Shawl Tryout

I'm glad I took the precaution of leaving the yarn attached while I blocked the shawl. Although it's 17 inches long, I think I'd like it to be longer. I tinked back the cast off edge. For the record, it's pretty easy to do for the cast off I used: k2tog tbl, place stitch on left needle, continue. The additional rows are slow going, because I've still been too busy to sit down and knit.

Blocking and Casting On

My Bigfoot shawl is blocking! So far, it's 17 inches long at the back neck and looks to be about 120 inches circumference. I haven't cut the yarn and woven in the ends yet. Although I think it will stretch to the size I'm after. For the record, that's 11 repeats of the main pattern. I cast off using a size 11 needle, and the k1, *slip back on the left needle, k2tog tbl* bind off.

Pattern: Bigfoot Shawl from Alison Hyde
Yarn: KnitPicks Gloss Lace in Aegean I used about 1.5 skeins
Needles: Options size 8


Then I cast on for a pair of socks using my new Cat Bordhi book.
Yarn: Trekking XXL
Needles: KnitPicks Options size 1
Pattern: Riverbed architecture not sure about the stitch pattern yet.

Too Busy To Knit ??!!

Hard to believe, but I've been too busy with horses, friends and family to get very much knitting done. In the past two weeks I've barely managed seven rows on my shawl. Today is my day and I hope to make up for some lost time. I think I'll do a few more rows on the shawl, and block it to see how it might fit. Alison advised me that silk blend yarn tends to stretch lengthwise and I don't want it too long.

Today is my day to measure my feet, wind a second ball of my Trekking XXL, and start some socks with the Cat Bordhi book. I'm leaning toward the Riverbed architecture, but haven't picked a stitch pattern.

Life is good.

It's Not So Hard

Indecision plagues me. I couldn't figure out how to measure the length of my lace shawl project bigfoot. After a couple of replies on Ravelry, I just did it. I removed three or four repeats from the needles (on a lifeline) and sprayed them with water. Then I stretched them out on a towel until they were dry. I figure it will be close enough. From the exercise, it looks like each four row pattern is about an inch in length. Right now I've knitted about 12-13 inches. So I'll do six more repeats and test again. Or maybe I'll just bind off. I've got some time to think about it.

Knit One, Tink Two

Done with dithering, I cast on for Bigfoot, using Knit Picks gloss lace and options needles size 8. I put a lifeline in at 96 stitches thankfully. Because I needed to rip back to it when I got to row 10. Made it to the first purl row of the yoke and had to tink most of the row. Now I've done a few rows without mishap and will work on developing a rhythm. Lace is humbling.