I try to avoid knitting with black yarn. It is difficult to see what is happening with your stitches as they are built on your needles. So when my daughter gifted me with these skeins of Shibui yarn, I was not particularly inspired. They languished for a few years in my stash. To be fair, the color is not exactly black – more of a deep charcoal gray. And the fibers, a blend of baby alpaca, baby camel, and silk, are extremely soft. Make that slippery soft. Hmm…… Maybe I can combine them with another color?
This is an epic fail. The coral and rust colors do not work with the black, and the lace pattern is too bland to show off the texture of the yarn.
What I needed was a lace pattern with bigger holes. Enter blogger Naomi Parkhurst, who writes under String Geekery. She creates lace knitting patterns and shares them on her site. I found the stitch Lace Crescent Rib Vs. 2 to be promising. Each repeat is only eight stitches and there are only four rows to complete the pattern. Better still, it features a double yarnover. Here is a link to her pattern: https://gannetdesigns.com/2019/02/04/lace-crescent-rib-a-free-lace-knitting-stitch-pattern/ Let’s do it:
And here is the swatch after blocking. Love the open look and the central rib.
So friends, what shall I make? I am considering a triangle-shaped scarf with a central motif and the lace crescent ribs radiating out on both sides. And Thanks, Naomi.
Daily Fiber 
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