Thoughts About Lace

As a life-long knitter, this is my beloved landscape with all it's peaks and valleys. This yarn is Pagewood Farms' Chugiak in Maple. And this is a picture of my second Bitterroot which I just finished blocking. And, yes, I know that that beach towel backdrop is hideous! So try to ignore that as I share some of my thoughts on lace knitting with you.

First, I discovered that I had dropped a stitch while casting off last night and that there was a 1" hole along the edge of my piece which I was not about to rip out! (The lesson there is, don't cast off 1000+ stitches in poor light, watching sitcoms post-martini.) My moan upon discovering it sent David running into the living where I sat looking in disbelief at this hideous hole. Well, he said, can't you just attach one cell to another? Hmm, I liked the words he used and I told him. He said, it looks like a honeycomb and that's what the holes are called...cells.

Then he sat down on the sofa sipping his coffee, petting Scout at his side, watching me perform the delicate surgery. And I told him, that I realize it takes a great deal of expertise to accomplish such a feat. And he said, well, that's why you always see old ladies doing lace. Offended, I said - Oh, I hate when people call knitters old ladies. Defending himself, he said - but isn't that true? In the "olden days" you only saw old women doing lace work. All huffy, I said - well they had to be young once. True, but they probably didn't have the time to devote to lace until they were older. Whatever!

Well, I realize there's truth in what he had to say. Knitting lace requires expertise that is only acquired with time. It takes some serious concentration which is not compatible with the multitasking it takes when raising children. You also have to be stationary when knitting lace. You can't just stand in line at the bank knitting lace, like you would a sock! And being more stationary is also compatible with age. And, then I thought, well I am a grandmother. Why should that comment offend me? I'm grateful to have the knowledge and experience I do, and grateful to be a grandmother. And to prove my status as a crone, look at that mending job!