English Crystal
With this little tablecloth or lace square, I completed my personal February challenge for Stash Down 2008: the Logan River Wrap, and something lacy with the Omo.
When I cast off this square, it measured about 20″ square, barely. After a good soak, and some brute force, I managed to stretch it out to 26″. Small, but I think I did pretty well with two 50-gram skeins of sock yarn.
I did consider knitting the English Crystal pattern as a triangle. However, Mom saw the square swatch and really liked it and wanted me to continue. With the same amount of yarn, I could have produced a triangle approximately 52″ wide and 26″ tall.
I love the center diamonds; I thought they would be too plain but have decided they’re the perfect focus for the surrounding squares, circles, and triangles. But do you see that weird hole in the center left just past the diamonds in the picture above? Apparently, when I tinked a few rows, I somehow went one row too far at that stitch. Drat.
Considering I’ve barely crocheted for years and years, I think my crochet edging turned out pretty well. (I don’t crochet often because I have to look at my work, whereas, with knitting, I can work by feel most of the time.) I didn’t realize there was a small issue with the bind-off as given by Kinzel until I was about halfway finished.
Generally, Kinzel’s bind off is done by working a dc into three live stitches. Most of the time, it looks great. In the pictures above, look closely at the tips of the triangles. I don’t like how it pulls the left side away from the triangle tip. This could be remedied with a bit of forethought and adjusting the number of bound-off stitches to 2 or 4 as needed.
This project was fun, and surprisingly quick. The strong, geometric shapes of English Crystal are a perfect match for the yarn color, “Rock Grotto.” I didn’t realize until blocking that there were different repeating squares within the pattern. It’s almost dizzying if you look at it too long!
Did you find the English Crystal in the lace? Here’s what I think it is.
Pattern: “English Crystal” by Marianne Kinzel, First Book of Modern Lace Knitting Size: 26″ square Yarn: Curious Creek Fibers - Omo - Rock Grotto, 2 skeins Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm) - Brittany DPNs, Takumi Clover circulars, and KA Classic crochet hook Started: February 15, 2008 Completed: February 23, 2008
Token Progress: 2 of 2. I could buy lace yarn now! I probably won’t, because I have enough laceweight for two more projects.
knitting, shawls or stoles |
18 stitches to “English Crystal”
Please make a stitch.
Those photos were making me dizzy. I really like the color.
Wow - that is gorgeous!! I just may have to put that in the queue!
I wouldn’t have seen any flaws if you hadn’t pointed them out - it’s fabulous!
Thanks! Now I have the song “I’m so dizzy…my head is spinnin… like a whirlpool…it never ends….” Gorgeous! I think it looks great on the table.
Oh, that’s pretty! You’re tempting me to buy another book…
Looks fantastic, especially draped on the table. The pattern really brings out the colours.
Ya know, I can kinda see that circle you were talking about, but I can’t be sure. bah, we knitters are the only ones who see our flaws anyway, no one else ever notices.
That is so very beautiful!! I have no idea what in heck an English Crystal is, but I do like the glass of Martini.
Perfect match of yarn+pattern.
I love it in the window. It wouldn’t last long on my table.
Gorgeous. Just gorgeous. Thanks for the inspiration. :)
Very nice! Great match of yarn to pattern, and it’s fun to stare at it and see the triangles and squares swim around. :-)
Wow, you’re really making me want to knit some lace. That is absolutely beautiful!!!!
How beautiful!
Glorious!
That is gorgeous! I agree with your mom regarding making it into a square. Very nice!
Gorgeous! I really like it! (and honestly didn’t notice the flaws until you mentioned it)
Wow. That’s just exquisite.
wow! that’s wonderful!!
That is gorgeous!