Wanda's Knotty Thoughts: Martha Doily

I made this doily almost five years ago (five years?!) while on vacation to Washington, D.C. I got to thinking about it the other day while working on Queen's Crown Edging, wondering how it would look in two colors. Why would this doily come to mind while working on an edging? Because both have a lot of switching shuttles and changing directions.

Martha Doily © Wanda Salmans 2010

This one is made with Lizbeth #658 Ocean Turquoise Light and #657 Ocean Turquoise Dark, both in size 20. It is seven inches across from point to point. The original was made in DMC size 30 ecru and ended up being six inches across from point to point.

Martha Doily © Wanda Salmans 2010

Here's a comparison of the two doilies side-by-side.

Does anyone see the mistake in the ecru doily? Obviously the judges at the county fair in 2010 didn't see it, either, because it won a blue ribbon that year. I only found it now because I was going through it trying to jot down the stitch counts to write out the pattern. I had to laugh about it - I'd never seen it myself. An obvious but very well hidden oopsie.

Isn't it amazing how different a pattern looks when done in different colors? It can change the look and feel of a piece a lot. I noticed this last week when I tested the pattern for QCE and again with this doily. To see another version of the QCE done in two colors but differently, check out Jane McLellan's version of it on her blog.

When I made the original doily it was in July and very hot. This second one was done in February with cold temperatures though very little snow here. If we lived just a few miles west we would have had a lot more snow. Today is mild with temperatures in the 30s and low 40s F but the forecast is for much colder weather and snow. Quite the contrast, just like the doilies.

"People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy."
Anton Chekhov
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