A couple days ago, I started over on my future sister-in-law’s shawl using fingering weight yarn instead of laceweight, and I’m very pleased with the results:
My fingers are so much happier with the fingering weight yarn, and I was able to reach the point where I’d given up on the laceweight version in less than an hour of knitting, because I didn’t have to change the way I knit. The shawl is looking lovely so far, and it has a more substantial feel to it than the laceweight one did, which might not always be appropriate, but I think for this shawl, it is. (The pattern, by the way, is Sivia Harding’s Shetland Garden Faroese Shawl). Here’s a closeup of the central tree motif:
The yarn I’m using is undyed Knitpicks Gloss. There was a whole lot of drama involved in settling on a fingering weight yarn. I was first going to use the Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn that Cathy-Cate swapped with me for my original Trenna, but decided I still wanted some silk for this shawl. So I decided I’d go with Henry’s Attic Carrera, only to find that it was backordered from the place I’d tried to order it. I finally gave up on waiting last week, deciding that if I didn’t start soon, I wouldn’t finish, so I ordered some Gloss. And I’m really, really liking it, so I guess it was worth all the trouble. It feels great on my fingers while I’m knitting, and has a drapey, shimmery look to it once it’s knit at this gauge.
So, yeah…I don’t hate lace! It was just a matter of finding the right combination of yarn, needle, and pattern. I think I will always be a fingering-weight lace person, but I can live with that.
whit::knits 
it looks great! when’s the wedding?
I tend to prefer fingering-weight lace too, especially Koigu, it’s easier to knit and has a bit more body when wearing. I’m not constantly afraid I’ll snag it on something.
Your shawl’s starting out lovely :-)
It looks great in the fingering weight! I think I am the same way about laceweight… it feels so odd.
Looking good! It’s funny sometimes how a yarn can really make or break a pattern… On more than one occasion I’ve been forced to rip back and try a different yarn to get my projects coming out looking even halfway decent.
You’re off to a great start. It’s going to be beautiful!
That’s really lovely, and the silk content makes it special. Gloss is nice to knit with, I think. And you can always overdye the Cherry Tree Hill yarn any color you want for something else — now that you’re a fingering weight lace person!
;-)
I like it in the fingering weight yarn – maybe it’s being used to the weight yarn from knitting socks? I know even skinny sock weight yarn is hard for me to knit with!
It is very pretty so far!
What a beautiful pattern. I love the shape it ends up being. I just started a fingering weight lace scarf, but it’s super easy lace and hardly counts as lace.
Sometimes the right combo of yarn, needle and pattern can be hard to find. Definitely looks like you hit on a winner here! Very pretty so far! :)