Another shawl!

[aunty_marion]

This one is called "198 Yards of Heaven". I, erm, was dared to make it. I dared kniteracy to make one over the weekend; then I realised I'd just been given some wool of about the right weight for one, and printed off the pattern and tucked them away together, and then she dared me back. I finished mine at 2.30pm yesterday, having cast on late Friday afternoon; she had a few more things to concentrate on over the weekend, but will almost certainly have finished it by tomorrow.


This is what it looked like on Saturday afternoon.



And this is what it looks like now, being blocked!



The yarn is Rowan Classic Soft Lux, in a sage green, with metallic Lurex bits in it. I actually needed more than the 198 yards the pattern 'requires', as both kniteracy and I agreed that to make it a better size, a third full repeat of the pattern would be good. I had two full balls of the yarn (at 137 yards each), and part of a third one; I've used most of it! I'm quite pleased - there are a couple of mistakes, but this is the first fully-lace project I've done.

Comments

[ysobel]

Preeeetty :D

[aunty_marion]

Isn't it? kniteracy is doing hers in Manos Silk Blend in a deeeeeeep purple. But I'm quite pleased with this (particularly as I'm still a lace beginner!).

[gwaihiril]

Pretty!

Funnily enough, my mom just emailed me a link to this pattern with a note that I might enjoy it. I was just looking at it and thinking that it was too small for me to really like it, then went to DW and saw your photo of a larger size, which is making me reconsider making it.

[aunty_marion]

Thanks! Because of the way the pattern works, you need to do x full repeats *plus* rows 1-12 of the main pattern before going into the edging. We decided that two full repeats wasn't quite enough for us either, so we did three, but (as long as you have plenty of yarn!) there's nothing to stop you doing more! We've also both decided (after seeing comments about it on Ravelry) that we'd do the lace edging in stocking/stockinette stitch, rather than garter stitch.

As to size, those blocking mats are 24"/60cm across from side to side, and I've got it pinned out *almost* corner to corner of two, with a third one attached for the point. So it'll be about 5' across from corner to corner, and about 24" deep, if that helps.

[smeddley]

That is LOVELY! I want to try a lace project, but... I'm worried I won't have the patience!

[aunty_marion]

Thank you! It's lovely and warm, too.

Try not to pick something too complicated for your first attempt - I started out on the Express Lane socks, but was a bit daunted by them at first; then I did a Damson last October/November, realised how easy that was and made three more in about a week each. And then finished the socks in a couple of weeks, too. I'm now making Ysolda Teague's Ishbel shawl for the Ravelympics!

ALL lace is nothing more, usually, than yarn-overs and various decreases. And most designs have a 'repeat' which is usually over not very many stitches - that shawl has an 11-stitch repeat, so you never have to count very high, and you can put in markers on the needles to help. I'm making Hex, from the Fall 2009 Knitty, which has a 22-stitch repeat, but the most I have to count to *ever* is nine! A lot of rows are (say) Knit 3, YO, SSK, Knit 5, K2tog, YO ... knit to the next marker, and repeat.