On Umbrella Ribs and String:

A few years ago I bought myself an old parasol. The fabric was all dry rotted and falling apart at the folds and seams. I removed the old tattered fabric with its lace inserts and laid it out to measure. I didn’t find any comparable fabric so I put it aside until I could decide what I wanted to do. This was before the breast cancer and so it got put away for another day and pretty much forgotten.

Knotty Mouse had been over to my story blog and commented on the plain parasol (Yes, that is a plain black parasol. It does not repel water. Rain comes through it in fact.) that I used in the cemetery picture there and she told me that Knitty had a knitted parasol pattern there. I didn’t want to work on all those seams and since I wanted something lacy I didn’t want the bulk either.

I was intrigued and set to work in the round. I wanted something a little more lacy so even though I started with size US 5 needles I soon was using US 10 1/ 2 after a few up sizings rows. The ribs are 25 inches long so it is a good size.















It is Lily, Sugar and Cream Cotton in black with a simple ‘V‘ shaped ‘yarn over/ knit two together’ in the stockinet to give it a lacier look. I have a bit of black strapping on the edge and I’m still sewing it in place. I needed it to have something more substantial to sew the points onto the umbrella frame. And I’m still sewing and tying it down to the ribs.

It took a few tries. The first was too big and sagged between the ribs. The second try had to be frogged in a few places too. But all together I think it turned out well and I like the dappled shade it will make. So thank you Knotty Mouse for reminding me I had an umbrella frame with a beautiful handle waiting to be recovered and turned back into a pretty parasol again.















Part of me wants to add a bit of fringe to the edge or maybe just a tassel to the handle. What do you think?