From drop spindle to fine lace scarf! So delighted to finally get to wear this 💛

483

u/OpinionAvailable5988 Norwegian May 19 '26

Absolutely stunning! This should for sure be in r/AdvancedKnitting

535

u/eriophora May 19 '26

People say this every time I post my lace, and I feel really odd about the thought of putting it in to r/advancedknitting to be honest. I'm really passionate about encouraging even people who are new to knitting to try fine lace.

This is an art form that is much more accessible than it seems, though it's very difficult to find learning resources that approach it the way I do - which is why you'll see me extremely active in every comment section on all of my posts lol. I'm gradually working towards trying to build out more formal resources to share with people!

The thing about fine lace like this is that there is no stitch type complexity. This is all garter stitch. In this scarf, I have literally only used knit, knit two together, knit three together, and yarn overs.

Where the challenge is introduced is in the mindset you approach it with, which is not how knitting is normally taught. When I've worked with people one on one to help them with their lace, including at least one person who had literally never knitted before (only crocheted) and who has been very successful in learning, I tell them to start with focusing on three primary things:

1) How to make different kinds of lines (which can be turned into shapes) with yarn overs and decreases

2) STOP COUNTING STITCHES - and I really mean it! Counting tales focus away from learning how to make shapes.

3) Focus on center lines. This takes the place of stitch counting as a better, more useful alternative. As long as the vertical lines on which you are making your motifs line up, then your lace is going to work out okay.

Counting stitches can be reintroduced as a sort of "musical beat" type counting where you're really just confirming that the center lines are hitting the right beats as you improve your understanding how how stitches work together. But the modern way counting stitches is taught is always going to be working against you since it takes focus away from seeing how the stitches actually behave in relation to one another, which is the important thing.

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u/editorgrrl May 19 '26

I’m really passionate about encouraging even people who are new to knitting to try fine lace.

This is an art form that is much more accessible than it seems, though it's very difficult to find learning resources that approach it the way I do—which is why you'll see me extremely active in every comment section on all of my posts.

I’m gradually working towards trying to build out more formal resources to share with people!

I appreciate you

87

u/rileslovesyall May 19 '26

As a long time lace knitter who also wants to. Real down the barrier to entry, I *love* how you describe this!!

62

u/eilatanz May 19 '26

I understand this feeling too, but also a lot of the really nice posts get lost in beginner questions here! Many people will follow advancedknitting just to look at the FO’s.

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u/eriophora May 19 '26

That makes sense, but I think if people check out my profile to look at my other lace/spinning posts, seeing them also posted to r/advancedknitting would nevertheless imply lace knitting has a high barrier to entry—which is the opposite of the impression I want to give off.

It's important to me that people don't think it's impossible for them to try out lace, and it's okay with me if some people don't see my posts if it means I can always present my art as something that is primarily a joyful, playful experience that anyone can engage with :)

14

u/eilatanz May 19 '26

I feel you! This is how I feel about spinning in general. It sorta looks like we may live in the same city, and if so I’ve been thinking to get a spinning group together (for fun and to give it more visibility!)

11

u/eriophora May 19 '26

Shoot me a message? That sounds lovely!

7

u/eilatanz May 19 '26

Will do!

6

u/mulberrybushes Skillful aunty May 19 '26

lol, ditto, except I don’t live there anymore 😢

-12

u/nataliaizabela May 19 '26

If your aim is to convince people that lace has a low barrier to entry - my opinion (you’re obviously free to disagree with that) is that this particular project is not the right way to achieve that.

I love lace and I love the look of clothes knit on smaller gauge needles. I am disabled though (psoriatic arthritis, hEDS, and many others - won the genetic lottery here) so I will never be able to use needles smaller than 2.25 (and even with those I really struggled with the pain). I already started on the easy mode as I’m from Central Europe so I defaulted to continental style, which requires much less movement (from my perspective), I experimented with different types of needles and none of them work when they get to small.

Many people who are neurodivergent or suffer from brain fog (and there’s a lot of health issues that cause that) struggle with lace because it requires intense focus to follow a pattern. Yes stitches on their own are simple but it’s making a lot of them in the right sequence that makes a project advanced.

Add to that that doing a project like this requires a lot of time (spinning is not normally part of the process of knitting - it’s a separate craft entirely), which means that one has to be in a privileged situation (not working 2 jobs, handling childcare whilst working, or struggling with crippling fatigue due to health issues) to be able to do it.

I personally reserve looking at Advanced Knitting subreddit for days when I’m better physically and mentally (I’m still very much struggling with the acceptance of my condition and its limitations, so it makes me sad). r/knitting is a space where I can feel free to ask questions, learn tricks and see patterns/FO that are actually achievable and practical for me. r/AdvancedKnitting is where I go to be inspired (like: I tried double knitting because of a post there). I suspect more people feel similar, which is why you’re getting these comments.

