Hemlock Ring

Hemlock Ring is a very old pattern dating back to 1942 from the book Crocheted and Knitted Doilies Book 184. Amazing! This is an incredibly beautiful knitting pattern. I truly love knitting in the round and lace. This has been a very enjoyable knit for me reminding me of hours spent with both my Grandmothers while they crocheted the most beautiful doilies, tablecloths and bedspreads I had ever laid eyes on! I have my Grandmother and Meme to thank for a love of all things crocheted and knitted. (When my Meme passed, many knitting needles were found with her crafting supplies even though she crocheted most of the time. We were quite surprised) Deciding what thread to use for Hemlock wasn't as hard as I thought it might be. Cotton, of course, like a doily; but I wanted it bigger than a doily so I would need a heavier weight cotton! Rummaging in the yarn room closet (expecting that to take all morning); I found a tub of Senso by DMC - 100% cotton! (color N 1006 - red) I see Hemlock as a great little tablecloth for a wicker chest used as a coffee table in a room who's decor is best described as "texmex cottage". (The texmex part is a talavera collection that keeps growing.) I had some difficulty deciding what size needle to use and swatching didn't help at all. Senso calls for 2.5 or 3.0mm (#1 or #2). Those were just too small as you can tell by the flower in the center. I moved up to a #4 and finally settled on a #5 on the feather and fan part. I thought this would be a challenging knit project, but it isn't. The beginning of 8 sts on dps is the only challenge. It is actually a very enjoyable lace knitting pattern making a beautiful keepsake that will last forever if knit in a quality thread/yarn. I started this on Sunday afternoon delighting in watching the knitted design grow; becoming prettier as I progressed. I could hardly put it down at night to go to bed! The picture below is a bit rumpled; but you can see some of the detail. I surely will have to block the the hell out of this to get it to lie flat; but it will be worth it.

Today is cloudy and gray due to the tropical rain showers passing through so the color of the Senso isn't true. It is more of a cherry red.

I am almost finished. I have about 8 more rows around but that "around" is a long way now. I hear the bind off takes days.....