Thoughts on the Ostrich Plume Lace Throw

Ta-da!

This is my slightly-modified version of E.J. Slayton's Ostrich Plume Lace Throw from Vogue Knitting Baby Blankets (one of the On the Go! series), knitted in ten balls (ten!) of Rowan Calmer, started a great long time ago, I'm afraid, but finished at last and gracing my sofa already.

I had intended to make a much larger throw, but if you've read the saga you will know that I was nearly heartily sick of the thing; perhaps time heals all, as I'm very happy with it now that it's done!  It is about 40 x 37 inches (say 101 x 94 cm) give or take, as it is quite stretchy from both the lace and the springiness of the Calmer, and it has not been blocked.  Now that I look at the photos closely, I wonder if I should have worked it on a size larger needles, but on the other hand the stretchiness might solve that for me.

I didn't like the fact that the top edge of the lace didn't match the bottom edge, due to the fact that that while the bottom starts off with the pattern row, the top finishes with the "plain" Row 2 and a decrease row (which is added to help the top scallop the same way the bottom does).

Instead of the dec row, I worked the patt row (Row 1) but did not put the yo in the small cable-like sections -- this brought the stitch count down to where it would have been after the dec row -- and then I worked the 8 rows of garter st.  If I'd been willing to rip out the top border a third time, I would have slipped in a K2tog at each of those spots in the first garter row, as it still doesn't scallop quite as much as I'd like.  But the eyelets in the plume section are closer to the garter border now, and the passed-over bar across the cable-like section also match the bottom edge more closely.

That said, I love this lace pattern -- it really speaks to me, for some reason.  Mostly the plume-like bits, I think.  I worked 11 repeats instead of the 9 in the original number of sts, and carried on until I'd more-or-less run out of yarn at the end of the tenth ball.  (I might have gotten another repeat out of the last ball if I'd been willing to gamble!)

This color of Calmer is "Chiffon" -- alas, discontinued. 

Now I need only some cooler weather -- already have plenty of good books waiting!

Comments

[stephanie]

Very pretty. Blankets always reach that stage where you just want to chuck the whole thing. But what an accomplishement when they are finally finished! At least Calmer is so nice to work with.

[Katy]

Wonderful! I love the little cable twist! I just placed a hold on the library book. Thanks!

You've made me feel much better about my Irish Hiking Scarf that has been languishing in the knitting basket for many months now!

[--Deb]

That looks absolutely lovely.

[Rachel]

What a gorgeous blanket, and your pictures are really pretty, too. Thanks for the information! I've reserved it at my library, and now I just have to wait!

[Jessica]

Very nice. I bet it feels like heaven.

[Rose Red]

Looks great - a lovely pattern!

[Mary]

Gorgeous! Blankets are a real labour of love I think. Calmer is lovely and soft, I imagine it makes a lovely snuggly blanket, not that you need one in this weather!

[Cositas]

Wow! I found your knits gallery first, doing a search for Ene's Scarf, and was amazed at how fast you finished it. Then I noticed you seem to finish lots of things in a week or two, and then I got a severe case of doubt about whether I am perhaps the slowest knitter in the world (which really does mean, then, than my stash is larger than I can knit in my lifetime...). But then I thought maybe I just get to knit for maybe an hour a day, and you knit for a lot longer than that... So, do you mind sharing? How many hours, about, did it take to knit Ene, which you knit over 14 days? Or some other project than can serve as guide, it doesn't have to be Ene... 'Cause.... I've been knitting Blue Sky Alpaca's Rectangle Shawl for at least three months, and it's much simpler than Ene, I think!
I promise I'll be OK, even if I DO find out I am just a very slow knitter... I need to know that so I can plan better!

[Ann]

So pretty! I love the simplicity and texture of this. Braveau!

[Sockpal]

Hi Sockpal,
Just letting you know that your socks are in the mail (shamefully late, but they are in the mail). Look for them in 4 days or so.

[Laura]

Simply gorgeous. What a good combo of pattern and colorway. It has just the right amount of lace-iness for a living-room afghan. You've knitted a classic!

[Laura]

Simply gorgeous. What a good combo of pattern and colorway. It has just the right amount of lace-iness for a living-room afghan. You've knitted a classic!

[Guro]

Breath taking in so many ways. Gorgeous stitches, a real test of stamina, awsome colour and the fact that someone can afford 10 balls of Calmer. Wow!

[Jean Maclaren]

Hello. I am making a cardigan with this pattern and I've lost it. Is there any way you could email me the pattern or the name and where you got it? I know it's been a while, but I cannot find this anywhere!

Jean

[Jeanne]

Jean, I can write out the stitch for you, but not the pattern, of course, which is copyrighted!

Ostrich Plume Lace

(Over a multiple of 20 sts plus 1.)

Row 1 (RS): Sl1, K6, P2, with RH needle, lift 3rd st on LH needle over 1st and 2nd sts, K1, yo, K1, P2, *sl1, K3tog, psso (4 sts dec to 1), yo, [K1, yo] 5 times, sl1 K-wise and return it to LH needle, K3tog tbl, place this st on LH needle and pass next st over it, return st to RH needle (4 sts dec to 1), P2, with RH needle, lift 3rd st on LH needle over 1st and 2nd sts, K1, yo, K1, P2, rep from * to last 7 sts, K7.

Rows 2 and 4: Sl1, K5, P1, K2, P3, K2, *P13, K2, P3, K2, rep from * to last 7 sts, P1, K6.

Row 3: Sl1, K6, P2, K3, P2, *K13, P2, K3, P2, rep from * to last 7 sts, K7.

Rep these 4 rows for patt.

Best,
Jeanne

[Neha]

Hey there, I found your site coz I was trying to make this pattern and am not getting the scallops at the cast on edge! I haven't reached the pattern row yet, just the garter rows. I wasn't sure if I missed something coz there is no scalloping.
Can you please help me?

[Jeanne]

Neha, you'll be fine. The scallops in the garter border are nothing to do with the garter bit, but are actually from the scalloping in the pattern pulling the garter border out of shape.

You might want to work the very last repeats at the end of the throw the way I did -- which is in the post -- plus the extra K2togs I didn't add. It will scallop at the top better, I think.

Blocking will also help enormously, if your yarn is wool.

Enjoy your throw! It's a very pretty pattern.