Steel Lace

Cal Lane born in Halifax , Nova Scotia is a sculptor and welder who turns ordinary objects into lacy artworks. She creates stunning sculptures by handcutting lace trimming patterns into rusty metal objects. Shovels, old car doors, l-beams and oil drums are transformed into transparent, delicate lingerie-like sculptures.

“I like to work as a visual devil’s advocate, using contradiction as a vehicle for finding my way to an empathetic image, an image of opposition that creates a balance – as well as a clash – by comparing and contrasting ideas and materials.This manifested in a series of “Industrial Doilies”, pulling together industrial and domestic life as well as relationships of strong and delicate, masculine and feminine, practical and frivolity, ornament and function.”
—Cal Lane

Cotton Rag Bath Mat

I've noticed some of the knitting club girls have been getting a little lazy lately. Our last meetings have been mostly eating, eating, chatting and a little more eating.

This is why I decided to post this tutorial by coco knits.

I think this is mat is a brilliant idea, specially because it is a very fast and easy knit, and also because you can make it out of recycled material. I hope it gets your knitting juices going girls!

Size

Approximately 18" wide and desired length. The sample is 36” long for a bathtub, it can be shorter for a smaller shower.

Materials

Yarn

Sample used two pre-washed twin size sheets ripped into 1 ½” strips and connected as per the rag knitting tutorial on cocoknits.com.

Needles

# 19 needles.

Gauge

Using # 19 needles over moss st, approximately 1 st per inch.

Abbreviations

CO – cast on

BO – bind off

st(s) – stitch(es)

c4b – cable 4 sts behind. Slip next 4 sts onto cable needle (in this case I used a chopstick) and hold at the back of your work. Knit 4 sts, then knit 4 from cable needle.

Directions

CO 26 sts.

Row 1, 3, 7 (RS): [k1, p1] four times, p1, k8, p1, [p1, k1] four times.

Row 2 and all WS rows: [k1, p1] four times, k1, p8, k1, [p1, k1] four times.

Row 5: [k1, p1] four times, p1, c4b, p1, [p1, k1] four times.

Repeat these 8 rows until you reach the desired length. BO on a row 1 of pattern.

Finishing

add fringe by cutting rag “yarn” into 4" long pieces and attaching to either edge as follows

Fold strip in half and pull the fold through the c.o. edge with a crochet hook:

Then push the ends through the loop you created and pull until it’s snug: