Mystery Shawl 16 - Finished

 

I finished this up last night and blocked it this morning before going to work.  I have become completely addicted to Renee's shawls.  The Spring Mystery Shawl starts on March 6.  I already have the yarn and need to pick out some beads.

Jade - Pullover with Overlap Sleeves

 

I have also been working on this pullover.  It was in my everyday knitting bag until I got to the sleeves, then it sat on my daybed for a while until I finally got back to it.  I did a provisional cast on for the increase stitches for the sleeves so there will be no seam when I start the other half of the sleeve.

Fuchsia

 

Lace isn't the only thing on my needles.  I started this project at the end of January to have something simple in my everyday bag.  I always like to have some simple knitting with me, especially at work when I have to review documents or take training.  This is a simple top-down raglan pullover, my second one.  The yarn is Jaeger Extra Fine Merino DK.  The pattern was created using the Sweater Wizard software.

Evenstar Mystery Shawl - Clue 1

 

Yes.  Another shawl project, and another mystery shawl.  That makes three lace shawls on my needles right now.  And 5 magnetic boards for my charts.  Methinks I am a bit out of control here, but I just love lace knitting.  This is the Evenstar Mystery Shawl by Susan Pandorf of A Few Stitches Short that is making such a splash on Ravelry.  Susan is using Blue Moon Fiber Arts Silk Thread II in Winter Solstice.  I bought the yarn in Tanzanite (purple, of course) and then also bought it in Winter Solstice after Susan posted pictures of hers.  But I also bought this Eos in Aubergine (50/50 Tussah Silk/Wool) from The Unique Sheep.  I swatched with the Silk Thread II in the Winter Solstice and it is a beautiful yarn, but I wasn't sure I wanted to make this out of pure silk.  The other advantage of the Eos is that the wonderful people at The Unique Sheep put up 6 oz hanks that are long enough to knit the entire shawl, so no joining, which I would have to do with the Silk Thread II.

Belle Nuit - Update

 

I have mostly been knitting lace this past week.  I am working on the 6th repeat of chart B on this shawl.  There are 8 repeats of chart B and then chart C and I will be done.  Placing the beads is a bit tedious, but the results are beautiful.

Mystery Shawl 16 - Clue 3

 

Finished up clue 3 this morning.  The shawl is too big now to spread out completely on my needles, so I only spread out a little over one-half.

Mystery Shawl 16 - Clue 2

 

I finished up clue 2 tonight.  I am really liking how this shawl is turning out.  But I couldn't have made it this far without the assistance of Frederica von Fish.  To keep track of my place on the chart I use a magnetic board.  I have a long magnetic strip that so far has been long enough for all the charts I have used in lace knitting and I place it above the line that I am currently knitting.  This lets me see how the row that I am currently working fits in with the pattern that I've already completed.  But this pattern is a bit complex, and I was having trouble keeping my place in the line.  Enter Frederica von Fish.

  

I picked up a set of these cute little fish magnets last summer at Bead & Button and they have been schooling on our magnetic message board in the kitchen.  Aha, says I, perhaps I can have Fred here point out my place on the line, like a bouncing ball in a sing along.  So now she sits above the lace motif that I am working on the magnetic strip I use to mark my place in the chart.  As I finish a motif I shift her to the next one.  No more losing my place, and not having to worry about that frees my attention so I can concentrate on making sure the lace pattern is correct.

 

Other tips for lace knitting - write in the number of knit stitches for any stretch over 4, and highlight anything unusual.  For triangular shawls it is the practice to repeat the chart around a center stitch.  Sometimes the chart is not symmetric.  Depending upon the asymmetry I may make a new chart for the repeat.  In this case the asymmetry was minor so I simply highlighted the motif to remind myself to flip it.