Amazing Lace Challenge #1

Pssst.

Over here.

Greetings. My name is Kata (sometimes lovingly known as the Blessing Scarf). I overheard my knitter, mamamarce, talking about a knitting challenge she read about on the Knitting Help forum recently…something called The Amazing Lace. I immediately thought “oooo – A summer knitting challenge?! I just KNOW she can’t resist ANYthing with the words knitting and challenge, and we’ve been making such great progress together that I would…err…I mean WE would be a shoe in for this.” I mean, since we met on the pages of Mindful Knitting a few weeks ago, we’ve been like stitch mates ever since. Sure the first few reads through my chart were tough, and there were even a few moments of miscounted rows that I thought would bring about a panicked total frogging for sure. But we stuck through all that. Loops pulled through loops and we pressed on. Why just last week we spent some time out on the porch together, enjoying an evening breeze, and I thrilled at how wide she grinned when she realized she didn’t even have to look at the pattern any more. My stitches just flowed from one needle to the other, and the warm humid air was a dream blowing through my lovely eyelets. With each soothing YO and every calming SK2P, the promise of meditation through lace became a reality. A team like this was made for a summer knitting challenge, right?

Not so apparently. Hmph. Just when you think you know your knitter. Wham! Blindsided.

I waited so patiently, believing that she would enter us in the challenge any day now. But as the deadline neared, and no such entry was made, I grew more and more confused. I’m lace, she’s a knitter who loves a challenge and we both agree that lace is, indeed, amazing. What could be the hold up? I got my answer when I heard her telling another knit buddy in a distressed tone that she would love to join the Amazing Lace (with a Branching Out scarf no less!!), but she was really starting to feel the pressure of all the different projects she already had on the needles, and just couldn’t justify taking on yet another knitting deadline. The outrage! I had a good mind to slide right off my size 8 needles and bury myself in the bottom of her knitting bag right on top of that melting breath mint. Branching Out indeed. Bah!

But I was not to be so easily deterred. There comes a time in every project’s life when it must stand up, tuck in its unwoven ends, and push itself to the front of the knitting triage and be heard! So it is with this keen determination (and just a wee smidge of sassy-tude) that I would like to humbly submit myself and my (reluctant) knitter for the Amazing Lace Challenge. True, I am but a simple knit, with no pattern complexities to boast, but my meditative qualities and my freedom from any restriction of gauge or exclusive yarn is a knitter’s dream. My yarn is Jo Sharps’ Silkroad Aran Tweed in Brindle; nothing pricey, just a scrumptious wool blend with a sprinkle of cashmere and silk.

As the challenge goes on, I will continue to use some subtle (subliminal) techniques to encourage my faithful knitter in this quest. Most recently I’ve found that our conversations during her nap time are working quite effectively. In fact, two more balls of my yarn are on their way in the mail as we speak. Heh heh heh.



It is our pleasure to greet you knitters and non-knitters alike. We are a strong team that is (soon to be) united in this adventure. We look forward to the coming challenges, and to marveling at the bravery and creativity of our fellow competitors.

Oh. Um…If mamamarce happens to find out about this and pitches a hissy fit, my plan is to deny everything and say that the Homespun forced me into it at needle point. Namaste.