It was March 2020, I received a call from the hospital. A cancellation had opened up a slot and I could have my new hip months earlier than expected! Delighted and dreading this event, I appreciated the very short notice as it gave me little chance to get too worked up about such a big operation.
I was only just taking my new hip's first steps, trying to trust this 'alien' tech to support me along the hospital corridor, that the country, and most of the world went into the first pandemic lockdown and everything changed from that day.
I embraced lace making videos during my journey back to mobility, making the most of being confined to just our home and small garden. Physiotherapy, social life and life in general was managed over the phone, or on a little square screen. The nurses and medical staff were outstanding, my Mum was a treasure and Himself will always be my hero for the support I received.
For all the people who helped me, and for all the people who were stuck inside, I released my Pink Kisses butterfly. This was an early attempt in creating my own patterns, and also to learn how to make leaf tallies.
I learned that the Gutermann variegated threads, change colour quickly and this produces a stripy effect in the tallies, this effect varies from maker to maker. The Gutermann sparkle Sulky thread used for the passives gave a little bit of fun, and I learned to not try to tension this particular thread because it has a slightly elastic property which can slightly ruckle a pattern when released from the pins.
There are few instructions with this pattern, I was learning as I went along and had no plans to release patterns this early in my Bobbin Lace making journey. I have a note that says I used 60 pairs of bobbins, but that was before I knew about making sewings so I added all the pairs for all four wings as I worked down the body, leaving a huge pile of bobbins waiting on the opposite side to the first two wings!
If I were to make this again, I would make quite a few changes with what I have learned since. Digging this pattern out of the files has also been a little trip down memory lane for me, the strange, scary world we had to live in, the new challenges, and for me, relief from the pain of a worn out hip softened the blow of isolation.
Have fun with Pink Kisses, coming out of its isolation at last!
