Jan 29

Got the pattern earlier - I’m so excited!
Searched my stash again - the yarn I had chosen before wouldn’t show the lace and cables well enough. Decided on the Wollbonbon 5ply Merino yarn - it’s a bit thicker than the pattern’s yarn, but I have got 750m - I hope that will be enough for a larger shawl.
Read the intro and remembered that I had forgotten to order beads - so I searched for Mill Hill size 6 and found them at Stickteufelchen

Jan 30

Started!
Practised knitting really loosely for the nupps, on a swatch - then started the pattern.
Oh, that was already row 44 - end of Clue 1!
Fast knit, and a lot of fun!

Excited for clue 2!

12.02.2017

Had finished clue 2 in two days, but the weather was so bad that I could take photos only a few days ago.
Love the nupps and beads pattern of clue 2.
The color of my beads doesn’t contrast to the fabric, but the Mill Hill 16610 glimmer beautifully in sunlight.
clue 2 used up 2 packes of beads.

Did clue 3 yesterday, fun and easy to knit!
And today there was real sunshine for the step photo!
Clue 3 did also use up 2 packages of beads.

Waiting for clue 4 now, I’m excited what the designer will have chosen as a finishing border .

19.02.2017

Clue 4 - nice and interesting, and then I tried the bind-off …
First try: the way the pattern explains - don’t like these spindly little ropes at all, and don’t like the spikes that don’t match the previous pattern.
Tries 2 to 9: Tried to find a way of casting off with a little bit of pattern and beads. I have lots of beads left, and I want to use them for the border - the more weight is added to the border, the less it will roll in, and I don’t like to block shawls so hard that the wool is “dead”.
Tries 10 and 11: Tried a crocheted border with picots - yes, it took me some stitches to know that I have to place the bead after the second chain stitch of the picot, then it will sit on top of the picot.
Try 12: Did a beaded picot and a beaded chain stitch alternatingly - gave a nice rippled edge - no!!!! Okay, now fasten to the picot to a k2tog, then a slip stitch - YES!!!!
Meanwhile I had used nearly a third of the right side of the edge, and nearly one package of beads.

Frogged all my tries and caught all the beads - and THEN knitted the cast-off!
3 hours later - the shawl is finished!
Now have to wait for dry weather to block it.

The yarn had 750 m in 8 color sections.
I needed exactly 5 of these color sections = 475 m.
Plus 442 beads.