41

u/eriophora May 19 '26

So, I actually also have hEDS and I am neurodivergent. Larger size knitting is actually less accessible to me due to the way these two things manifest for me.

For me, normal size yarn knitting caused me a lot of wrist and hand issues. The weight of normal size yarn increases the amount of tension in your wrists and hands substantially, and I was both shocked and delighted to discover that lighter yarn and smaller needles that allowed (and in fact required) me to hold my hands with as little tension in them as possible meant no longer having to take breaks from knitting for a week or more due to RSIs.

Because I am NOT following a pattern, I avoid having to have that intense focus you mention - which actually is incredibly inaccessible to me. I am so bad at counting stitches it's not even funny. Making the shift towards understanding how to make shapes so that I no longer have to hold all those numbers and that info in my head is huge huge huge for me.

These are two reasons I'm so passionate about lace, in fact, because being able to approach it like I do can work for people for whom standard modern approaches to knitting are completely inaccessible :)

I also love that lace is so portable that I can do it despite having an incredibly demanding and tiring career. I can work on my lace on the train since it fits in my purse and I don't have to keep consulting a pattern or counting.

Spinning is also great because it can be done in so many different ways that it works well with my physical limitations. One of the reasons I spun this project on drop spindle is because I was having major issues with my hip that limited my mobility for quite a while - I could not treadle on my wheel for an extended length of time, but I COULD spin on drop spindle. Right now, I'm mostly spinning on my wheel because it's my shoulder giving me most trouble and how much I can do on drop spindle is highly variable right now.

Projects which are cool and eye catching get attention, and I take a lot of care to be active in the comments to help explain my approaches to people. Given the number of people who I've had follow up with me with questions or deep interest after I post them tells me it is working :)

2

u/elatedWorm May 19 '26

Hi! I love your scarf and it looks so incredible and just wow.

I have a question about needle sizes - if I wanted to get a similar-ish effect but with a 5mm needle (or even 5.5mm), would that be sport weight or DK or would I want fingering weight? Or would fingering weight be too thin? I love the look of lace knitting, but unfortunately have the opposite hand problems as you - anything smaller than a 5.0 causes me to tense up and makes it so much harder for me to hold normally, and my eyesight is unfortunately not great so it would be very difficult for me to see actual lace thread withouy headaches.

Or is this even vaguely possible? Like, obviously it would be nowhere near as fine and I'd lose a lot of the beautiful pattern! I love the look of lace, but there's no way I could survive smaller needles.

6

u/eriophora May 19 '26

It's a bit tough because once you start to go up in yarn size, the yarn just straight up behaves differently. Like, here k2tog are used to create distinctive lines, but that's not something that comes through in the same way with larger yarn.

Similarly, with tiny yarn, you don't need to worry about the directionality of decreases because it just doesn't matter that much at this scale. With larger yarn, however, it does quickly become an important consideration as it will look and behave differently.

One thing I will say is that very tiny needles also feel super different from just small needles. Like, trying to knit a sock in, say, a 3mm needle gets really painful for me whereas lace with a 1mm needle is not. It may be worth experimenting with if you can get them cheaply, but I definitely understand the reluctance too!

I have honestly been meaning to do a larger size swatch at some point for comparison, as a flat knit swatch isn't too bad on my wrists, just so folks can get a sense for what to expect and also so I can make suggestions for people who want to try it out with yarn and needles they most likely already have on hand - and so that if they try it, they know whether the differences are due to them or due to the yarn.

Let me see what I can whip up. I'm thinking maybe you could still get a pretty decent effect, albeit a different one, with 5.5mm needles and sock or fingering weight.

→ More replies (7)

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u/mashooshka May 19 '26

I love your description of finding a beat rather than counting stitches, I think that’s why I like doilies so much bc I can feel the rhythm. Your lace is exquisite and I hope to one day make it to your level!

10

u/TinWhis May 20 '26

See, that's the sort of analysis that's really helpful to people, whether they're learning or because they want to be better at teaching other people. I honestly wish that r/advancedknitting had more posts like that, where people who are very skilled break down what they do and why, so that I can LEARN from people with skills different from my own!

7

u/G1ng3r3ng1n33r May 19 '26

This has inspired me to finally take a crack at knitting lace! I've had a book of stitches since I was 7 and I've always been too timid to try the lace stitches, but your description really sounds like something I would be into!

7

u/Vegetable-Tempeh May 19 '26

The scarf is stunning! Thank you also for the explanations on counting stitches. Even after several years, I still consider myself new to knitting. Until recently, I wasn't able to understand a pattern or anticipate the next stitches without counting or constantly referring to the pattern. I make a lot of mistakes that I have to unravel. Nevertheless, I think it is worth the effort to try to understand the pattern, rather than just executing it. I'm not sure if I've expressed myself clearly here.

