Shawl, Shedir answers, and the new PS!!

Well, it seems that this shawl is speeding along faster than I'd expected.

I've already finished the body repeats, and am now starting on the first border chart. For those of you who like to follow along, I just completed row 4 of the Lilly Of The Valley Border, chart 1. I realize that this is where things slow down a little, but I'm up for it.

I didn't expect to enjoy working with laceweight this much. And lace really isn't any big deal. I mean, it really helps that I have a bunch of chart reading under my belt, but this particular lace pattern really isn't very difficult. It's just the same thing over and over, with purl rows in between. I could see it getting a little bit tiresome if it was a huge shawl or something, but this is rather small, and not too much trouble. (At the end of the body repeats, you have just under 200 stitches.)

All in all I'm very pleased with this. I'm ordering some blocking wires from KnitPicks today, which means that this might sit around for a little while after I cast off, but that's ok. I've heard that blocking wires are The Way To Go, so I'm not questioning it. If it makes it that much easier, I'm all for it.

For those of you attempting to locate the Shedir hat pattern that I posted about recently: go to Knitty and click on archive. Scroll down below Summer 2005, and you will see a little "blog button" looking thing that says "Be Aware" with a pink breast cancer ribbon on it. It's the download only PDF mini-issue, with a bunch of interesting patterns in it. The first is a scarf with breasts all over it, but when you skip through a few pages, you'll see a pink version of Shedir. It's labeled "extra-spicy", but if you've got some chart reading experience, this shouldn't be too bad. I mean, it's only a hat, so it doesn't go on forever or anything.

I have read about people running out of yarn right at the end, but I used one ball and didn't quite get through the whole thing, even though I added one patter repeat to the cabled columns (the part before the cables start to "hold hands").

I definitely recomend using the suggested yarn, Rowan Calmer (I used colorway Coffeebean). It's deliciously soft, and a little stretchy, which makes it an everyday wearable that's lightweight and comfortable to even the most sensitive skin.

Has everyone heard that PS (Project Spectrum) is starting again in a few weeks? This time there are three colors and two months for each "section" of the project. I'm so excited! Remember, no matter what your particular artistic persuasion is, they are all included in this. I've got some plans for it....check back soon to find out!