Lotus reclining on the loveseat after a tiring blocking session.
Macro shot courtesy of Sweet Baboo.
Requisite nature shot.
Click for Wingspan
Don't let the picture fool you, this little bit of silk and wool makes me happyHappyHAPPY. (But, getting my picture taken doesn't.)
Specs:
Pattern - Lotus Blossom Shawl from Fiddlesticks Knitting
Yarn - Fleece Artist approx 50/50 silk and wool in color Wine (no longer carried in the kit, but the Country Silk looks like a great substitution) 250 gm skein (at 750 mt) and I have 75 gm left after one swatch.
Mods - WhattreyaouttayerMIND?? No mods.
Notes - I was stitchmarker crazy for the "stem" portion of the shawl, and I needed to be to get my groove. But during the "blossom" charts, you have to move the markers one stitch to the right on the right side of the knitting and two stitches to the right on the left side. This interrupted my knitting too much, so I dropped the markers from the pattern repeats.
I still wanted to be able to count stitches though, so on every WS row I would put a marker every 20 stitches, to the center and back out again, then on the RS, I would take them off as I came to them. This worked well and prevented at least 3 mistakes.
The bobbles are a drag, but I did get into a rhythm with them, and the last 8 weren't so bad. They give the shawl a nice clean edge and don't look at all dear, so I am glad I left them in.
In conclusion: The rumors are all true, Dorothy Siemens patterns are wonderful! I cannot stress enough how "trouble-free" this project was... The charts are giant, you get a nice color picture of the shawl draped and blocked (good for getting the shape right), and she is very helpful on the phone. She also has some of the most intriguing triangular designs that I have been able to find. You don't have time to get too bored with her designs.
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