25-10-2020

When you start the 4th section (the yellow speckled one), refer to this: https://www.meruladesigns.com/knitting/the-hardest-part-o...

11-11-2020

Got to 166 st (in section 3) on the first skein of 250m Isager…

I do intend to use this colourway for the icord edging where section 4 meets up again with the live st in section 3.

12-11-2020

At 176 st (end of section 3), I have 43g of the Isager (CC1). I could continue to make the shawl bigger, but I don’t know if that will leave me enough of CC2 (the mauve). To get to 176 st with this yarn, I used 62 g.

14-11-2020

Section 4: Picked up the stitches on the convex side of the cast on edge and I used a new needle / put stoppers on cable holding the live st from section 3.

I quickly found that picking up every stitch (as I believe someone else suggested) did not work. My method in pick up section 1 (MC-adjacent) of this knit on was to pick up stitches by putting the right needle into the hole between 2 bumps (right at the edge of the work). This is picking up 1 st every 2 rows and that’s what Purl Soho suggests is a way to pick up stitches from a garter edge. See below, I wouldn’t do this again…

When I got to the second section pick ups (the stripes), then I did find that the purl bump at the very edge was the better stitch to pick up. For the 3rd section (that which attaches to the CC1 section), I found that the best way to pick up the stitches was to put the needle through the 2 bumpy strands at the very outside of the selvedge (produced by the K2Tog). I worked those “loops” right at the edge of the garter. This created a join that wasn’t quite as holey as picking up the purl bump (the single, picked up purl bump tend to stretch unpleasingly). It also makes the eyelets maximally reversible because there isn’t a seam on the wrong side.

Here’s hoping that my relative inconsistency between sections will yield an desirable result - because I’ve been careful about creating the best look in all sections, pre-blocking.

It’s important to know that the section 4 is likely to take a number of attempts before everything coheres. Allow for a couple of hours of trying and ripping back. It’s simply a part of the process.

I know, like lacework, the fabric will open to reveal the eyelets once wet blocked but, while working, it sure does look meh at the join. It’s really hard to tell if the eyelets will look equally sized and well positioned. So I’m having to trust that it’ll work out looking right, when blocked.

Also - I know many have found this 4th section to be unclearly positioned, but I thought it was quite well explained - esp once you realize that the outer edge is knit on icord. Admittedly, it might have helped if the pattern provided a bit more context about section 4. And I don’t agree with picking up the purl bump as the optimal method for picking up the stitches, see above. But if you follow the instructions, they work. The blog post, linked above, is also helpful.

16-11-2020

In the end, I did 368 rows of CC2 and used 45g of yarn. I stopped using this colour when I hit CC1 icord section (where section 4 meets up with the st on holders).

I used 32g of the MC (Cream)
I used 62g of the CC1 (Brown) - at 176 st / end of segment 3
I used 45g of the CC2 (Mauve)
I used 3g of CC1 (Brown) to complete the icord at the point where section 4 meets up with the live st on section 3. This was a good plan given that I have only 3g of the CC2 remaining so wouldn’t be able to finish the icord in that colour. I also prefer icord in the same colour as the yarn.

16-11-2020

Blocked this to pattern instruction. Note that, this doesn’t require blocking wires (if you aren’t intending to make the curved edge straight/pointed). I think it actually works better (given the sharp curve on one side), to use pins. The I cord creates a terrific edge and there isn’t any lace other than the eyelets at the join.

In retrospect, I would have done the pickups in section 4 differently for the first part (section 1 meets section 4). I would have picked up the 2 K2Tog bumps at the outer edge of the selvedge, as I did with section 3 where it meets section 4. It’s not a disaster, all the pick ups are neat, but the first ones create a non-holey, diff look.

It would appear that some who’ve made this shawl blocked it to be a triangle, rather than retaining that curve at the icord edge, which happens organically as one transitions to the live stitches at the tail end of section 4. I didn’t do that - I love the curve so I retained it in the blocking process.

17-11-2020

I love this finished object so much that I’m about to knit it again (using stash yarn) - applying the knowledge I gained while making this version. It’s an ingenious design - quite simple (and tv-worthy) but with a twist. And it looks terrific.