Well, what’s a knitter to do when Santa doesn’t bring her anything from her Amazon wishlist for Christmas?!*
I’ve been coveting Victorian Lace Today ever since I saw the photos on Grumperina’s blog. There are so many lovely patterns in the book, and I could rave about them all and be very boring, but right now the wide-bordered scarves really appeal to me, especially this one:
as it uses just 450 yards of yarn and would be a perfect quick and inexpensive Christmas present. Not that I’m planning 12 months in advance or anything…
That’s the first really useful aspect of the book. Rather than specifying the yarn used for each pattern, it says what weight yarn and the yardage (you’ll need to whip out a calculator if you’ve gone metric!) required.
Also If you’re a new lace knitter (and even if you’re not) it has lots of really useful information in the back explaining different cast on techniques, shawl construction and blocking of different shaped shawls. And I haven’t even mentioned the history of Victorian knitting. Or the alternate borders. Or the way the construction of each pattern is explained in a diagram, so you know which direction you’re knitting in. It’s possibly even knocked A Gathering of Lace from the position of “My Favourite Lace Book”.
And I should have bought Sensational Knitted Socks a year ago. That’s all I want to say. I now have the secret of the splendid heels and I am unstoppable! Bwahahahaha!
*the answer is, of course, to order books from The Book Depository!
