Ah, lace.....

This year for Christmas I received a hand made bobbin lace pillow. I'm a huge fan of lace. Having already tried my hand at knitted lace, crocheted lace, needle and hardanger lace, and tatting, I am ready for a new adventure in tiny fiber arts.

Before I'd even picked up some graph paper for pricking my patterns I ran to the yarn shoppe to fondle the bobbin lace books I remembered seeing there. I found four from which to choose. Bex especially recommended "Bobbin Lace without a Teacher" by Betty Alderson. There's also Geraldine Stott's "The Bobbin Lace Manual" with very clear illustrations. The photographs in Pat Earnshaw's "Bobbin & Needle Laces: Identification & Care" are so incredibly beautiful the book is worth it just for them. But my favorite, the one that really caught my eye is "New Ideas for Miniature Bobbin Lace" by Roz Snowden.

Folks who know me well know my favorite knitting needle size is 0000. "The smaller, the better," I say. While all around me extole the virtues of large needles and chunky yarn for fast knitting, I drift ever further toward the world of the microscopic. The incredible shrinking woman herself.

This miniatures book has designs for doll house furnishings, some really beautiful patterns. there go my yarn credits. I'll have to take this book home with me.

Bex reminded me that HYS has many other books on lace in stock, including books on tatting, crochet, and knit laces. I think I overheard Bex and Linda Lyle with their heads together planning a lace class in February.

People sometimes don't try knitted laces because they think it will be too hard. Honestly, lace knitting isn't hard. If you can do a yarn-over and a knit two together, you're ready to knit lace. You couldn't find a better instructor than Linda, who we all know is very patient and willing to help.

If you ever get a chance to try out lace, whether it is knitted, crocheted, tatted, or bobbin, I hope you'll give it a try.