I’ve added a bit more lace to the website. Once one gets going, it’s almost as hypnotic as Princess-shawl-knitting – let’s eliminate just one more typing error, and WHY doesn’t the improved version show up on the internet? The shawl herself has reached row 175.

Veil Stitch

Interestinger and interestinger… Even if, like me, you wonder if you’ll ever have time to pursue the matter, do have a look at the Tsarina's blog for the latest twist (sorry).

I’ve now read both Mary Thomas’ Book of Knitting patterns and Barbara Walker I on the subject. They do the stitch the same way (I think) and it sounds hard. If I ever do try it – and I’d love to – I think I would start with Mary Thomas, because the demonstration drawings are excellent, to try to get a grip on what’s going on. And then proceed to the Tsarina’s and her commenter Pam’s improvements. I’m sure there must be an interesting difference, too, between working it back and forth and working it in the round, as the Tsarina says. Back and forth will be a bit twistier, presumably.

Other comments

The new Vogue book does sound interesting, Helen. As it happens, I was re-reading the winter VK in my bath yesterday morning (a life-long practice, resulting in the fact that most of the original VKBs in my collection – the ones I bought off newsstands when they came out – are in deplorable condition) – the winter VK, I say, and discovered, or re-discovered, the paragraph about the book you mention. Of course I must have all the contents somewhere or other in my VK pile, but goodness knows where, and the link you gave offers a tempting price.

On the subject of VKBs – I am trying, but not very hard, to buy an American one from the 50’s to compare patterns. In those days, the American and the British Vogue Knittings were two separate publications, with a considerable overlap of patterns. I want to find out whether all the patterns (and their photographs) were identical, and which side of the pond they appeared on first. I was outbid for something last night. I’m not going to spend big bucks; anything from that period will do.

On Sunday evening, I was the high bidder for one, and the price was low – but eBay wouldn’t accept my bid because the seller was registered as not willing to mail outside the US and there wasn’t time (two minutes) to explain to her that she could send it to my sister in CT. So I’ve learned a valuable lesson: when one comes up that I really want (and British VKBs do continue to appear on the American list) I must get that matter straightened out with the seller in good time.

That’s good news, about the forthcoming Lucy Neatby DVD which will include the Magic Buttonhole. I must confess (shameful!) that we don’t have a DVD player, but that’s not an insuperable obstacle. We’ll be in London next week, insh’Allah, and I will ask Alexander and Ketki about international compatibility, just to make sure. They know everything there is to know about technology, and Ketki is American.