#lace rot lace rot lace rot—

[purple-qete]

Years ago I started knitting the Spider Queen shawl by Hazel Carter. I finished the center square and 1 1/2 of the sides, then got distracted. I eventually stole the needles for another project. Then moths chewed a couple of holes in it.

It was already unlikely that I'd finish it, even less likely now that I'd have to repair moth holes, in pattern, with lace weight single ply wool. But I couldn't bring myself to just throw it away either. So it stayed in my stash for over a decade, until my roommate suggested using it in the garden.

Now it rests on our fountain as a watering spot for bees. It hangs down into the fountain and wicks water up for the bees to drink. It's growing moss. When bees fall in they use it to climb out, we haven't found any drowned bees since we added it.

Literal lace rot, and it makes me happy every time I see it.

[journeyman-tier-fibercraft]

The Evenstar is finally finished! This project has been a really fun time but I'm also SO glad it's over.

The knitted on edging took. Literally half a year. Not because it was difficult but simply because it was SO BORING. It looks so good and was so easy to block but I'm not sure I'll ever have the Willpower to knit this edging ever again.

My shawl also turned out significantly smaller than the pattern says. It's supposed to be 60 inches and mine is closer to 48 inches. This is probably because of the yarn I used? (Cobweb instead of lace weight) I also chose to knit under gauge because I didn't like the way the fabric looked at gauge. Thankfully it doesn't bother me.

[kaiyonohime]

Look at all the lovely leaves growing from my needles! Got a solid three hours of knitting time this weekend and am nearly at row seventy!

Next weekend I should get a ton more knit as my husband is taking the tiny tot to a marathon to cheer. Although I do need to put the second hank on the swift to wind, I'm hoping to get that done some time this week. Tiny tot has started sleeping well when put down at night, so that does free up an hour or two. Though I've been using that time for getting things done for work. A nursery school teacher's job is never done.

[mirith]

Bobbin lace attempt #1! I love that I don't have to block this.

Plus a cursed set up:

Size 10 crochet cotton, colorful clothespins, glass head pins, pattern and excellent tutorial from here: https://howdidyoumakethis.com/bobbin-lace-virgin-ground-or-rose-ground/

Not sure how to finish the ends or secure the start. Oops.

[just-null]

YO, SUPER LATE SUPER LONG SUPER MESSY OCTOBER POST THAT I JUST SHOVED EVERYTHING INTO BC I DIDN'T WANT TO DO MULTIPLE. FUCK IT.

I forgot halfway that these were supposed to be costumes and not mini aus... SO REMEMBER IN MY PLACE, EVERYTHING IS HYPOTHETICAL. also. some have a bit of yandere elements to them bc its SO FITTING FOR NORITOSHI.

Happy late October, everyone. it's winter now. Let's get it, baby.

[Long rambles and doodles under the cut!]

Vampire!

I kept asking myself, "How sexy is too sexy.." and "How the fuck does a sexy vampire even look like without it being a shirtless guy w fangs or Edward Cullen....." I think I figured it out

Sure, sure, vampires are superhumans with sun allergies that can drink blood really hotly. They can also easily overpower you to feast and blah blah blah, but what if said vampire (Noritoshi) was too weak to do any of that? Not literally, but he craves your say. He wants not only your blood but your affection. He wants to get praised as he drinks you in. Are you comfortable? How much will you allow him to take? Do you want to get him back in return? Guidance with this makes him feel more at ease. It's still Noritoshi at the end of the day. He's going to find a way to be a little awkward about you because of his crush. He refuses to drink from anyone other than you, even if it causes his death. Therefore, he has to keep you healthy! For the rest of your lives..! Besides, he can't really go outside or else he'd.. y'know. So if you think about it, this is a very beneficial relationship for both of you!!

The only downside is that you're losing blood on the regular, and for some reason, more people are moving away... Probably nothing, right? Noritoshi is always there to keep you company and help you recover anyways.

Witch!

my attempts also bled into the witch design.... you got greedy with requesting two in one ask, but I'll spoil you this time bc I also wanted to see Noritoshi as a (sexy) vampire and witch. heh. AND I DIDNT REALIZE HED BE SO CUTE AS A WITCH..... WHAT THE FUCK?? rip momo, fight for your title of cute witch...

