A Gathering of Lace

It was the title that drew me to this book originally, I think—well, the title, and seeing a version of Meg Swansen's Spiral Shawl, and desperately wanting one for myself. It may be a while yet before I tackle that project, but A Gathering of Lace has certainly not disappointed. It is a lovely volume, filled with all sorts of lace projects. Let me assure you, my purpose in posting this is to get every knitter even remotely interested in lace knitting to buy this book—it is a wealth of wonderful patterns.



First, a sampling of shawls. Ms. Swansen has collected shawls of all different sizes and styles—I present here two of my favorites. Both are circular and fairly traditional, and absolutely gorgeous.



The perfectly simple (and simply perfect) spiral shawl, not entirely done justice in this photo:



There are a fair number of unexpected patterns, as well—for instance, this gorgeous, must-have hat, with which I have fallen endlessly in love (sadly, one cannot wear such things in the middle of Boston without looking painfully lost).



Need a portable project for your daily commute? This book has you covered, as well. There are gloves, socks, a beret, and even pillows to knit.



And lest we not forget, there are always sweaters, like this lovely number.



Each project comes complete with charts and multiple photographs, and the book offers basic references for your lace-knitting needs, as well. The projects vary widely in skill-level, which makes A Gathering of Lace a great choice for knitters of all levels. Frankly, I could spend hours just looking at this book, never mind knitting. I hope these few photographs have been enough to pique the curiosity of any knitter who stumbles across them—this book is a worthwhile investment indeed.

—J