Past projects #4: the shawl

I think it's time to chronicle the project that ate all my knitting time and memory all last spring ans summer: the shawl.

Sometime spring semester I decided that I should make a lace shawl for my sister, who was married in August. (Hey...I'm ambitious!)

I scoured the internet and knitting books for a pattern I liked. I finally landed the Spanish Peacock shawl from the gallery of Meg Swansen's A Gathering of Lace. Then I had to find a white lace yarn I could use. Lori (sister) is allergic to wool, so that narrows things quite a bit. I eventually chose Misti Alpaca Lace. I started in with a lot of apprehension, but I gained more confidence stitch by stitch.

I think I cast on in the beginning of May. Around and around I went. It was practically the only thing I worked on for months. I had my set backs of course - like the hole I made near the beginning that I was absolutely freaking out about, but turned out to not show up one bit in the finished product. The hardest part for me may have been trying to figure out how to do the edging, which was from Barbara Abbey's Knitting Lace. I had a lot of time to work on it in July, after I had surgery on my foot.

I finally finished the first or second week in August. I was ecstatic. I'd actually finished before the wedding! I couldn't wait to block it out.

The blocking process took me about six hours. (Keep in mind this was my first time block anything, let alone a huge lace shawl.)


There was one mistake I made that was very evident. Instead of a sl2tog-k1-p2sso throughout the pattern, I had been doing a sl1-k2tog-psso the whoooole time. This resulted in an open line between pattern repeats instead of a nice tight line, and also made the pattern go in a pinwheely shape instead of like spokes. This made me really really upset. But I got over it. I told myself it was still beautiful, and anyone who didn't know the pattern wouldn't know the difference.

I felt so empty without that shawl to work on. "This must be what post-partem depression feels like" was my thought.

It was an amazing experience...and I can't wait to start another one.....when classes are out....


Lori loved it. She cried.
:)