Noritoshi strikes me as one of those witches who'd rather be left to their own devices because they're running some important magic whatever in the background. though, he'll take some breaks and indulge you if you insist on having him around. Insist meaning you pass by and strike conversation, leaving him to neglect anything and everything to prioritize his time with you. He doesn't want to use magic on you unless it's beneficial for either you or both. Noritoshi likes a natural progression with you that he knows for a fact is true and not some product of some spell. Though it doesn't mean he wouldn't use charms and such to get you to interact with him more often to speed up the process!

Can't sleep? He has a remedy perfect for that! Bad luck? Oh no, take a charm. Nerves? A potion he perfected will help you ease your jitters. Annoying peers? With a snap of Noritoshi's fingers, they're gone! Just don't ask what happened. Enjoy yourself instead and come to him with any new issue. He's quick to resolve it.

Definitely has some sort of doll that looks suspiciously like you.. Noritoshi would probably talk to it and practice one liners that give you the strongest sense of nostalgia once he uses them. He's simultaneously giddy that the charm he put in the doll works but also a little annoyed that his hard work isn't surprising you, but leaving you with deja vu.

Idol!

i was crying the entire time bc what does an idol look like.... noritoshi is handsome enough to be an idol without actually being an idol... now i can confirm that idols are very well dressed though. thumbs up 100% but i had some thoughts...

[Idol]

Noritoshi would be the type to cherish his fans, but hold clear favoritism over you. he'd be those idols that look cold, but they talk, and they sound smug in a charming way. i don't know much about idols, but i know he'd be so fucking good.... he'd be the type of guy to sing to you amongst the hundreds in the crowd.... ahhh the interviews w these famous aus. they're just talking and acting like themselves. can you imagine Noritoshi getting asked the question if he has a lover or not? he can lie, im sure you're alright with that, but he doesn't want to!! he does have someone!!! someone he loves more than all his fans love for him combined!!! he just can't say it for the sake of your privacy and his career. so Noritoshi does what any charming guy who's good with their words does. he deflects the question. answering the question, but not really, that'd be something he's known for. fans online are split on why Noritoshi does this. some think he's trying to keep that side of his life private, others think he's trying to mess around, and others think he's hiding a secret lover!!! though the last one is usually seen as the outlandish one, sometimes it makes Noritoshi's heart drop bc they get some things right. "Having a lover is a complicated question hidden behind a simple disguise. If I had to answer, I'd say my lovers are my audience. they make sure i'm well cared for, some more than others." AND HIS FUCKING LITTLE SMIRK I CANT COUGHS UP BLOOD. IM A THEORIST TOO. SECRET LOVER. 🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵

ON THE FLIP SIDE....

[Not an Idol]

An amusing thought where Noritoshi goes out in his casual clothes, and he's mistaken for an idol. No one knows who he is, but he just looks like he'd be one. bro's just trying to buy groceries, and now he has a fan group asking him to take pictures with them.. He'd tell them that he's just a guy, not an idol, but the group would still want a picture with him. it'd be a waste to pass by someone who's so naturally gorgeous, so with a sigh of defeat, he relents. It's just a photo, right? No harm done. Noritoshi'd go home and feel overwhelmed/embarrassed by the whole ordeal. later, he gets a call from someone in the kyoto group or you to inform him how he's all over social media, known as that handsome guy in the supermarket. HED BE COMPLETELY UNREACHABLE TO MEDIA OUTLETS BC NORITOSHI IS THAT GUY WHO DOESNT HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA.... he'd have to make one to make sure no one pretends to be him online. "Hello, I don't use social media, but I've been informed I've been getting attention online. To prevent anyone from being fooled by an impersonator, this is my official and only account. thank you." P.R. STATEMENT WRITING ASS.. his single post gets flooded with likes, comments, and DMs. it almost blows up his phone..... he was just buying bread, dude...... people try to dig up and find him through the other Kyoto group's social media.

[bonus] my second in command requested to put him in a fem idol outfit bc he thought it was funny. after frothing at the mouth and coughing out blood, I complied.

