Finished! Shawl is completed, at last!

shawl7
Originally uploaded by Jam_mam.

Got there in the end :o) Very chuffed!

Started this on 8th August 2006 finished blocking last night, 3rd January 2007. I know this becuase I wrote down where I had got to at the end of each session - otherwise I'd never have remembered! It took 12 evenings work approx 3 - 4 hours per night.

Blocking made a big difference to the size. Went up to 59" x 33" here's how it looks without me. VBG was 40" x 24" prior to blocking *shock*



Pattern: from Posh Yarn's Lace Club
Yarn: cobweb Arabella (I think) from Posh Yarn
30% cashmere 70% merino
50g, 795 yards (lots left from a 100g skein)
Colour: Mulberry
needles: used my smallest Denises as I didn't have the correct (smaller) size for the pattern

Near disaster last night as I started to block and discovered a HOLE where the edging was beginning to unravel at the botton point! Eck! Sewed it up with the tail of yarn. Did this after I had blocked it. Lots of good info about tis sort of thing in Heirloom Kntting. It looks okay now. But you can see it in this photo I took whilst it was blocking.



Things I found difficult about the pattern? mainly the edging. I had a totaly different look to the line where I attached the edging from the photgraph that came with the pattern, mine is much lacier. I think this is due to not having slipped the first stitch of each row. The pattern said to attach to body of shawl on every row but that would have been too stretched for my shawl so I attached every other row. First I couldn't work out the reverse shaping and then the mistakes I made ment frogging back the other side of the edging. When i came to knit it again i ended up having to use the reversed edging pattern as the shaping was wrong when I tried to repeat the directions I had used the first time. i obviously did it backwards, but it came out correct! The purling was on the wrong side the knitting on the right. *shrugs shoulders* Hey, i don't know the reason, I just work here! But it all turned out fine and I am eager to try another shawl.

Next time, I will use laceweight rather than cobweb, just to see if it is easier. I will use the correct needle size *rolls eyes* as the fabric of this shawl is very see threw (which i like but wouldn't suit a lot of patterns). So now I just need to decide which yarn and which pattern for the new shawl. Maybe circular or maybe a stole, hmm so many choices... Maybe 4 ply, maybe not, variegated? Solid? Isn't it great to have so many options?

To answer Di's question - I don't have enough time to do it all -haven't sewn a thing for ages - so behind, (note to self- must stop self knitting to keep committments to sewing forum). Ho hum, oh for more hours in the day. Thank you for the positive feedback, it makes me smile! :o)