Letters
Clerestory Shawl: 2 Yarns, 2 Effects
Dear Kay,
What a difference a yarn makes.
You can see it clearly in the Clerestory Shawl, one of Jeanette Sloan’s designs for MDK Field Guide No. 15: Open.
Jeanette gives it to us in a snuggly worsted weight.
Chewy and warm.
And she shows it in a light fingering weight.
A more delicate fabric.
I’m going to make mine using Gleem Lace, the hand-dyed laceweight from Fyberspates that is going to end up even more airy than the light fingering-weight yarn shown above.
Here’s what a swath of Gleem Lace looks like when worked in the Rib Lace Pattern. Compare it to the same pattern shown at the bottom of that photo above.
Out on the porch, with the light behind it, you can see what I mean about the airiness.
It’s a cobweb, a true lace moment.
This Gleem Lace yarn has beautiful gradient shifts. This color is Tweed Imps.
For my Clerestory Shawl, Gleem Lace version, I’m going with Deep Aqua.
There are 9 colors in the MDK Shop. It’s really something, this yarn.
I haven’t knitted lace like this in many years—I am eager to get going, and I know that it’s going to be an exercise in delayed gratification.
The payoff for knitting a lace shawl comes when it’s time to give my finished shawl a soak and a good blocking. That final reveal when the work is done, and it opens up to its full glory? It’s one of the best moments in knitting.
If there’s anything I’m learning these days, it’s patience.
Love,
Ann
PS If you’re contemplating a bit of lace knitting, here are my “4 Tips for Knitting Basic Lace.”
I had been browsing gleem lace recently. I just love the colours and tweed imps is what I’m thinking of getting. It’s amazing the difference the yarn makes in one pattern!
Ann, what size needle will you use with the Gleem?
I’m going to do the rib lace scarf in Neighborhood Fiber Co. Rustic Fingering in the colorway Times Square. I bought it at VKLNY which also happens to be the last time I saw your lovely smile in person. The skein has been on my coffee table waiting for just the right pattern and it was worth the wait.
I love lace knitting I couldn’t wait to cast on so I went stash diving and came up with some Painted Desert to do the Rib Lace Scarf. I’m also going to order Gleem to do the Tumbling Block Scarf. Will you be getting a thicker yarn in for the Aran version of the Rib Lace Scarf?
Hi Lisa! We do have a thicker yarn for the Rib Lace Scarf, the Superwash Worsted from Lichen and Lace. You can have a look at it here:
https://www.moderndailyknitting.com/shop/lichen-lace-superwash-worsted/
Ohhh, beautiful❣ Thank you‼
Lace was my first knitting love. I randomly walked into a yarn store and they had several samples of enormous drapey lace shawls – pi shawls, crescents, triangular- each one with spectacular intricate designs. Each one looked like they would be years of work, and it instantly felt necessary to learn how to knit. My first several projects were lace, which made all knitting after that pretty straightforward! I haven’t cast on a lace project in some time, but the designs in this field guide are making it feel necessary to knit lace again. And that Gleem yarn – so gorgeous.
That Gleem yarn is gorgeous, but the name is making me laugh. Anyone else here remember Gleem toothpaste? 😉
Sure do!