If you are on the verge of a nervous breakdown, may I suggest a little Niebling lace pattern for you to knit! This specific lace is called 'Niebling Lace', after Herbert Niebling, a German knitter. He did these beautiful patterns, which he didn't, apparently, write down ( I believe I read somewhere that he did publish a few patterns, in German, in the Burda magazine)! This was all done during the mid-1900's - some of you will remember the era - i.e.: your mother's lace wedding dress!
A Japanese woman got wind of these exquisite patterns, and decided to figure out and write the patterns for all of us to enjoy!!! Her name is, Kazuko Ichida. She wrote 2 pattern books on Niebling lace. God bless her! I honestly don't know how she did it! She is the only one that has 'cracked the code' - until this year - a knitting book has finally been published on Niebling lace - in English. The title escapes me right now, but if you are looking for the book, I remember the title being quite straight forward.
This is one of the volumes, by Ichida, in Japanese.
Here's the pattern I'm doing. I blog with a knitter named, 'Joe' (look up 'QueerJoe'). He got me 'turned on' by these beauties! He suggested I start small - I'm glad I followed his suggestion!!! I started this project, at least 12 to 14 times. Once, I got on a roll and placed the markers, all seems to have fallen into place. I count every single stitch I knit, therefore, forgetting all stresses in the world ;)
Ok, that was the picture in the book.... It's not my favorite pattern in the book, but it serves a 'first time knitting Niebling lace' purpose. Here's the pattern I'm following:
And here's what I have knit up to this date:
And:
I am working with lace weight yarn. 100% wool. They are size 3mm double-pointed needles (dpn - for knitters).
All is well in the world when you're 'Niebling' :-)