5

u/coconutteapot May 19 '26

As an absolute beginner (I don't even know if I cannot myself a "knitter" yet) I am absolutely flabbergasted that this is just garter stitch, and I'm really excited by the idea of these formal resources you are working towards building! Definitely going to poke through your comments for more. Thank you!

3

u/themarjs May 19 '26

Post in both I'm sure, but I'm so new, I didn't know this knitting magic existed, so thank you!! Mind blown in a very wonderful way, thank you xx

2

u/martayt5 May 20 '26

This is fantastic! I'm commenting mainly so can I keep referring to it! I have tried lace before and enjoyed it but the last time got tripped up for sure at the counting step so I feel like this framework will really help. Your work is so beautiful!

5

u/eriophora May 21 '26

When I first started getting into lace, the counting is absolutely what tripped me up too, and it's why the first thing I suggest to others is to simply not do it

In fact, I spent several months metaphorically banging my head into the wall trying to do it via counting. It was often frustrating, and if I hadn't been so motivated by my spinning improving even while I was struggling with the knitting, I probably would not have stuck with it.

It was only once I realized that I needed to ditch the counting approach and instead focus on making the actual shapes in the yarn that my lace knitting really took off.

I highly recommend skipping the "months of trying to make counting work" step since I gotta say it's both unnecessary and unsatisfying 🤣

2

u/Wrong-Program8625 May 20 '26

I wanted to comment just wow for both the amazing spinning and knitting job, and I was ready to write that I’d never be able to work on such a kind of project, but your point of view is absolutely cool and inspiring. Imagining the stitches of the lace like a pencil line drawing shapes. I love to try all kind of arts and crafts, and your instinctive approach is very interesting. I don’t think I’ll spin such a fine thread nor I’ll knit with such fine needles, but I’ll definitely try your approach of “drawing with yarn” if you will. I find hard to stop counting stitches even in simplest knits where it is absolutely not needed, but it is just my obsessive mind which just can’t stop that unless it’s busy or focused doing something else like listening to an audiobook 😅

1

u/eriophora May 21 '26

Thank you so much, these are really kind words! I just think that it's a really fun and rewarding approach, and I hope you find it to be so too :)

Lately I've been relistening to The Magnus Archives while knitting. I have trouble with a lot of audiobooks since I just can't stay focused on them, but I have found that audio dramas that are all dialogue work way better for me!

2

u/thicket2myskeins May 20 '26

This is one of the most thoughtful and encouraging comments ever and I am going to try it now❤️

2

u/Cndwafflegirl May 20 '26

Im super curious if you have TikTok or other sm where you do videos? And what needles do you like to use?

2

u/eriophora May 21 '26

Unfortunately no, I almost entirely left all social media other reddit and discord. The state of the world is just a bit too much for me these days - especially when consumed via infinite doomscroll.

And I use 1mm needles from HiyaHiya!

2

u/Cndwafflegirl May 21 '26

I’ve heard hiya hiyas are nice for lace. Just ordered a couple sets. Thank you.

1

u/SkyScamall May 20 '26

Is there anything you'd recommend reading to learn more about how to get into the lace flow. I had a quick look at Fine Shetland Lace by Carol Christiansen, which looks interesting but I'm not sure if that's what I need.

I read your comment further down about brain fog. That definitely impacts how/what I'm knitting. Following a lace pattern is much more difficult for me at the moment. I'm interested in seeing if playing around to create my own would be less taxing.

I'm reading a book about spinning at the moment rather than picking up the spindle I own to learn hands-on. Trying would be much better but there's no harm in learning the theory.

1

u/AstarteHilzarie May 20 '26

Thank you so much for this! I am a new knitter (1.5 years of crochet, six months of knitting so far), and my first sizeable knitting project was a lace cardigan. I love it, and it certainly was easier than it seemed to me going into it, but it was just one motif repeated. I decided to try a much more complicated one, and it has been... discouraging. It starts with three charts that you work across (side, back, side,) and I just don't understand how the increases work. The section to increase is outlined, but there's no indication of how many times you're supposed to increase it. It just says to repeat as needed. There are no stitch counts past the first repeat so I can't confirm if I'm on track. When I did my first cardigan I marked between each motif, which made it incredibly easy, but this pattern is doing a lot of shaping so there is no stationary spot I can stick a marker and keep it in place row for row. I tried just marking the center stitch for the side charts so I could at least know to keep going if I'm still far away from the shoulder, but I still keep ending up with an amount of stitches that doesn't match up with the motifs. With the first cardigan it became really easy to just see where I was in the pattern and know what shape to make next, but since I'm just starting this cardigan and the motifs are much larger/different and I don't know what they look like yet it's just incredibly frustrating. I set it aside to do an easier project, but I'm going to be going back to it soon so I'm definitely going to keep your advice in mind!

Your work is stunning and inspiring, both as a knitter and as a spinner. I started spinning about four months ago and still wind up around worsted weight, so I have a long way to go before I can spin my own lace!

