Little Yarn Shoppe of Horrors: Knitting Lace With Galena

As I mentioned, I spent last Saturday and Sunday taking the remedial Russian Lace Knitting class with Galena Khmeleva. Not that I can't do the motifs, but I just didn't seem to get the construction quite right the first time around. It was Fall 2003, and somehow the nice lady from Russia found her way to Henderson, Texas. I've never figured that part out, but I'm glad it happened. I knit the exercises, but I never got the corners right, and at that time, it bothered me to be knitting the borders at the same time as mirrored images. I had a lot of enthusiasm, but not much skill to back it up.

Since then, I've practiced various types of lace and you know what practice does. No -- not perfect -- just able to find your mistakes more readily. I'm a little better at short rows, etc.

On Friday night, there was a spinning class. I didn't attend that, since I absolutely cannot afford another vice. The famous knitting Susan's went, though, so you can check it out with them.

Saturday morning, our group looked something like this:

The workshop was full, and even an extra or two might have sneaked in. I'm not sure about that. The first day was taken up with working a tiny sampler with the traditional Orenburg motifs, discussing the theories of yarn overs, casting on, etc. All helpful advice. Galena demonstrated a method for choosing the appropriately-sized knitting needle for a particular yarn.

We knit, and ate, and had time for a quick visit to Hill Country Weavers. Some participants came from out of town, so a visit to HCW must always be worked into the schedule. We reconvened after lunch, etc., for more knitting and browsing in all Galena's goodies.

Why yes, that is Qiviut in the little box:

It is as though there is a rope tied from Qiviut to me, and I can feel it pulling me toward it, fingering my credit card, trying to resist, one more time. Worse yet, I know where there is some of that delectable fiber right here in Austin. It isn't even traveling around, so that if I just hold out a little longer, it will be safely out of my grasp. Someday...

Of course, she brings lovely genuine Orenburg shawls with her, and I must say that I thought her prices were very reasonable.

I wouldn't have knit them for her prices. Of course, at the moment, no one would want one that I'd knit anyway, so it's a pretty moot question.

Next time, I'll get to the second day, and the making of the little Barbie shawl. Actually, my ewe Agnes is eyeing it. I expect she'll claim the Barbie shawl for her own, if I ever finish it, that is.

I came straight home from the workshop (after stopping for cat food,) and cast on for a triangular shawl for me, so I'll have some photos of that right away, too. It is actually going quite well. This time, I'm actually going to do it. Galena will be introducing another class soon -- repairing lace shawls, and I certainly need to take that one, after my escapades in January, but that's a whole other discussion.

More, soon...
Good knitting,
MEM