Gossamer Webs: The History and Techniques of Orenburg Lace Shawls

by Galina Khmeleva, Carol R. Noble

Readers are led step-by-step through the history and techniques of creating beautiful and rare Russian heirloom shawls with this detailed guide.

Genres: Knitting, Crafts, Nonfiction, History, Reference

144 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1998

Reviews

[Ashley Lambert-Maberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel my star system works better for novels. If Middlemarch is a 5, it's hard to give Gossamer Webs more than a 3, but at the same time this is very likely to be the best available book on Orenburg Lace Shawls, period! I can imagine a hypothetical unwritten book (about Orenburg Lace shawls) that is so compelling and moving that not only do I rush home from work to read on, but I urge it into the hands of non-knitters because it's such a good book they too will be changed by it--and this isn't that.

This is simply a good, clear book about both the cultural milieu that produces the shawls, and the strategies for making your own (I appreciate that it's not just pattern, pattern, pattern--I'm so tired of so-called knitting "books" that turn out to be just patterns. Those aren't books! They're bound instructions, but that's not a book!)

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).

[Meagan Condon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is incredibly insightful in regard to Russian lace. An invaluable resource with both the history and the how-to.

[Lourdes François · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good but lil over my skills for now.

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

The authors weave the history of Russia, and of a few knitting families in Russia, with the changes in attitudes to these shawls and the changes in designs. It was fascinating to read. I have to admit I'm a Carol Noble groupie. I've taken classes from her and always enjoy her work. She is a great knitting historian.

These shawls have a different construction than the ones from Victorian Lace Today. They start by knitting the bottom edging, and the corners go in instead of point outward. I had to grab some left-over yarn and try the sample shawl. The instructions are easy to follow and I'm quite pleased with the results.

Now I have to try a full-sized one. Oh, and buy more yarn to knit it with.

[Gina House · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truly interesting history and techniques of gossamer lace knitting from the Orenberg region. I'm reading and also knitting up a sample of a simple Orenberg shawl at the moment. Very enjoyable to any knitter, especially to knitters who love lace.