but my photo attempts have resulted in too much contrast or turned them into mud. I opted here for one of the muddier ones but I think the colors come through. I hope so anyway.

The details:

• Pattern: Helen from Old World Treasures from Gloria Penning, 73 rounds.
• Thread: Lizbeth size 40, color 167 Jungle Greens (lots of greens, some yellow, a little teal).
• Needles: 1.75mm (US size 00).
• Finished size: 10 inches diameter.

The only change I made was to make the double decreases in the petals as centered double decreases.

Based on only a few projects, I very much like the Lizbeth thread. I purchased the threads from Debbie at DS9Designs, who carries most, if not all of the colors, in several sizes (no affiliation, just a happy customer). Some of the variegated colors have too much contrast for my taste, but some, like Jungle Greens, are far more subtle and more appealing to me.

The photography issue still bugs me. I try to take pictures outside in natural, overcast light (we have a lot of overcast here in the Pacific Northwest), on different backgrounds, with and without fill flash. Suggestions?

Mitteldeckchen III

If you are a lace knitter or want to be of if you just like looking at beautiful lace knitting (or knitted lace; I never can remember the distinction) you need to join the Lacy Knitters Guild. The guild newsletter features members and their knitting, and contains terrific patterns for doilies and edgings, some new, some old. This one, Mitteldeckchen III, called my name.

And it should call my name. It is designed by lace knitting master Eugen Beugler. I immediately grabbed my needles and cast on. The details:

• Pattern: Mitteldeckchen III by Eugen Beugler in Lacy Knitters Guild 2011-2. According to the pattern notes, the doily combines the center of one doily with the border of a different doily. It has 75 rounds.
• Thread: Lizbeth, size 40, color 642. Debbie from DS9 Designs carries the Lizbeth in every color and size. This was my first project with Lizbeth, and I was cautious because it is made in China. Based on this first sample, I found it to be a nice thread for knitting, with a crisp finish.
• Needles: 1.75mm (US00)
• Finished size: About 12 inches diameter.

I am now going back through my Lacy Knitters newsletters to see what else calls my name.

Back to Doilywood

I saw this doily while cruising through an old knitting and crochet book that belongs to my mother. I did not think I had seen this before, but it turns out that I already had it.

This doily appears in two places that I know about: Hand Crochet by Royal Society #3, Lace and Doilies and Danish Lace Treasures by Gloria Penning. The latter has errors in rounds 43, 62, 63 and 65, at least compared to the former. I also understand that it appears in Kunststrick/Knitted Lace by Sonja Esbensen and Anna Rasmussen, but I do not have that book.

This doily has a bit of everything: some fagoting, some large holes, a section with patterning on every round and an unusual bind-off. Perhaps not the most attractive doily ever designed but certainly interesting to knit.

I knit it with Flora thread, size 50, on US0 (2.0mm) needles. Finished size is about 10.75 inches diameter.

Two-Color Doily

This is one of the few doilies I've seen that is designed to be a two-color doily. Unfortunately, older pattern books do not give credit to the designer. I think this designer incorporated the lace and color in a pleasing manner.

• Pattern: Knitted Two-Color Doily from Star Doily Book #104
• Thread: Cebelia size 30, cream and 799 blue (I love this color)
• Needles: 2.0mm (US0)
• Rounds: 82
  
• Finished size: About 12.5 inches diameter
  

Small Doily

Back in the day, variegated thread was common. While it does not work for many doilies — usually the more complex ones — it can be used more or less successfully for simple doilies, such as this one.

Details:

• Pattern: Small Doily from Nurhanne's yarnover site (a resource treasure for doily knitting fans). It is 42 rounds. The pattern directs you to purl rounds 36-38 and 40-43, but I knit them.
  
