Ysolda

When we met with the last round of yarn reps for the big Fall buy, we especially enjoyed our meeting with Linda of Classic Elite. She has always been a favorite and she is a pleasure to work with and a class act. Linda used to sell Makita power tools and knit on the side. Now, she sells yarn and rarely has time to knit. She really fits in with the Knitwits bunch. I always get inspired by her finished objects and ooh and awe over her samples. On this last visit, Linda showed us a book she had picked up at a Chicago yarn shop, Whimsical Little Knits by Ysolda Teague. The book was darling and we knew we had to have it-but she didn't carry it and didn't know who did!

After our meeting, I was trolling around on Ravelry and I kept seeing the name Ysolda Teague popping up in various places. Ysolda has a pattern called Ishbel that is very popular. It is a simple, lacy, triangle scarf that can be made as a neckwrap or shawl. It is listed as having 2414 projects in the works and the pattern just came out in January! This is the new Clapotis. I must get on the bandwagon and knit an Ishbel!

I spent hours on the internet trying to locate Whimsical Little Knits which includes the Ishbel pattern. All of my surfing kept leading me to her homepage and not a distributor. I googled Whimsical Little Knits which led me to several blogs raving about the book and my little Ishbel--but no one seemed to have the book available. It was like trying to find a Wii two years ago.

I finally cracked and ordered the books through her webpage. The books finally arrived last Wednesday and I immediately grabbed my copy and the last lone skein of Pagewood Farms Yukon in yummy tangerine to take on my last trip. I got a good bit of my Ishbel knit up, ripped it out due to operator error, re-knit and came home with about half of it completed. In the peace, quiet and mess that I call home, I have spent the last few evenings alone with my Ishbel and I'm halfway through binding off the final 345 stitches.

There is something delightfully challenging yet rewarding about knitting lace. With each pattern row you hold your breath hoping the stitch count comes out right. Ahh, the satisfaction when it does! Or the agony of defeat when you have seven stitches left and the pattern says you should have six! (I immediately think "This pattern is wrong.") But, the pattern was always right and it is well written.

Well, I'm off to finish my Ishbel-I hope to drop it off on my way to the airport in the morning. I have really enjoyed knitting my little Ishbel and hope to enjoy wearing it for a long time!