Old, New and Finished!

I was very surprised after yesterday's post to discover I had only 10 rows to do, and though that doesn't really seem like it was close to finished, I knitted a few more rows.  THEN I was seeing the end... The last 8 rows are border lace, with 2 rows of beads (which slows down the knitting), and with each completed row I felt like I shouldn't stop.  And I didn't, until...

There I was, blocking!!  Yippee!  And points, just like I promised myself.  Remember I started this in September, and finished in less than 2 month.  But, my cast-on wouldn't let me pull those points out.  After languishing almost 2 months, unblocked, I knitted gifts and this and that.  Finally, December 30, I started to knit a new one from the old one, and made sure I had a super stretchy cast-on, only to rip that one out and cast-on a bit firmer, but still stretchy.  I've been holding my breath since the beginning of the year, waiting for this day!
It's Spring, and I love it.  Thank you, Susanna IC!

 Polaris by Susanna IC from ArtQualia Designs

Yarn:  Hand Paint Lace by Misti Alpaca, Lace / 2 ply
100% Alpaca, 875 yards / 100 grams

I used 60 grams, and 11 grams of beads. 

Two problems solved:

1. The bind off edge instructions: "*p2tog, return st to left needle; rep from * to end of row; a strong non-stretchy bind off is essential in order for the crescent shape to form during blocking."  It was SO rigid, and restricting that I was sure I'd have a circle when I blocked, so I frogged it, and bound off with a simple k2, pass first stitch over.
2. Again, a repeat of Oslo Walk Shawl, I found a hole.  It was made by a yarn over, which increased the whole thing by one stitch, which I fixed when I got to the lace top border.  This yarn over was close to the top tip of a big diamond... about five rows into the short row section.  This time, I didn't have to rip it all out, but was able to crochet it down to the diamond and fasten it with a little extra yarn.  Hardly noticeable, until you LOOK!  LOL  This sort of thing makes it "handmade". Right?

Other posts: 

Better, this time! Tuesday, Jan 10 2012

Resolutions... As if! Monday, Jan 02 2012

Tale of Two Shawls: Part 2 Saturday, Nov 05 2011
Tale of Two Shawls: Part 1 Friday, Nov 04 2011

Good needles, Bad needles Sunday, Oct 02 2011

?? Wednesday, Sep 14 2011

Old and New

Being away the month of February, has caused that month to become the watershed for old and new projects.
This one, is old and new:  My KAL Polaris Shawl.  I presume no one is 'knitting along' so it's all mine now!
History:  Started as KAL, and kept up, finished, but just before blocking I noticed that the cast on edge was not loose enough to accommodate the lovely points that were intended.  I was sure of it because I had recently finished another Susanna IC shawl with exact same result.  NO points.
I decided to keep the first shawl/scarf and I love it - color, yarn, beads, ... all of it.  And I wear it proudly around my neck... with no points.
Polaris... You have to tow the line... Points you will have!
Here's what's left of version 1:

It was once a complete shawl, like this:

And now I have this:

Those points are going to POP! Or else, I'll be having a very bad day...
I have a few more of the short rows, though they are the longest of the short rows, and then the top border.  No deadline... and five other projects on needles, all calling out to me!

Tale of Two Shawls: Part 2

OWS completed!  SO happy with it.  No more holes and this is how I've been wearing it:

 Where did all of that work go? (See Part 1)
Meanwhile, stop me if you can... I finished the Polaris Shawl.  Looks great in this picture, but think how great it will look if I block it!

Then again, I sadly realize that there will be NO points, no double points as in the beautiful pattern picture... I obviously don't know how to cast on loosely.  I've accepted it in the OWS but I'm thinking how much MORE I would love this shawl if I frogged the whole thing and REALLY concentrated on a loose cast on.  OR I could try to cast on loosely and even complete the bottom beaded part without frogging.  I probably have enough to make a second shawl...  Let's not be rash.  Knit night is Thursday... advice before then?

Tale of Two Shawls: Part 1

KAL Mystery Shawl is now revealed as Polaris.

OWS (Oslo Walk Shawl) re-visited.
As I spent my first evening on the couch after 3 weeks of toddler activity, I began work on the Polaris above, examining each stitch, looking for those pesky dropped stitches, or worse yet, a stray yarn over.  Four weeks had passed since I blocked my OWS and discovered a hole MID-CENTER.  I don't know how it could have escaped me until after binding off and blocking!  OK.  Maybe I was a tad excited to finish...  Here's the last blog about it, carefully avoiding mention of a hole:  Blocking link
I've admitted it to all my groups:  Knit night group, exclaiming it won't be noticed when it's around my neck, and I "could" take another piece of yarn and tie it closed, or something.  I even proudly showed it off to my knitting classes to demonstrate that 'stuff happens' and it's not the end of the world.  So there I was: At the end of the world.  And that night I chose to DO something about it.
First I spent a half hour with yarn and needle, trying to make it look, well, ... er,... perfect, and surprise!  It didn't.  Then I took a crochet hook and tried to create an extra stitch from the hole all the way down to... it wasn't pretty.  After an hour of head scratching, I resolved it would have to go.  I picked up a row of stitches below it and bravely pulled out the bind off edge.

I knew what I was getting into:  Short rows are worked into that whole "yarn over" section, and I was ready for much more tink'ing and almost certain frogging the whole project, but I persevered!

One side was indeed not on the same row, so hours later I was satisfied I had found a place to begin.  I re-read the instructions and started to knit, and this was the result.

I commented to a friend how horrible my stitches looked compared to the evenness of the blocked part, and she, insightfully, asked if I had used the same unraveled, blocked yarn to make those stitches, and, of course, she's right. The yarn was trying to hold its shape from the previous knitting. But there's NO HOLE in the center panel.  (Cheering!)

It blocked out nicely, and, AHhhhh, all is well with the world.

 No, Susanna, I didn't frog the 'whole' thing to capture the beautiful points at the bottom (cast on) edge.  And the beads (green) show up very noticeably in real life.

Meanwhile, I found a pesky dropped stitch in my Polaris...  better keep looking for more!