I have always wanted to learn lace knitting, this is my first attempt. Though the baby blanket I knitted years ago without knowing, also falls under lace patterns. This is different.

Even though I have knitted a lot over the years, there are 2 firsts for me to learn.

1. Provisional cast on thanks to YouTube, there are many tutorials online to learn. I tried several different ones and settled on the crochet chain method. ( I crochet, so I found this the easiest.) An easy to follow video by Debbie Stroller. Note: this was for another lace project that I am not making. After knitting the swatch, I did not like the pattern.

2. Chart reading The designer instructions are easy to follow, so I watched some instructions on YouTube and found these two basic ones very helpful.
Beginner’s chart reading
Basic lace chart reading

I also read Amanda Schwabe’s blog about 8 tips for lace knitting which I found very useful.

Finally, calculating number of stitches and those stitches outside the pattern repeats, raveler siberspinner helped with very detailed answer to my forum question. Thank you so much.

Learnt about Estonian lace from Nancy Bush’s informative book “Knitted lace of Estonia”. I have been to Estonia but did not realize the importance of lace knitting till I read her book.

I knitted several swatches with different size needles since I am not using the suggested yarn. Finally settled for US size 6.

This will be a scarf version with 3 repeats of main pattern and 3 repeats of edging. Edging: 59, Main: 55 stitches.

3/28/18: Finally cast on ! Phew. Knitted 2 rows. It’s already 3/29/18. Time to sleepzzzzzzzz.
3/30/18: Even though I knitted 3 swatches of the main section, I was making mistakes on the edge chart reading. I am sure most lace knitters know tricks, this is what I came up with. I counted every knit stitch in between y/o or k2tog etc and wrote the number in the box on the chart. It was smooth sailing after that and was going faster than my first attempt on chart reading.
3/31/2018: Made the first mistake, unknitted a row, everything was fine till 2 nupps slid off accidentally. Spent 2 hrs fixing the 3 rows (yes, it slipped through 3:(. Put in a life line.
4/2/2018: Finished 1 edge. Starting the next one, hope it goes faster. Will lock the nupps this time.
4/10/2018: Nop, did not go any faster. Knitted 4 rows wrong entirely. I think my concentration took a vacation.
Started all over again.
4/13/2018: Dropped the nupp on row 14. In the process of redoing it, dropped yarn overs. Put it aside and got back to my reading instead.
4/14/2018: Posted a forum query to fix the knitting without ripping a few rows. It seems, I will have to. I find a lot of activity on main boards. People post queries and get tons of replies in no time. Not so in this group. Although, I have gotten very helpful advise so far.
4/16/2018: Back to knitting.

3/23/ 2019: The project has been sitting on backburner since I had to figure out how much I have to knit. Blocked part of it. A year later, have also forgotten how I was knitting this pattern. Pulled out my large printout of the chart and started looking at it and the knitting, and looking at it and looking at it and nothing matches. The nupps placement, stitch count, Y/O etc. Took it to the knitting group I have joined, so I am not distracted. Asked another knitter to look at it, needed second eyes and then it hit me ! I am comparing the edge chart with the main body pattern. Talk about getting old…. could not find my chart so copying and enlarging the chart again.
Back to knitting !

05/07/2019: knitting finally finished, now comes the Kitchener part. Following Cheryl Brunett’s video. Found her method the easiest.

09/25/19: finally grafted (it’s been hybrrnating).
Being blocked. Have to weave in a couple yarn ends.