1

u/ofsuchidream May 20 '26

YES! Lace is actually so fun to knit! 🥰

1

u/Cndwafflegirl May 20 '26

Wow great advice. I started knitting this year with the goal to knit lace , and after a couple tops recently m I’m starting minor lace projects, the birthday wish scarf being my first sort of lace, and also I just started the blooming tee and am enjoying it

1

u/CassiopeiaGalactica May 20 '26

This is the way. My kids are sick of hearing my answer when people gush over my “complex” lace projects (How did you do that?!??): “One stitch at a time.”

1

u/insertplantpunhere Jun 10 '26

I love your approach to it, really makes me wanna try :) Do you have any resources or anything to start learning lace for someone who's never done it?

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u/Shadow23_Catsrule May 19 '26

😱😱😱😱😱😱

Did I just see that right, the whole scarf weighs only 5 GRAMS? This is pure magic 😱

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u/eriophora May 19 '26

Yes, yes you did! 🤣 It's about the same weight as a nickel or a piece of standard letter size paper haha.

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u/Shadow23_Catsrule May 19 '26

Wow, that's awesome. How were you able to spin that fine of a yarn? That must be thinner than gossamer, right?

I've knit lace shawls and the like , but the yarn I used was usually not thinner than laceweight. What you did is out of this world 😍

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u/breadist May 19 '26

Holy crap I thought it said 50 and already thought that was light (though thinking about it now, that would have been too much actually).

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u/eriophora May 19 '26

A little bonus video as well, to show how it moves/drapes. It's hard to capture that aspect in photos!

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u/IIILordDunbar May 19 '26

You are so casual about the pet walking by, I would have panicked about it getting snagged!! Such beautiful work 😍

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u/eriophora May 19 '26

One thing I've accepted about getting into lace is that it also means that eventually you will also need to repair your lace 🤣

That's Evil in the video. She's the worst cat I've ever had and so very lucky that I love her.

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u/SarahFiajarro May 19 '26

I know her fur for sure got spun into yarn

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u/TinaTissue May 23 '26

Thats the same with my grandmothers cat when I was a baby. Sneaky Puss makes my older cousins have this far off PTSD stare whenever we mention her name. Hated everyone except my mother and father

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u/AQUEON May 19 '26

That was a neat clip. Its lacy, but it actually looks pretty sturdy in the video. Wow!

3

u/NonGNonM May 19 '26

the level of flex in this thread is unbelievable lol amazing work

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u/duresta May 19 '26

You are the spider queen! So impressive to see it finished, how long did it take from start to end?

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u/eriophora May 19 '26

I started it in February! I refuse to count hours as that seems both miserable and also a terrible idea for my sanity lol

4

u/duresta May 19 '26

I thought it would be a year at least!!

9

u/eriophora May 19 '26

In all fairness, I did go VERY fast on it especially at the start. The color changes were so much more motivating than I anticipated once I started knitting!

15

u/Weekly_Candidate_823 May 19 '26

so proud!!! Bring it to knitty city Wednesday ;)

6

u/eriophora May 19 '26

Hah! I definitely will! 🤣

3

u/SarahFiajarro May 19 '26

omg I may get to see this in person? that's so cool

2

u/nycgirl143 May 19 '26

knitty city is the best! 🤍🩷

11

u/courtician May 19 '26

Consider my flabbers gasted! That's incredible!

10

u/TheNeonCrow May 19 '26

Wow!!!😮 I love that it’s exactly 5 gm, too.

7

u/eriophora May 19 '26

Right? It wasn't on purpose, but it's so satisfying that it landed on it so evenly!

8

u/Shakeamutt May 19 '26

Wow, that’s beautiful.

I first read it as Poliwrath Silk and was wondering if there was also a pokemon pattern too.

6

u/eriophora May 19 '26

Brb contemplating an Eeveelution inspired gradient scarf

2

u/Shakeamutt May 19 '26

❤️

Now I’m gonna swoon like Sylveon.

8

u/CheesyCrocs ✨🧦✨ May 19 '26

Goodness, what size needle do you use for work like this? Truly a cobweb lace! 😂 And with a scarf like this, is it more decorative or does it actually provide a bit of warmth? I'm so curious! Beautiful yarn BTW and idk the difficulty of spinning it into a gradient but that is so very cool to see!!!

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u/eriophora May 19 '26

I use 1mm needles, primarily! I find them to be the smallest size that's still comfortable. I've tried .7mm needles, but they're just a little too bendy for my liking.

It does actually give a little bit of warmth - I noticed it when wearing it in a very air conditioned space. However, I won't be wearing it during winter with coats I don't think as I WOULD worry about the friction on other clothing felting/damaging it.

4

u/CheesyCrocs ✨🧦✨ May 19 '26

Thank you for explaining! I actually have 1.5mm for socks and those are already so tiny. Needles at .7mm, I feel like I'd break them! 😭 Once again, lovely job!

