In Dreams Mystery Shawl - Clue 6

I finished up Clue 6 this morning, and I am on my last skein of yarn.  There was finally some discussion this week about people running out of yarn on the last clue (clue 7) and that it was due to the 4 skein (4 oz) sets having only 1200 yards, but in fact they have 1260 yards, which is what the pattern called for.  The 6 skein (6 oz) sets have 1890 yards.  I think I would have been okay if the gradience transitions for the 4 skein sets had been correct.  I may still be okay, but I ordered an extra skein, just in case.  There was a great email that Susan posted from someone who did all of the math and showed that the gradience transitions were not correct.  Sigh. I know that determining transition spots is not an exact science because of the differences between knitters.  I guess I need to trust my own instincts more.

It will all work out and the shawl is absolutely gorgeous.  The only drag with ordering an extra skein is how long it will take to get to me, and the fact that it will delay my finishing the shawl, and I really wanted to wear it this year at Bead & Button.  If I do come up short I may use the leftover yarn that I have, transitioning back to the lighter colors, it all depends on how things work out.

In Dreams Mystery Shawl - Clue 4

I spent most of yesterday and this morning knitting Clue 4.  I am using my second skein (the third skein in the set because I started with the Blue skein, which was number 4) and the purple is really starting to show up.  I do think that so far this shawl has been easier than the Evenstar shawl, and being only half a circle it definitely knits up more quickly, even with all of the beads.  The design is exquisite and the yarn (Eos, from The Unique Sheep) is a dream to knit with.

In Dreams Mystery Shawl - Clue 3

So, after a week of mindless knitting I spent most of today finishing up Clue 3 of the In Dreams Mystery Shawl.  So far this has been an incredibly fun knit.  It is not as hard as the Evenstar shawl, although I do wonder how it would look as a circular shawl instead of a half-circular shawl.  I like the wrong side rows, even with all the beads.  In fact I find them meditative, and a chance to check the pattern.  The beads give weight and drape to the shawl and I know it will be very sensual to wear.  I plan on completing it before Bead & Button, so I can wear it during the show.

Here is a close up of the pattern.

And here is a shot with my cat, Jasmine, surveying my work.

Evenstar Shawl - Finished!

Finally!  I have finished my Evenstar Shawl.  It was quite a knitting adventure.  I will think twice about knitting lace with pure silk again.  It is lovely, but just not as easy to work with as a silk-wool blend.  We shall see how the shawl behaves once it is done blocking.  The design reminds me a bit of the rose windows in cathedrals.  A magnificent design by Susan Pandorf of Sunflower Designs.  The yarn is Blue Moon Fiber Arts Silk Thead II in Tanzanite.

Evenstar Shawl - Update

This weekend I have been focusing on the edging for the Evenstar Shawl.  I really want to get this one finished, partly because it has been a work in progress for so long, but mostly because it is such a gorgeous pattern.  Susan Pandorf has really outdone herself on this one.  It is a lot of work, but well worth the effort.

The beads I am using are blue-lavender silver-lined matte iridescent (Beadcats stock no. 2-08-707-76).  Selecting a bead color to go with the yarn was quite a challenge.  In the end I went for subtle rather than flashy.  Carol (one of the Beadcats) helped me pick them out while I was at the Bead & Button show this year.  I am almost one-quarter of the way around the shawl.  The edging pattern is pretty easy.  I did make a couple of modifications.  I left off the fifth row of beads (at the very edge), I slip the first stitch of every right side row (makes the edge neater) and on the second half of the repeat (the decrease rows) I switched the knit 2 together decreases to slip-slip-knit decreases so the line of the decreases points towards the shawl while the line of the increases points away from the shawl.

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.