Doctor!

THIS IS SUCH A STRAIGHT FORWARD ASK BUT IT HAS SO MANY IMPLICATIONS. MY BELOVED CULT MEMBER.. THOSE EMOJIS GIVE ME A DIFFERENT IMPRESSION BUT IM NOT SURE.

Noritoshi as a doctor...... apple sales would plummet. his little clinic's business would skyrocket. sick cases would peak in his area. getting your heart checked by his stethoscope would be so fucking embarrassing bc all he'd hear is THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP

LIKE IMAGINE IF THAT WAS YOUR DOCTOR? BRO.

COUGH COUGH HACK WHEEZE COUGH COUGH.

Noritoshi would probably own a small clinic that he wants to expand. That or he opened one after working for a hospital for a while. He's a great doctor who's most likely respected but a pain in the ass to work with. Among patients, he's gotten the hot doctor reputation. Most want to be treated by him, but he's so professional, any chance of trying to flirt goes down the drain. Yeah, he puts his hair up to avoid it in his face even though his eyes are closed classic lab safety procedures. He seems like the type to have a soothing but authoritative voice during examination, so he gets his message across. it's a bit difficult when dealing with patients for Noritoshi. If he sees them too often, he firstly scolds you for not taking care of yourself, then feels guilty for not giving you the proper care. Keep yourself safe and healthy, or else Noritoshi will clearly :( Putting him in a yandere setting would be dangerous. He'd have a lot of control over you, considering he can prescribe medication, shots, visits, and other things.... he'd have a ball.... nothing that would cause you any harm, of course. he's only looking out for you and doing what's best for you..!

Pirate!

my second in command wanted a pirate. pirates are so fucking cool and i know damn well if this guy were a pirate he'd have a bunch of battle scars under that fancy coat.

Noritoshi as a pirate would be more than a little odd, but also fitting. He looks like the type of guy who'd be well put together, yet he's willing to get his hands dirty. Like the guy who got into the pirate life because of some personal issue that couldn't be solved fast enough through conventional means. Even as a pirate, i imagine he holds everyone to high standards. They're still pirates though.. so his expected standards aren't even that high. He has more freedom here, so even he himself lets loose once or twice. Especially with you. He's even able to get away with more violent actions for you, the seas are unpredictable, after all. While taking some treasure, Noritoshi'd toss you a gem or golden coin, just so you can say you were the first to claim it. Just so he can see that happy glint in your eyes when getting your hands on treasure. God forbid anyone try to get their hands on your hard earned goods. They'd be met with a bullet to the foot or a sword at their neck. Everyone and their mother knows how you're his favorite, but Noritoshi downplays it. Its not a crime to help out someone from his crew is it? Not in the seven seas. He leans more into his cold ruthless killer side here. He has goals and people to help keep in line whether hes captain or not. Yet when around you, he's almost adorable in how he shows you a pearl so entrancing that it reminded him of you.

Corpse Bride!

my submission to my Noritoshi Halloween costume closet.. CORPSE BRIDE, THIS MOVIE FUCKS. esp w the yandere elements.

Noritoshi 100% made you recite the wedding vows to him before accepting the ring. If you fumbled up, he'd correct you with SO much attitude and expect you to start from the top until you got it perfectly.

Hypothetically, in the chalice scene towards the end..

