Swatch it Up!

One of the many things I dabble in is designing knitting patterns. Most often I do so because I conceived of a desire for a garment and couldn't find an existing pattern that was exactly what I wanted. So I try to make my own.

Last year an off hand comment from my cousin about wanting to learn how to crochet lace so she could make a snood that fit her hair sent me on a spiral of pattern designing that still continues long past the original impetus.

                  

 

She got me thinking about lace, and about how I can't crochet very well.  But I can knit with some degree of skill and I knew knit lace was a thing, so why not knitted snoods?

Patterns searches got me to one lack luster knit lace snood, and from there the fire was lit. I could take that pattern base and come up with much better lace than that.


And so began the great swatch production. Every cool new lace pattern I could find or think of got worked up into a swatch.

I did eventually make my cousin her snoods, but along the way I made a few for myself, a lace tank top, a sweater with lace panels, several Barbie dresses, and most of a lacy beaded jacket. I'm still not sure I'm done with lace just yet, there are a few more plans percolating in my brain. A patchwork piece out of all my swatches is indeed one of them!