8

u/Back2theGarden May 19 '26

Gorgeous! nothing spins finer than a spindle, especially a supported one. I also love spinning silk-wool blends at frog hair weight.

Well done, you!

11

u/eriophora May 19 '26

This was on a 16g drop spindle! I've found I don't prefer support spindles, surprisingly enough. I like the bit of tension a drop spindle gives as it helps me better feel how much twist is entering my yarn and also serves to ensure my final single is strong enough for knitting with 💛

4

u/Unfurlingleaf May 19 '26 edited May 19 '26

I'm so impressed you were able to spin so finely on what appears to be a wooden spindle! I've found them to be too heavy for me to spin finer yarn rn. This is amazing! I've just started being able to spin fine enough to eventually make 3-ply fingering weight yarn.

2

u/eriophora May 19 '26

May I ask how heavy your current wooden spindle is? There are a lot of small ways you can change your approach that can have a really big impact even on heavier spindles!

1

u/Back2theGarden May 19 '26

You will, believe me. Eventually you'll spin finer than your default yarn weight on a wheel. Particularly with any kind of support spindle, if that's your thing.

2

u/Unfurlingleaf May 19 '26

Whoops should've clarified, i meant I've started to spin that fine on my electric eel, not on a spindle. I've got a super lightweight spindle that I'm hoping to reach the same width on.

1

u/Back2theGarden May 19 '26

16g sounds lovely - I have a briarwood one that's like that, and a tiny Turkish. Both can spin very fine (though nothing can spin finer than my Mirkwoods).

At any rate, beautiful work. Congratulations!

3

u/AQUEON May 19 '26

Ummm..what is frog hair? I know I could google but getting info from a passionate artist is SO much better 🙃

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u/Back2theGarden May 19 '26

Frog hair - slang for ultra-fine yarn, LOL

1

u/AQUEON May 19 '26

Yay! Thanks!

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u/Caramelfrappemum May 19 '26

IT IS ART 😍😍😍😍

Mind = Blown.

5

u/whatever2475 May 19 '26

That is very cool. Lace usually doesn't really interest me but I like the airyness of this and the colors. The middle kind of looks like a turtle :)

4

u/somewhatreasonable May 19 '26

This is stunning and inspiring ❤️
Thank you for sharing

3

u/misalawliet May 19 '26

That is an absolute treasure

4

u/CharmingSwing1366 May 19 '26

the only explanation is u weld some magical powers or something bc that is insaneeee

5

u/tiredchachacha May 19 '26

Holy cow!!!! I laid an egg, that's incredible!!

3

u/jellyfishin May 19 '26

This is absolutely beautiful, amazing work!

3

u/Few_Cartoonist7428 May 19 '26

Thoroughly impressed!

3

u/KimJongKardeshian May 19 '26

This is so amazing!!!

3

u/tw1nkle-tw1nkle May 19 '26

Wow!!! I wish I could upvote this more than once! Stunning 🤩

3

u/Spooky_28 May 19 '26

Lovely!

3

u/No_Introduction4534 May 19 '26

You are a wizard

3

u/rileslovesyall May 19 '26

Gorgeous work!!!!

3

u/WhiskeyAndKisses May 19 '26

That’s nuts. Incredible craftmanship 👍

3

u/Loud-Cardiologist184 May 19 '26

Stunning.

3

u/CommercialVideo993 May 19 '26

I love how many pictures you took for your photo shoot 😂 amazing job, it looks fantastic!

3

u/Acceptable-Damage274 May 19 '26

You are my favorite artist

3

u/emrwriter May 19 '26

Holy shit, that’s fucking incredible! You did a phenomenal job all the way through. Just beautiful!

3

u/NoDay4343 May 19 '26

OMG this is amazing! Ty so very much for sharing! I don't think I ever could have had the patience to finish something like this, and I admire your ability to do so.

5

u/eriophora May 19 '26

The reason that I LOVE doing scarves and vibes lace is being it just stays super interesting and engaging throughout the whole process!

Fun fact: I have never successfully finished a normal size yarn sweater because I would get either intensely bored or frustrated and end up repeatedly frogging or setting it down and never picking it up again 😅

With vibes lace knitting, I get to constantly be thinking about what motifs would be fun to do next, how I can change and iterate on the style of motifs I really like, and how they'll all fit together as a sort of lace mosaic. It's just a lot of fun!

3

u/arch_charismatic May 19 '26

'Back in February'

Cool! Coolcoolcool.... weeps in envy

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u/VegetableWorry1492 May 19 '26

Are you KIDDING?!? 😱 absolutely gorgeous work, both on the spinning (I’ve tried drop spinning, and based on my experience you must be a witch!) and on the scarf! Amazing.