Noritoshi is the type to never be fully relaxed unless he knows for sure you'll be eternally his. In this scenario, YOU proposed to HIM but have to die to continue being together. Not only that, but someone in the living world is also after your heart. Someone who bleeds. Someone who's the obvious choice. Someone who can give you the life that you deserve. Someone who will succeed in their pursuits if you. remain. alive. Noritoshi's life was cut short, yet he still managed to lose so much and be abandoned a considerable amount of times. When he meets you and finds out about the possibility of having to go through that again even in death, it finally clicks in his rotting mind. He realizes he's been doing something wrong to keep constantly failing. Noritoshi revises his methods to a more.. selfish course. Why should he care about anyone else's wants or how his actions hurt them? You were the only one who made him truly fulfilled, to make him feel alive. The only one who deserves anything and everything good that comes from this world. Destiny is never done toying with him when he realizes your marriage is invalid because of your pulse and his lack thereof no matter how hard he'd try, but the opportunity arises. of course, he's ecstatic to give you an afterlife worth much more than what a silly beating heart can achieve. "All people die eventually. If you miss your living family or friends, all it takes is patience, darling. I'll wait by your side in the meantime." He weighs the pros and cons of everything, but when it comes to swaying manipulating your thoughts he only highlights the ones that'll get you on his side. in this case, the pros of dying to be with him! Honestly, the answer was so obvious that Noritoshi didn't know why he was stressing about it before. It hurts him to see you in any type of pain, but he reassures both himself and you that it'll only be for a moment. Afterward, he'll have the rest of your afterlives to make it up to you!! What happened to Till Death Do Us Part? Noritoshi thinks it's insulting that something as shallow as that could be so widely accepted. If your love were true, it wouldn't stop just because the world decided to take them away. "Till death do us part? Darling, don't be silly. 'Not even death will do us part' feels much better, doesn't it?" 

[roboticchibitan]

Lace rot lace rot lace rot

Making the Saphira Lace Shawl again!

I don't have the most faith in my yarn choice here. It's a 70%/30% alpaca/silk blend. Alpaca doesn't always hold its shape the best so I am hoping the silk helps in that regard. I dyed this yarn myself with Jacquard's hot fuchsia dye. And I've finally learned how to spell fuchsia. The yarn felted but to be fair I had to boil it 3 times to get the dye to stop bleeding. Silk blends just bleed a lot in my experience. I had to soak it in a citric acid bath for like two days before heating it a third time in order to get it to slow down on the bleeding. Still bleeds a tiny bit but I gave up. I figure it's fine since I'm not going to be wearing it over white. I don't have any white clothes. Most of my shirts are black. It'll be fine.

[yarnandink]

I finally finished the first blanket for my niece!

Everything has taken a lot longer than expected, due to burnout coupled with the recent death of my father.

But the new life coming will be swaddled and snuggled in bright spring greens and leaves, and I hope my sister and brother in law love this blanket as much as I do!

Main body pattern is First Leaves Baby Blanket by Anne B Hanssen. The border leaves are a slight home-brew pattern, heavily modified from Vicky's Sleepy Leaf Edging to reduce the size of each leaf, reduce the number of stitches between the leaf edge and the slipped selvedge, and to substitute seed stitch instead of the lace lattice.

That border added a solid four weeks to the project time, but I think it was well worth it. I've finished it before the bubba's birth, and that's what matters!

[disgruntled-lifeform]

Lace weight practice on my new wheel Lacey

[journeyman-tier-fibercraft]

Shawl 16 (Pattern | Yarn) Yarn usage 120 grams (980 yards), Beads (Miyuki 6/0 Round, Topaz Gold) 38.8 grams

I am finally free! This was supposed to be a quick shawl to work on and turned out to be a very fast shawl and a very slow bind off. (This shawl was on the bind off row for over twice as many days as it took me to knit the whole rest of the shawl...) This wool was very inexpensive but also kinda rough on the hands, it seemed to have softened up some after washing in wool wash but I decided to leave it to soak in hair conditioner over night and it's Noticeably softer even while wet. And smells delicious, like strawberries and wet sheep.

This bind off however. It took so long because I was lazy, but even ignoring that, I'm not a fan just for how stressful it made blocking. Blocking is already one of the harder parts of lace for me because it always hurts my back, but it can also be extremely satisfying to get a piece all spread out and lying flat and nice and even. Not possible with this bind off, it's intentionally a little too big so it rolls up in a semi ruffled effect. If this yarn was any less than 100% wool I would be fully convinced it's going to curl horribly.

This pattern is very cute and pretty easy and free. I decided to take risks both in following the pattern bind off and in swapping nupps for beads and at least one of those paid off really well (i'm in love with the beading on this). Hopefully next time I run into an odd bind off like this I swatch before hand instead of just going for it.

[kaiyonohime]

And so the shawl continues to grow! Got a solid two hours of knitting in today, and am nearly to row 50! Getting the hang of beaded increases, and the specific way to mid pattern bind off isn't anywhere as annoying as I thought it would be.

