Nameless Lace Shawlette - Update

So, last night I started the second lace section.  When I first was laying out the lace pattern I simply went with fitting as many repeats in as I could, but as I started to knit the first pattern row I decided that I wanted at least some of the lace repeats to line up with the lace repeats of the first section.  So, back to the drawing board.  I actually counted stitches and marked them on graph paper to figure out where to place the lace pattern. There is a pleasing symmetry, and it isn't too busy so the beautiful variegation of the yarn is on full display.

Nameless Lace Shawlette

Yesterday I received this positively scrumptious skein of yarn.  This is the September shipment of Roxanne's Art Walk Sock Yarn Club.  I joined last fall and have been delighted with the shipments, although this is the first that I have started knitting with any of them, although I did wind one skein up and did some swatching.  The yarn is Bamboolicious (70% Merino, 20% Bamboo, 10% Nylon) and the minute I touched it I knew that I had to cast it on and make something, hopefully something splendid or at least pretty nifty, with it.

Now, I still have a hard time knitting beautiful yarns into socks.  It just seems kind of rude to put them on your feet, but I do like the one skein shawls, so I pulled out the Over the Moon pattern that I used for my first Camp Loopy Project.  I really like the shaping, crescent shawls sit so nicely on the shoulders, and I figured that I could find some pretty lace motifs to put in place of the stockinette stitch of the original.  So, I pulled out my Barbara Walker "Treasury of Knitting Patterns" collection and found the Twin Leaf Lace motif.  Here is the first section finished.

Now I just have to figure out what to do in the next section...

Moonfleet - Finished!

And here it is - the finished Moonfleet shawl.  It is incredibly hard to get good beauty shots of this shawl, especially with the overcast day we are having here.  It is wonderfully light and ethereal, just the effect that I was going for.

Pattern - Moonfleet, by Janine Le Cras, available at The Unique Sheep, or on Ravelry
Yarn - The Unique Sheep Eos in Mermaid.  I used about 800 yards.
Beads - size 8 Silver-lined Ceylon Alabaster from Earth Faire and Silver-lined Aqua Magatamas (long 4x7 mm), also from Earth Faire.  (When you select the beads option at The Unique Sheep, Ellen of Earth Faire selects the beads to go with your yarn.  It is great fun seeing what she comes up with.)

Through the Looking Glass - Clue 1

True to my word, after I blocked Moonfleet, I cast on the next shawl - Through the Looking Glass.  The shape is Faroese, the center panel represents a chessboard, and the wing motif is lady bugs.  I am using a Gradiance color way - Autumn for Ana.

But this was not the yarn that I ordered when I signed up for this Knit Along.  When I signed up I ordered a solid color - Gold Mustard.

With berry-lined light topaz iridescent beads.  I actually ordered Autumn for Ana for the Phoenix shawl because I really didn't think that the color I had originally chosen was going to show off the design, but as I started to see some of the finished shawls I decided that the Gold Mustard yarn would be a better choice for the Phoenix shawl and decided to use the Autumn for Ana yarn for the Through the Looking Glass shawl.  The beads that I had originally gotten with my order will work just as well with the new colors, although I will have to find some beads for the Phoenix shawl, but that won't be hard given the size of my bead stash.

Both colors are Luxe, by The Unique Sheep, a wonderful combo of superwash merino and tussah silk.  Not fuzzy, great stitch definition, wonderful to work with.

Moonfleet - Clue 8

I am so excited!  I finished up Clue 8 last night, now all I have to do is the border and the shawl will be done.  I worked this clue a little at a time, 2 repeats on Tuesday, 2 repeats on Wednesday, half a repeat on Thursday (I was fighting off a migraine) and finished up on Friday.  It wasn't too bad, taken in little pieces like that.  I still don't like the purl two together through the back leg, but there were only two rows that I had to do that on.  Thank goodness for Addi Turbo lace needles, nice and pointy.  I have already wound the first skein of my yarn for Through the Looking Glass and have the knitting needles standing by.

Moonfleet - Clue 7

So I was all set for an easy penultimate clue but when I got to the last part of Clue 7, the part that transitions to the next clue, I discovered lace stitching on both right side and wrong side rows.  And, to make it even worse, there were purl two together through the back leg.  Fortunately the actual lace motif is only 5 rows, and only 2 of those are wrong side rows.  The other rows are easy - only one row with beading - and the rows are not long and the pattern is an easy one.  So, on to the penultimate clue.  I might even finish this up by the weekend at which point I will continue my efforts to catch up on The Unique Sheep knit-alongs.  Next up, Through the Looking Glass.

Moonfleet - Clue 6

Finished up Clue 6 this afternoon.  An easy knit.  Clue 7 consists of one more repeat of the King Charles Diamond Pattern (the clue 6 pattern) and then a transition chart and then I will be on to the last chart before the border.  I love this yarn (Eos, by The Unique Sheep), it is one of my favorite lace weight yarns.  I am seriously contemplating knitting another Evenstar shawl in the Aubergine Eos that I have in my stash.  I knit my first Evenstar out of pure silk, and I am not sure that I am sold on pure silk for lace, I think I prefer a wool/silk blend, it gives you the best of both worlds.