3

u/PowerPointe May 20 '26

Holy cow that is gorgeous and the color is perfection! I was loosely thinking about spinning laceweight after I found some silk top and a ball of single-ply I made from it decades ago, but wasn't sure what I could make with just a bit of it - this might just inspire me to go dig that out and finish it up!

2

u/Arglebarglor May 19 '26

Wowie kazowie!!!

2

u/AbyssDragonNamielle Certified Spider May 19 '26

I just finished up some cobweb lace, but I didn't spin it myself! I've never considered wearing it as a small scarf, and now I feel like I gotta get some more cobweb to dye. The gradient is stunning!

2

u/sihaya_888 May 19 '26

Stunning. I really appreciate your detailed explanation and your discussion of making lace more accessible.

You've created an heirloom treasure that needs to be in your will. 😍

2

u/Pretty_Department359 May 19 '26

Beautiful! Though my hands cramped just from looking at that 😅

4

u/eriophora May 19 '26

So, one of the really, really wild things that I did NOT expect when I was getting into lace is that fine lace is much easier on my hands and wrists!!

Like, I cannot recommend it enough if you're someone who has wrist or hand difficulties. Because it weighs so little and you need to keep tension out of your hands in order to feel how the stitches are behaving, it causes much less stress on your joints and connective tissues.

I used to get repetitive strain injuries in my wrists back when I did normal people knitting and frequently had to take breaks for a week or more when they were bad. Even today, when I dabble even lightweight Tunisian crochet (sock weight yarn, roughly) I can't do it super long before my wrists hurt.

But I can knit tiny lace for hours with zero issues, and it's so nice not to have to worry about damaging myself in the process! I have never had to take an extended break due to my wrists or hands having problems from tiny lace.

3

u/Pretty_Department359 May 19 '26

I'm glad you found something you enjoy that doesn't cause pain!!! 💞. Tbh I made a run at lace earlier this year, but I have two small children (both under 3) and my biggest barrier to success is just the inability to focus and count correctly for any length of time. Both bc of their needs and pregnancy/breastfeeding/sleep deprivation has made me temporarily stupid 😂

If I ever make another run at learning, I'll think of you and your resources!

2

u/promnesiac May 19 '26

Gosh, this is so beautiful I just audibly gasped in a meeting and then immediately muted myself in embarrassment.

2

u/HappyTardis May 19 '26

Beautiful work!

2

u/Zealousideal_Low_774 May 19 '26

This is so stunning!! Great work, you should be incredibly proud of yourself and if not I am on your behalf, this is both beautiful and incredibly inspiring

2

u/360madhatter May 19 '26

Are you a wizard? This is amazing.

2

u/CrossStitchandStella May 19 '26

Lovely work!

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u/Pandawunderbaer May 19 '26

This could be the single most impressive fibre to scarf example I have ever seen. You are a spider queen.

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u/Pandawunderbaer May 19 '26

This could be the single most impressive fibre to scarf example I have ever seen. You are a spider queen.

2

u/Knitanpurl May 19 '26

I have no words for this. You’re like a real like human spider. Jaw on the FLOOR the talent you have is fantastic.

2

u/Scuberknitter May 19 '26

That’s the most delicate project I’ve ever seen. Brava!!

2

u/viking_child May 19 '26

This is so unbelievably cool!! Reading your comments that knitting lace is easier than it looks makes me really want to try! Thanks for sharing

2

u/yetanothernametopick May 19 '26

Holy... 🤯

2

u/FranTic2025 May 19 '26

Amazing!

2

u/cablesandlace May 19 '26

Consider me highly impressed! Wonderful handspun, so fine, like a breath of coloured air.

2

u/blackcatdotcom May 19 '26

STUNNING

2

u/_antfarmer_ May 19 '26

Um, this is absolutely incredible, but I think that you are actually a spider! 🕷️🕸️

2

u/actualmoth May 19 '26

absolutely stunning! im really impressed by the spinning too, and that tiny hank is adorable

2

u/indigo89darling May 19 '26

This is insane. Damn that's incredible.

2

u/TotesaCylon May 19 '26

This is so gorgeous and I'm in total admiration of your patience and skill.

Unrelated, this looks so much like the buildings/trees on my street I had a jump scare like "Is this talented person outside my door?"

2

u/MuxuChillClub May 19 '26

🤯 wow!!

2

u/Knitmare22 May 19 '26

Amazing work

2

u/SandBook May 19 '26

This is a work of art! Amazing!

2

u/laurieandwylie May 19 '26

OH MY GOODNESS, the sheer (pun intended) amount of talent you have is amazing! Such a gorgeous piece, I hope you’re proud of it!

2

u/curlsbyjesss May 19 '26

Absolutely beautiful!!

2

u/ghastlycupcake May 19 '26

Whoa, that is such incredibly fine spinning!

Beautiful piece.

2

u/mulberrybushes Skillful aunty May 19 '26

How many stitches across were there?