Really just loving this shawl and wish I had more time in the day to knit it. And hell, enough time to do math to adapt it circular and stick it on a frame as a parasol. Probably not until tiny tot is safely in high school and won't try to run off with the yarn again.

[iplaywithstring]

Lacerot friends, any suggestions for ring shawl patterns aside from the Queen Susan (because that's already on the list). I'm more drawn to circular or square shawls, but I'll look at whatever you've got.

[comfortabletextiles]

So I FINALLY finished the catching butterflies shawl. And this absolute ASSHOLE fought me every step of the way!

The beginning was nice enough, but when I started the beaded lace trim...

I could use any hook I had, because the hook that would catch the yarn would fit through the beads. So I had to pull a wire through, "thread" a bead on it and pull it over the yarn. And the hole was TIGHT! one time it even ripped the yarn

And fixing it was hard, because the super wash bullshit made it SO slippery. I managed, but I it won't survive forever.

Then I needed 482 beads. But could only buy 240 in the shop. AND 40 WERE MISSING.

I ordered 360 more and thought that is the end of it (it wasn't, but we are getting there)

AND THEN 4 ROWS BEFORE THE BIND OF I LOST YARN CHICKEN ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?

I was lucky I still had some of the same yarn type. So I could overdye it black and do a black border

I thought that was the last struggle. What can go wrong so close to the finishing line??

I was out of beads... AGAIN

TECHNICALLY I bought 600 beads... 482 are needed. I only managed to finish halve the picot bond of with beads. Because I'm NOT ordering more. Who ever is in charge of "Rico design" can kiss my ass.

And then I almost lost yarn chicken again. But only almost. This absolute rabid garment is done now and only needs blocking

(I can't really block it. I don't have proper blocking equipment, but maybe I'll order some now.)

I think I never was so close to rage quit a project as with this shawl.

After blocking I'll see if I keep it or gift it away. If the look of it canceles out all the frustration it is now embedded with

(at least the yarn is fucking gorgeous)

[melancholygirl111]

[gardenvarietycrafts]

Shetland Lace Class

The knitter's guild had Lauren Nelkin, a knitting pattern designer who also teaches knitting classes, host a series of classes this weekend, and I was fortunate enough to be able to snag a spot that had opened up for her class on Shetland lace knitting this morning! These are the swatches I made of the bead stitch and bird's eye stitch, though I mostly worked on the bird's eye stitch at home. There's also a sample of a lace edging that's quite a bit bigger repeat, and a bit more intimidating, that I'll attempt to swatch up later.

[yarnandink]

Next project already cast on and working through!

I'm making the First Leaves baby blanket for my sister, the first of two blankets I'll be making. And it has a lovely little leaf lace detail with the seed (or moss) stitch, which is working up beautifully.

I've finished the second of seven sections (the fourth and central will by far take the longest), and I'm looking forward to seeing how quickly I can finish this one!

[journeyman-tier-fibercraft]

Shawl 16 (Pattern | Yarn)

One week and 36 rows later, I'm nearing the end of this shawl. Only 10 rows left before I try to figure out how the hell I'm going to bind this off without crying from boredom.

In good news: it seems like I still have about 50 grams of yarn left (knitting from a cone without weighing first is my downfall, so I'm forced to guess). I shouldn't have any issue finishing out the shawl even tho I'm going to have 1000 stitch rows by the end.

In mid news: At this point I've used about 35 grams of beads. Thankfully I have a bunch of these gold beads but I severely underestimated how many I needed (and also getting out my bead stash from where I store it is a little annoying). It would be really satisfying to not have to dip into another 20 gram set but if I have to, I have to.

In bad news: This yarn is destroying my hands. Or potentially the weather, or just the sheer amount of hours I've put into this, but probably all three. My hands have been dry as fuck and every little bit of dryness catches on this wool. And I've been having to wear a bandaid on purl rows because I started getting a friction burn while tensioning. I'm pretty sure it's because this wool is a bit more "rustic" than I'm used to, I'm so excited to get this guy off the needles and soak him in some hair conditioner.