Inspired by Vintage and Lace

My last few posts have been pictures of roving, so I decided it was time to mix things up. I try to keep things at least a little interesting around here!

This piece of lace is one of the prototypes of a new design I'm working on. If it turns out as I hope it will, it will become the newest pattern in my shop. I almost hate to tell you what it's going to be. What if it doesn't turn out?

I don't follow fashion as closely as I used to, but I feel like I'm seeing a resurgence of lace. We all know styles cycle in a never ending revolution. At any given time you can find influences from more than one era. In this fusion, there seems to be a trend toward more detailed pieces. I see many examples of this in the handmade community. Those fat needles and big, round hooks are being traded for much smaller sizes. The shift seems to be moving away from thick and quick and in the direction of fine and focused.

Throughout this year, much of my work has been inspired by 19th century patterns. All of us who knit and crochet are building on a very rich heritage that I feel is worth cherishing. I love the idea of taking patterns that may seem like old fashion and making them into current style. It's a bit like steampunking for yarnies. With that in mind, I am breaking down portions of a Vandyke Edging pattern from the September Issue of the Art of Crocheting first published in 1895.

This project still needs much work before I have a finished sample, but I had that moment last night, as I was studying this little purple piece, when the design came together in my head. I love that moment! Now I just need to get my hands to perform what I see in my mind. This usually takes a few days. When I'm finished, I hope it will be a unique and pretty necklace.

When I was in high school, in the days of Pretty in Pink, we wore our grandmother's cameo with our dad's sport coat. So, how about a Vandyke Lace Necklace with a Boyfriend Blazer? I guess we'll see...