I regret to inform that Dell is quite slow sending me that computer, and this Mac is not suited for picture uploading.
Project stats:
Pattern: "Rosebud" by Sharon E Miller, of Heirloom Knitting, got it as a freebie when my mother ordered her book as my christmas present.
Yarn: I used the specified yarn, Shetland Cobweb, 6 balls instead of 5. (I used 6 and some more of a 7th, but I had knit a pair of baby botees of the first ball, so I guess 6 would have done it.)
Needles: Generic grey metal needles, size 3,5 mm instead of the specified 3,25 mm because I wished for a larger shawl.
Size: It blocked out to 69" square instead of the 80" I had hoped for, but I blocked it semi-lightly, and it is already too large for both of the women I had thought of gifting it to.
Knitting time: Started March, 10. Finished June, 24. Had a Three-week-hiatus while in TaiWan, and a Two-week-hiatus while knitting Rainbow Pi. For the rest, it has been on-and-off knitting, a few rows here and there.
General Knitting Experience: I did everything I could to make it harder on me - provisional cast-on, knitting borders in the round, the cheating way, graft edging stitches together etc. If it were knitted the simple way, I am sure it would be a lot easier. However, I feel fit to tackle another, more complex pattern now. Maybe accompanied by a recent find (Well, from Friday) in a small wool store, a 100-gram-cone of 60/2 silk from Star Silk? By my math skills there should be 3000 metres in this cone, probably enough for a shawl of medium size. (I used 2100 yards for the Rosebud!)
I promise to put up a picture as soon as possible for your wieving pleasure.
I do have one thing about this shawl that puzzles me:
How DO you store this huge, delicate, white, sticking-to-itself-thing? Where WOULD you ever wear it? Why DID I ever knit this (a)mazing thing? I am not worthy!
(My best guess is to fold it neatly with chedar chips inbetween and store it in a paper bag. My mother was strongly opposed to letting it lie on the dining table all spread out. At least it would not get crinkled and lose its blocking there...)
Next Project
I did talk about the Grey/Green Evilla Yarn, didnt I?
After consulting a few reference books I decided to make a fold-up hem at the bottom, and picot hems at the sleeves, and to cast on 200 stitches. All well and fine, but after 2" it began to be urgent that I chart out the pattern I wanted on the front and on the sleeves. It is a very simple lace cable. On the front it is 21 stitches wide and will not change shape or size, but for the sleeves I charted a similar cable that starts quite narrow but will widen as the sleeve and my arm widens. It took a bit of trial-and-error, but apart from that I decided to change the soft turns in the cable to sharp ones, I lucked out in my second try of charting it. Charting the sleeve lace was child's play after that :-) I am blessed with a very good visual and geometric sense, which explains my ease of picking up how to chart and ow to construct a pattern.
Currently, this sweater is at 60 rows / 12000 stitches after I started it around noon today. If I keep up this pace it will be finished by saturday, but it is not every day that you sit outside on the deck in wonderfull sunshine, eat strawberries and knit for long hours.
Have a really nice day
Lene