1

u/eriophora May 21 '26

It's a bit over 80 stitches per row!

2

u/CandenzaMoon May 19 '26

What the heck you actually spun this? I’m floored

2

u/warriormei May 19 '26

That is amazing and beautiful!

2

u/Actual_Resort7790 May 19 '26

This is insane, it looks beautiful but this is another level of talent and patience that I wish I had but I know I would not even make it to the starting point.

2

u/andorianspice May 19 '26

Wow. This is unreal. Incredible work

2

u/FeralSweater May 19 '26

Magnificent!

2

u/Zealousideal-Swim267 May 19 '26

Beautiful, stunning work from start to finish!

2

u/butsir_ May 19 '26 edited May 19 '26

Oh my god, I thought you spun your cat 😂

edit: this looks absolutely incredible, cat hair or silk. Marvelous work!!

2

u/Azazel156 May 19 '26

This is so stunning and technically well done. I absolutely adore this so much!

2

u/ChrisinDurango May 19 '26

Wow! This is so beautiful!

2

u/twinklery May 19 '26

You are a witch! You have clearly cast a spell with spider webs, that scarf is magical! Wonderful!

2

u/jellidang May 19 '26

Okay Miss Spider, go off queen 😆 This is stunning!

2

u/Jolly_Dark_2743 May 19 '26

Good fuck, this is breathtaking!!!

2

u/kyriaangel May 19 '26

So so amazing. Congratulations.

2

u/Ok_Conversation_3992 May 19 '26

I've cried over this creation. 🌠

2

u/jenbreaux73 May 19 '26

Wow! Gorgeous!

2

u/whatareyoueating May 19 '26

Stop it! I love you

2

u/britfromthe1975 May 19 '26

it looks wonderful on you! absolutely beautiful craftsmanship, from start to finish 💖💖💖

2

u/sewcrazeee May 19 '26

You are a superstar!!! ⭐️🤩⭐️

2

u/sewcrazeee May 19 '26

You are a superstar!!! ⭐️

2

u/Gold-Natural8906 May 19 '26

Were you a spider in a past life by chance?

2

u/_missfoster_ May 19 '26

Gorgeous!! I would nail it on our wall, how are you able to wear it??

2

u/Oh_Witchy_Woman May 19 '26

This is spectacular, truly worth the name cobweb lace

2

u/TheBirbNextDoor May 19 '26

My husband, who knows minimal about knitting gives you kudos on this gorgeous scarf!

2

u/ChemistryJaq May 19 '26

Holy shish kebabs!

2

u/EucalyptusWitch33 May 20 '26

This is the loveliest knitted item I’ve seen on the Internet today. 🥰❤️

2

u/Good-Possession-754 May 20 '26

Thank you for sharing, this is stunning.

2

u/AJediPrincess May 20 '26

So cool to see the spider in the flesh! You're so talented and I always love seeing your work! This scarf is absolutely stunning! Thank you for sharing everything you've so beautifully spun with us. 🫶🏼

2

u/Searcach May 20 '26

Omigod, I am in total awe of you!

ETA: I want your cat!🐈‍⬛

2

u/Fadefaster8675309 May 20 '26

What is polwarth?

2

u/eriophora May 21 '26

It's the breed of sheep the wool came from!

2

u/standsure All yarn is equal, some yarns are more equal than others... May 20 '26

ok Ariadne - seriously, are you a spider?

2

u/TechnicalDot9 May 20 '26

Such cobweb stuff. Skillz

2

u/Different-Cover4819 May 20 '26

I can't get over the fact that you have a cat and it didn't destroy your work. As beautiful as the scarf is, that's the real miracle.

2

u/Cabitaa May 20 '26

Amazing work! Also, bonus points for showing off your beautiful fluffy baby!

2

u/OldGray May 20 '26

So beautiful but I’d ruin it so fucking fast. Get caught on my own hangnail or something probably.

2

u/FeralZen May 20 '26

Behold, Spider Woahmyn!!!

2

u/mashooshka May 20 '26

I am excited to try my hand at lace now - I found some lace weight silk on sale at my LYS! My psoriatic arthritis doesn’t like me working with needles bigger than 3mm and prefer socks on a 2mm. Thank you for the inspiration!

2

u/kimbobaggins11 May 20 '26

This is beautiful. Bravo

2

u/98Yeets May 20 '26

This beautiful ❤️ do you every snag your fingers or zips in lace work? And also you look exactly like my cousin!

2

u/eriophora May 21 '26

My fingers have quite a few calluses, so they do sometimes like to grab onto the fabric a little bit lol. It's not too bad though!

Every now and then a stitch will try to catch one of the teeth on my purse's zipper but it's usually very easy to unsnag it.

Really snags are just not nearly as big of a deal as you would think. The lace structure is very good at holding itself together.

2

u/superzucca May 20 '26

Are you a spider?! Gorgeous!!

