The good news:
I got through the 3rd Border Chart & am ready to do the Laurel Leaf pattern.The headache:
How to continue the edging around the 90* corner and make it look worthy.
There's been a lot of chatter & worry. The consensus is to short row it. (In Ravelry)
Boy, am I glad now that I'm using wool. I have faith in wool & it's forgiving nature. I'm sure it will gracefully curve around that corner. WOW! Thanks again to you all for encouraging me to just continue on with the merino. I love you!
The intimidation:
The members of the Princess Group in Ravelry are very accomplished and able to think outside the pattern.
I'm not.
One person did a provisional cast on & started knitting the border & will do the edging continually around at the end. She's brilliant. I wish I had thought of that! Next time, that's the way I'm doing it, especially if I'm not using pure wool.
After all, we want it to look fabulous after all the hours of concentration... every stitch counts.
The Queen
The good news:
After 13 days of waiting & convincing myself that she's lost & never arriving.... The Queen has made her appearance. I did my celebratory happy dance!
It's separate pages, not a booklet, which is great! I don't need to make copies of the charts. It came with samples of Cashsilk, Shetland Supreme & Gossamer Merino. That blue/gray cone is 2/48 cashmere/silk from Colourmart that I'm thinking of using. It's the same ratio of cashmere (70) to silk (30) as the Cashsilk, but slightly thicker... same weight as the Gossamer Merino (2/48) I'm using for the Princess.
The headache:
The Goddess says that you can complete it in 5 months... at 2 hours per night. HAH! That's so funny! She's a fast knitter. I'm not.
The Queen is made in 5 pieces - 4 borders + center. The Goddess says it took her 10 hours to 'finish/make up/sew' it all together. I hate sewing pieces together! (That's why I love Fair Isle! NO sewing!) UGH! At this point, I laid on the floor & sulked.
While lying there I thought, "Why can't I just knit the bottom border & continue knitting the center... while attaching the left & right border... the same way I have to do the Princess center... that way I just have to sew in the top border & the 45* angles where the borders join?"
I couldn't think of a reason why I couldn't do it that way... but I'm NO EXPERT!
I logged into Ravelry & guess what?! One of the members mentioned that she was going to do it that way too!! But, she's going to do the edging all the way around at the end. I think that doing it as written will be okay, because it's only a 45* angle to curve around & sew up.
I did my celebratory happy dance! I'm learning to think outside the pattern! And someone very experienced thought of the same method! OH HAPPY DAY!
I'm going to use 2mm needles & either the 2 blue/gray cones I have, or I'll order the Cashsilk... not sure what color... kinda liking the viola... the frost blue is pretty too.
Stitch Markers
I use jump rings as stitch markers & was getting frustrated because the gossamer merino was getting caught in the jagged joins. Just what I don't need! Cut yarn! I've noticed that people sell them with beads on the joins & thought, "Hey! I can make those!" so I did. They work great.
Meanwhile in Kamati & Smoothie's world...
"Hey Kamati, whatcha doing?"
"Ssshhh! I'm just looking! Mom said there's going to be gold hearts on the American Beauty Shawl. I don't see them in here..."
"Mom's gonna be mad! You KNOW how she feels about 'if it's NOT yours, DON'T touch it!!!"
"Shut UP! Use your indoor voice! lalaladeedahhh"
"KAMATI! ARE YOU GETTING NOSE JUICE ON MOM'S SHAWL??!!
Wooly caught them in the act & took this photo as evidence. I didn't find any nose juice, no harm... no foul.
The last chart for American Beauty is coming April 1st, so we get a mini break.
Until next time... Knit on!
And take time to celebrate! :)
8 comments:
Lovely! I know the dreaded corners. Sharon says its ok, I say we'll see....REMEMBER the Laurel leaf pattern has a mistake in the chart.Two extra rows. It is in Ravelry under mistakes and typos or in my blog. Keep us posted! Mine has yet a LOT of points to knit at the top. One stitch at a time :)
Well, since I'm not used to looking at lace, it looks like you're knitting with cobwebs! That is some seriously tiny yarn... it's beautiful already but I sure can't imagine knitting that. Ravelry groups for lace... see, aren't you glad you finally joined?
"Nose juice"... you're too funny, Michele!
Michele- You always impressed me as a "thinking knitter"- meaning that you don't always follow the pattern to the letter.
My mind is boggled by anyone who attempts a Sharon Miller, so give yourself a bit more credit.
I've bought a few sharon Miller patterns and books....I might make a hap shawl....a plain hap shawl....with a feather and fan edge???
Doing a Princess or a Queen shawl would send me running down the road screaming LOL!!!
Kamati and Smoothie are definitely corresponding with Gandalf.
Slow knitter? You crack me up, you don't give yourself enough credit! You are an amazing knitter.
If I were to try that?! I'd be joining Anne down the path, screaming along side her.
Such beautiful lace! You are so ambitious. I've been reduced to tears by just trying to cast on with lace wt.
The Princess is breath-taking! I can't even imagine The Queen. You are amazing. When I grow up I want to be able to knit "real" lace.
You may have alot of headaches, but that lace is lovely.
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