They’re right. Lace in progress looks like arse.  It looks as though it has been knit with chewed up leftover kitchen string.  It’s all puckery and stupid-looking, and I’m having serious second thoughts about the wisdom of this choice of project.  I mean, look at it:

Arse. I’m continuing with it because (a) everyone says that lace looks like butt pre-blocking, but somehow magically transforms post-block; and (b) the pattern itself is really quite fun and satisfying. As long as I ignore what it looks like — and since I have to seriously concentrate on this pattern, that’s not so hard — this is pretty good fun to knit.

Curiously, when I bought this SWTC bamboo yarn, I bought two batches — one purple, one sage green. The sage green one has a hempy, roughish hand and minimal lustre.  It’s still pretty, but it’s in marked contrast with the high-gloss, slick purple I bought.  Same company, same yarn; maybe the green was a first edition or something like that. I’m hoping it will become a bit slicker and glossier after I wash it.

I’m pinning a lot of hopes on blocking…