• Thread: J&P Coats size 30 crochet thread, small ball of 150 yards, color 19. The fact that it is J&P Coats means it is pre-1952 thread; J&P Coats and the Clark Thread Company merged in 1952.
• Needles: 2.0mm
• Finished size: about 8.5 inches diameter

Square with Diamonds

The Lacy Knitters Guild (and as a group on Ravelry) is an amazing resource for lace knitters. The newsletters are chock full of information about lace knitting. And, each issue contains patterns from the Lacy Knitters Collection, such as this one:

• Pattern: Square with Diamonds, Kunststricken 1637
• Thread: Cebelia, size 30, yellow, color 745 (this is an older thread, judging from the label)
• Needles: 2.0 mm (US0)
• Finished size: approximately 12 inches x 12 inches
  

I made this doily for my friend Debbie as she begins her new job and new adventures in Vancouver, Washington. I've known Deb for 23+ years both as a work colleague and as a friend. She is definitely a doily-worthy friend.

Mandenblute

Mandenblute is one of the patterns in "Old World Treasures" by Gloria Penning. Gloria is a treasure herself; her publications have kept many doily patterns in print and available to knitters.

This is part of my journey to size 100 thread. I'm almost there — this is size 80. The details:

• Thread: Kordonet 80, made in Slovakia (I bought it when I was in Prague, either at Tesco or Kotva, probably in 2006). I used about two-thirds of a 20-gram ball. This thread is very crisp, which is think is a good choice for this doily, but it did have two knots.
  
• Needles: 1.5mm
• Finished size: approximately 16 inches in diameter.

The pattern has a few errors, which are easy to figure out. If I were to knit this again, I would change some of the double decreases. All are left-leaning decreases (slip 1, knit 2 together, pass slipped stitch over). I would use both left-leaning and right-leaning as appropriate. But in this size of thread, I don't think the direction of the double decreases is noticeable.

Nifty Fifty

My journey to size 100 thread continued with two doilies made with Flora size 50 on 2.00mm needles. This was my first venture to size 50.

The one below, which I knit first, is "Helen" from "Old World Treasures" by Gloria Penning. It has 73 rounds and finished at approximately 11 inches in diameter.

The second one is design #7 from Lavori Artistici #11. This one, at 63 rounds, is about 10 inches in diameter.

Getting started on size 50 was a bit of a challenge, but once I got going, it was just like knitting with larger thread.

Next: size 70-ish.

Back to Doilies

What with Tall Ships and the Museum of Glass, I haven't written much about knitting recently. But I have been knitting. I finished a doily, still in size 30, on my path to smaller numbers.

• Pattern: Anna Burda 1086 19A
• Thread: Clark's Big Ball size 30, color 26B, maybe half of the ball
  
• Needles: 2.25mm
• Finished size: Approximately 13 inches in diameter
  

I am currently working in size 50 thread on my way to size 100; stay tuned.

Seeing red

I seem to be going a little doily crazy these days.

The details:

• Design #9 from Knitted Lace Designs in the "Modern" Mode by Kazuko Ichida
• Thread: Clark's Big Ball, size 30, color 126; thrift store find
• Finished weight: 24 grams, approximately 300 yards
  
• Needles: 2.25mm
• Finished size: 16 inches x 16 inches

This was a very easy pattern to follow; it didn't have any of the unfamiliar Japanese stitches.

And it looks very nice with my new George Burns rose.

Egeblad

Egeblad is a beautiful doily and great fun to knit, even if I don't have any blue flowers currently blooming to photograph it with. I changed the direction of some of the decreases, in particular, making centered double decreases in the center flower part.

The details:

• Thread: Cebelia, size 30, less than half of a 50-gram ball
  
• Needles: 2.25mm
• Finished size: 15 inches in diameter
  

Violets and Doilies

After I finished the yellow daffodil doily of the previous post, I started another variegated purple doily, which, coincidentally, complements the violets that are now blooming.

The particulars:

• Lavori Artistici #11, design #63
• Thread: Clark's Big Ball, size 30
• Needles: 2.25mm
• Finished size: 8.5 inches in diameter

Rhododendrons and camellias should start blooming next month.

Daffodils and Doilies

It rains a lot in the Pacific Northwest, especially in the spring. Day after day of rain. Or gray clouds threatening to rain. Fortunately, it's also the time of year when daffodils bloom. (Moss also, but that's another story.)

The daffodils made me think that I needed another yellow doily (see February 19 post). I had enough yellow thread left for this, which could be a daffodil. Sort of.

The particulars:

• Pattern: Lavori Artistici #11, design #11
• Needles: 2.25mm
• Finished size: 8 inches in diameter

Waves, Shells and Peacocks

Every so often I decide to knit a doily with variegated thread, an idea that sends some people into spasm. I think that a good result is entirely likely if you match the thread and pattern properly. This one is Waves and Shells from Gloria Penning's "Knitted Heirloom Lace II." It's also design 5, Peacock, in Christine Duchrow's Leaflet 62.

The details:

• Thread: Clark's Big Ball, size 30
• Needles: 2.25mm
• Finished size: 13 inches in diameter

Knitting in Japanese

My first attempt at knitting a Japanese pattern was fairly successful. This is design #7 from "Knitted Lace Designs of the 'Modern' Mode" by Kazuko Ichida, also known among doily knitters as "the blue book." The knitting was straightforward doily knitting with familiar symbols and none of the hieroglyphic, twisted, upside-down-and-backwards Japanese knitting symbols.

The details:

• Thread: Cebelia size 30 in a cream color. I think this is an older thread because the label is different than today's label. I used one whole skein and part of another. The
  finished piece weighs 66 grams, which amounts to about 750 yards.
• Needles: 2.25mm, although I usually do the first six rounds or so in a size smaller needle.
• Finished size: 30 inches in diameter.

A New Doily

This is design #5 from Lavori Artistici #11. I selected it because I like the cable. Lace and cable are a great combination; doilies with cables are even better.

I am not too thrilled with the spider web center; it doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the design. And, it was a pain to knit.

The particulars:

• Pattern: Lavori Artistici #11, design #5
• Thread: Vintage Clark's Big Ball, size 30, in an orchid color (it's solid orchid, not variegated as the photo might suggest)
• Needles: US1 (2.25 mm), although I usually do the first six or so rounds in a size smaller needle, 2.0mm in this case.
  
• Size: 12" diameter
  

The Heirloom

I recently had an opportunity to purchase an heirloom — a doily by Marguerite Shimmons. Marguerite works in size 100 thread. Size 100!

The doily is about 12 inches in diameter. I don't know what pattern it is. It's possible that it's a combination of one center and a different edging. Nevertheless, I love it.

Lacis in Berkeley, California, has a collection of Marguerite Shimmons doilies in its museum collection.

Playing with Color

Variegated and multicolored crochet thread has been around for decades. Remember grandma's hand towels with crocheted edgings in every color of the rainbow and a few more? Many of today's knitters think that using variegated or multicolored thread for doilies is a no-no. I think that with the right pattern, variegated and multicolored threads can work just fine. So began the experiment.

I started with some variegated green from my stash of vintage thread ("vintage" is code for "old stuff that's been kept around for no apparent reason"). This is about three-quarters of design #38 from Lavori Artistici 11, until I ran out of thread. I like the way the colors swirl.

Then I tried something a little bolder but still variegated for design #12, also from Lavori Artistici 11. Amazingly, this one won a first-place ribbon at the Western Washington Fair this year. Go figure.

Then I threw timidity to the wind and went for the "clown colors," one with a star-style pattern and one with a leaf-style with stacked double decreases. Both are from "Danish Lace Treasures" by Gloria Penning; one is Judith and one is Patricia. Not too bad. They might make fun sun-catchers.

As a result of these experiments, I think that variegated and multicolored thread can work for doilies with simple patterns. Would I do a Niebling with variegated or multicolored thread? No. But those who have supplies of vintage/old stuff thread can use it for doilies — and maybe even some crocheted edgings for hand towels.