On Pins and Needles...

...knitting needles, that is. I'm sure you're all anxiously awaiting the outcome of the Knitted Lace Wedding Garter. It's like when Stephen King published The Green Mile in chapters, or the final weeks of American Idol, right? Right? Well, maybe not like that. I'm happy to report that it is finished!

Here it is finished:



Doesn't look like much, does it? It looked to me like a bit of raggedy dish cloth. I was beginning to think a week's worth of knitting had been wasted, not to mention my eyes. I've never knitted anything so small. But I decided to go ahead and block it:



Here it is blocking overnight on the ironing board.

After blocking, I threaded the blue ribbon through the center eyelets. I sewed the two ends together then sewed the bias tape behind the ribbon on the wrong side. Lastly, I threaded elastic through the bias tape and pulled it to the approximate size of my wedding garter which I keep in a drawer of Momma's jewelry armoire.

Speaking of Momma ... when Marla's wedding plans began, she and I had a conversation on the phone about how Momma always used to make garters for her friends and family who were getting married. A few years ago, there was no place in the entire county that sold wedding garters. I'm sure that Momma devised her own pattern using lace, ribbon, elastic and carefully tied bows. I can distinctly remember her making several but can't remember a particular one. There have been several things that Marla has missed having Momma to help her plan and do for her wedding and one of those things she expressed to me was one of Momma's handmade garters. She may have made herself one by now or bought one - I haven't heard her say. If not, she'll have a handmade one by her sister. Not the same, I know, but the best we can do now is carry on the traditions that Momma instilled in us from our childhood. Marla honors her by making her own wedding dress which, as some of you may remember, Momma did when she married 39 years ago.

If any of you remember Momma making a garter for someone, email me. I would be interested to know.

My Progress

Here's how much I have knitted on the lace garter so far:



It's about seven and a half inches long. It's supposed to be 21 inches. I'm counting on getting it done. The finished garter requires 1/4 inch blue ribbon to be threaded through the eyelet holes down the center and then bias tape must be sewn to the back and elastic inserted into the bias. I bought the ribbon, bias tape and elastic today at Walmart as good faith that I will get it finished. I know it doesn't look very pretty but everyone who knits lace has assured me that the secret to knitted lace is in the blocking. I certainly hope so.

Click here to see how much time I have left until the wedding.

Wedding Countdown

This is a separate blog that I am creating and maintaining until Marla's wedding. I am crazily trying to knit a lace garter to give her when I get to Texas. I've never knit lace before and have been having a difficult time trying to figure out the chart. I think I've finally gotten it down BUT ... and this is a big but ... I have to knit two and a half inches a day, every day, to get it done by the day I leave for Texas which is April 25. The pattern calls for size 40 crochet thread and size 00 knitting needles. In other words, it's tiny. My friend Katy gave me the pattern ages ago (I think last Fall) and I'm just now starting it. Nothing like waiting until the last minute, is there? So join me in my mad knitting dash to complete the garter and hope and pray I get it done. By the way, it's a secret so don't tell Marla!

The chart:



My progress so far:



Click here to see how much time I have.