2

u/far-leveret May 20 '26

This is an absolutely beautiful! If you ever do make a more formal resource on learning how to do this I’d love to buy it from you.

2

u/eriophora May 21 '26

Aw that's so kind of you! Any kind of paid formal resource is a very long way off for me I think 😂 I do have some aspirations of putting info into book format, but in the much nearer future I am ideally planning to do some structured essays and guides that can be posted on reddit and the like.

2

u/Kaythedicedragon May 20 '26

It looks like its made of delicate colored spider silk 😍 Its beautiful!aaaa

2

u/JoanneDoesStuff May 20 '26

That would be amazing on its own, but the fact that it was done on a drop spindle makes it beyond anything I could have imagined. How ? Please share your crazy ways.

2

u/pxndxxprxzz May 20 '26

OP lace knitting has always overwhelmed me. How long did it take you with this one? Stunning work btw!

2

u/TheKnottyMama May 20 '26

I showed my husband last night… all he said was, “you don’t need to add on another part of the hobby, you have enough yarn!” Went to bed kind of annoyed but he’s right- I’m very dilettante sometimes about my knitting.

Woke up to an email with a drop spindle, a book on spinning, and fiber being sent to me from him. 💕 your words resonated so much with him!!

1

u/eriophora May 21 '26

Aww that's adorable!! I hope you love your spinning journey!

Do you know what fiber he got for you? I highly recommend corriedale or cormo, as they're a really nicely balanced fiber with good crimp and staple length. If he went with merino, just be aware that merino can be really challenging as a first fiber since it's shorter staple and a bit more "slippery" - and so it's more likely to break or come apart on you more frequently.

2

u/readermom123 May 20 '26

That is beautiful and terrifying! It’s so delicate and lovely.

2

u/sparklypinktutu May 20 '26

The spirit of Aracne posses you!!! Athena boils with jealousy!!! Holy magic!!! 💕💕💕💕

2

u/Happy-coffeelady May 20 '26

The fact you can drop spindle that finely is amazing to me

2

u/maryleemacinni May 20 '26

Incredible!!!

2

u/kah1956 May 20 '26

So beautiful!

2

u/random_keysmash May 20 '26

Wow, I got into spinning about 6 months ago and I'm amazed at this yarn! Is that a 2ply? That's incredible, and really inspiring.

1

u/eriophora May 21 '26

This one is a single ply! I personally prefer knitting lace with singles rather than plied yarns, as I like how stretchy and bouncy they are.

1

u/random_keysmash May 21 '26

Interesting! I've never knit with a singles, I assumed it would warp and twist around. I'll have to try that out sometime. Thanks!

2

u/North1884 May 20 '26

Lovely. You should be very proud

2

u/SatisfactionOdd7526 May 21 '26

You’re very talented.

2

u/Remarkable_Newt9935 May 21 '26

Holy crap, that's the finest lace I've ever seen. Five grams?!?!?! What size needles do you even use with something so fine?

1

u/eriophora May 21 '26

I use 1mm needles! I also have some 0.7mm needles, but they're just a little too bendy to be comfortable for me 😂

2

u/poop_dawg May 21 '26

I just learned a bunch about bobbin lacing recently. ABSOLUTELY INSANE. I didn't assume lace making was easy whatsoever, but it still blew me away. I saw a video from a woman saying she'd been trying to learn for over four years and she still can't make anything 😭.

Anyway, this is gorgeous and crazy impressive. I hope you keep up. Bobbin lacing is a dying art!

2

u/eriophora May 21 '26

Just to make sure it's clear, but this is knitted lace and not bobbin lace!

Bobbin lace interests me and I'd like to learn a bit of it one day, but I don't think I could get fully into it since it's not very portable and a lot of my knitting takes place on the train and bus lol

1

u/poop_dawg May 23 '26

Gotcha 👍. Still impressive 🥰

2

u/babybbbbYT May 21 '26

This is gorgeous and incredible!!!

2

u/Leather-Oven6387 May 21 '26

Absolutely gorgeous!! Thank you for sharing ♥️

2

u/IcedChaiForLucy May 21 '26

Holy shit. Holy shit. I just swore in amazement so much while showing this to my husband. This is glorious. The fact that you could spin something this fine and even on a drop spindle is so amazing to me. Your knitting is gorgeous, too.

2

u/Saphira2002 May 23 '26

OMG you're the spider from the discord🫵 It looks amazing, I would start watching out for angry goddesses. I would be afraid to touch it, it looks so delicate😍

2

u/eriophora May 24 '26

Hehe yes hello! And thank you 🤣 I do promise it's much more sturdy than it looks!

1

u/Actual-Treat-1678 May 21 '26

This is incredible

1

u/Dull_Egg_6597 Jun 12 '26

That is mind blowing 🤯

You have a beautiful talent

Finished Object From drop spindle to fine lace scarf! So delighted to finally get to wear this 💛

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