magical myrtle

Maybe lace knitters are weird. I mean, weirdER. All knitters are weird. And all knitters are familiar with delayed gratification, of watching the object slowly take shape on your needles. And when someone asks “are those socks?” “is that a sweater?” “..is that a hamster???” you can smile and nod and proudly show off your work.

But when you knit lace, well, it always starts out just fine. kidsilk haze

You have gorgeous yarn! Pet it, it’s so soft!

myrtle leaf shawl

Look at that progress! I’m making lace!!!

myrtle leaf shawl

OH MY GOD, I’M STUCK IN A BLACK HOLE IN THE NO-PROGRESS EVER ZONE!!!

This is about the time people start looking over your shoulder and asking you if you are knitting dryer lint. Your knitting looks like wet dog ass. You’re starting to look around wistfully at the sock knitters, who have knit 3 socks since you started. There’s that brand new knitter who just started coming a month ago, and she’s already finished a sweater. Stash yarn you haven’t thought about in years is calling out to you: “Kniiiiitttt meeeee….I want to be a fancy haaaaat! A haaaaaaaaaaatttt!!!!”

But you persevere. Uhhh….well, maybe you take a really long break and knit that hat. And some socks. And a bunch of other lace projects. BUT EVENTUALLY, you persevere. And you pick it back up and you keep knitting and knitting and HEY that wasn’t so bad, because now you’re done, and now you have a pile of wet dog ass that’s no longer on the needles.

That is progress.

And now is when the magic happens. Because that lump of wet dog ass looks NOTHING like the picture in the book. NOTHING like the delicate, wafty, intricate lace that you had pictured in your mind when you started this journey. Nothing about what you have just knit looks like it should be.

Until…

Mom's Myrtle