Peacefully Knitting

Me`mo´ri`a
n. 1. Memory.
Memoria technica
technical memory; a contrivance for aiding the memory.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, published 1913 by C. & G. Merriam Co.

As you all know I deeply love lace shawls and the beauty that is created using intricate, delicate designs.  These creations that inspire me have to be shared and one such design is Memoria, a light, airy piece designed by Deborah Glaser of Oblivious Knits.

This top down triangular shawl incorporates a simple knitted top portion and a border that has a unique design that transforms into tiny lace hearts before ending with the scalloped edge.

Photo © ObliviousKnits – Used with permission

Photo © ObliviousKnits – Used with permission

The Facts:  There are many aspects of this project I truly love.  One,  it only requires one skein of  light fingering weight yarn and second, Deborah has provided charts for each part of the lace design (perfect for those of you who prefer to follow charts) that are followed by detailed step-by-step written instructions.   This project is perfect for intermediate to advanced knitters who understand lace knitting.

Materials:   For this project you will need one skein of At Knits End Yarns BFL Sock or any light-fingering weight yarn in a skein of 440 yards to match the gauge of 12 stitches and 12 rows to equal 2 inches in Chart B after blocking, a size US 7(4.5 mm) 32″ to 40” circular needle, stitch markers, a cable needle, and a tapestry needle to weave in the ends.

Finished Measurements: Approximately 25” x 50” relaxed after blocking

I recently had the pleasure of asking Deborah what inspired her to create such a beautiful piece, and here’s what she had to say:

Memoria is inspired by a deep sense of loss, and how memories are altered to help cope with loss.

The diagonal straight lines represent time lines, things that are true, that really happened. Their edges have been straightened to make them more sharp and clear and clean. They stop abruptly and are lost inside the border, where it’s hard to make order of them. They keep moving forward, but joined with other lines, they echo and dissolve into a new arrangement, as loss brings with it the memory of every other loss.  I see hearts when I follow the lines of the lace in the border.

The edging represents the “new normal” after adjusting to the loss. The lines have all shifted from their original configuration. I don’t want to talk about my specific losses, because that would put too fine a point on it. I will say that Memoria is the most beautiful, simple, painful thing I’ve ever made, and I’m glad it got to out of me and into the world.

I also asked when she starting to knit, here’s what she had to say:

I decided I would teach myself to knit by the age of 34, which was a random number I picked. I got a learn to knit kit that year (2004) and it was really easy, and garter stitch was really boring.

I started playing with knits and purls and was still bored. I started watching Knitty Gritty on DIY Network, so that was like my knitting group. I read lots of magazines and found I liked to read patterns and charts. Sweater amounts of yarns were getting way too expensive, and my weight was fluctuating wildly so nothing I made ever fit. I played with lace swatches from the charts in magazines. I made lots of beaded lace, and knit with silk thread and loved things like that.

My favorite things became small triangle lace shawls, because I could make them with one skein of yarn and it was a challenge to try to fit what I wanted to do into that shape and space. That’s the shape I’m obsessed with and keep coming back to. It turned out that knitting lace was a way to express myself and make pretty things, and it didn’t matter what size I was or what size I will become, because lace shawls fit every body.  And blocking lace is magical!

If you love, or even adore, lace knitting and shawls, keep this beautiful design in mind, as well as Deborah’s other lovely shawl designs that can be found online at Raverly.

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I am so excited to announce that Deborah  is generously offering one free PDF Download of her new design, Memoria, to one lucky blog reader.

To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment, and do be sure to leave a means of contact if your email does not automatically attach to your comment, for example your Ravelry ID or Twitter ID.  This giveaway is open to all ~ meaning, it’s open to international blog readers too !

The  Deadline to enter is Saturday, May 5th at 4:00pm Arizona Time.  The winner will be selected by a  random number generator and will be announced on Sunday, May 6th .   Please note that the winner will receive their PDF download of this pattern directly from Deborah.

So who wouldn’t want to win a free copy of this wonderful new design!

Thank you for entering, this giveaway is now closed!