Broomstick Lace Escapade

MONTHS. Months, I tell you, I scoured for the perfect tank top pattern on Ravelry. Most were too dowdy. Or too complicated. Or something.

Then I found THIS pattern.

Gorgeous, eh? It’s the Cowl Cami by Stitch Diva Studios.

Welllll, it started out well enough. It’s my first attempt at broomstick lace.

(I’ve crocheted since I was 9 but have never even tried broomstick.)

So the pattern looked cute. It looked doable.

I was in.

I had everything I needed, except the size 19 circular knitting needle required.

So I made one.

I took my size 17 circular needle and made a sleeve that slips on and off, out of polymer clay. Oh, yeah.

(I just rolled out a thin layer of polymer clay. Wrapped packing tape, sticky side out, around my needle. Wrapped the polymer clay sheet around my needle and rolled it on the table until it fit into my size 19 hole on my needle gauge. Removed it carefully from the needle. Baked it in the oven with the tape still inside. Removed the tape with tweezers once cool). It would probably have been easier to drive to the yarn store and buy a size 19 circular, but hey. I had fun and it made me feel really smart, so…I’m happy. 😀

Okay, so then I had to dye up the most perfect color for it!

I chose my new buttery yak-silk yarn (HEAVEN) and dyed it into a gorgeous, shimmery, cool silver shade, which I called FRESHWATER PEARL. It has already sold out. But, it will be available again eventually, as I have ordered in another 1,000 skeins of the yak-silk and I’ll be sure to do more of this shade. (Every time I list a shade of this yarn base, it sells out within hours. Hoooo my goodness)

I do so love silver colors, but they can be tricky. When you’re starting with a cream yarn (warm base), and trying to turn it into an icy silver (cool base), you gotta do something… So I mixed a couple dye shades together and VOILA. Once again, with fate’s help, I felt very smart indeed.

So, while the yarn was drying, I did a test gauge swatch with some undyed cream yak-silk yarn, blocked it out with pins and let it dry. Very proud of myself again.

Welllll…

2 days later, the yarn was dry, so I wound it into a ball. It got messy and I pulled something that was NOT the end of it, and I ended up with a big fat tangle (*cough, YARN BARF!)

I threw an internal tantrum and then slowly wound it into a proper ball again. I used my ball winder and created a center-pull ball, because I’m holding this yarn double (so I’m pulling from the center and the outside, holding the strands together and getting a double thickness, as this yarn is a lace weight and the pattern called for a DK weight. It works.)

I watched several hours of tutorials on broomstick lace to make sure I had a good grasp of it. (You can find tons on YouTube)

Armed with proper needles and hooks, I sat down and began to work my first real broomstick lace project.

Ahhhhh… the thrill that ran through my soul.

It was SO SPEEDY.

I’ll be honest. I love me some crochet. Been doing it most of my life. I love me some knitting. Been doing that for years too.

But they are slow crafts. And I have a NEED for SPEED.

That’s one reason I dye yarn. I like the instant gratification. (You dip the yarn in the dye, BOOM… you have created something new)

Well, I was flying along the rounds, feeling so incredibly proud, when I realized…

I hadn’t even measured my gauge swatch.

Baahahahaha! That is the whole purpose of doing a gauge swatch: to see if your gauge matches that of the designer, so you end up with a garment that actually fits.

I went and measured the swatch and lo and behold, it was SPOT ON. Even though I had to use a size D hook instead of a C like the pattern calls for. (I need a new set of crochet hooks)

The next night I was contentedly working away on my glorious project, actually making headway…actually understanding all the instructions (it’s a great pattern, btw! I highly recommend it)…

And then it hit me.

I hadn’t even looked at the sizes to make sure I was working the right size. *eye roll

Cheesh! How on earth could I have forgotten that?

Fortunately, *whew, I was making the right size, which is the extra small. Whhhheeewwww.

All is saved.

The pattern mentioned blocking it at this point to make sure it would fit…

So I tried it on last night before blocking and it seemed to fit.

I gave it a quick soak and put it on Adelaide, my lovely model. I pinned out the back and stretched open the front so it would dry into a nice drape.

I almost couldn’t go to sleep last night, as I was SOOO excited about it!

Got up this morning. Doffed my pj’s. (I love saying the words DON and DOF. “I donned my pj’s. I doffed my pj’s.” Side tracked here)

Slipped on my new half-finished cami and… Ahhhh. IT’S GORGEOUS!!!

So far at least. I think we’re good.

Who knows what will be around the corner, but from this point, it’s all just working down the body, with some shaping for the waist.

*holding my breath.

I just… MAY make a garment finally that actually FITS and looks CUTE and EXPENSIVE and CHIC and HOT and NICE and COOL.

😀

I’m kinda happy right now.

It’s another rainy day and I say, whatevah, Rainy Day! Pour down your worst! For I, I have a stunning half-finished broomstick lace cami. BOOYAH.

Chandi