I sometimes dream of being a test knitter for Hayley, since I knit all her shawls anyway (except for Meandering, which I have bought cobweb silk for but not started knitting just yet). But then I realize there’s a huge problem: I never stick 100% with a pattern. I always find things I’d like to change. Usually small things, but still…

These are my changes this time:

1. Needle size US4/3.5mm even though I’m using Malabrigo sock, which is considered to be a light fingering. I know that Malabrigo sock gives beautiful surface in stockinette stitch up to at least US6/4mm needles, and I had lots of yarn so…
2. Turkish CO
3. I added the missing braid in chart A. Where did it go, Hayley?
4. I also changed the yo’s in the first rows of chart B to M1L and M1R, like in the rest of the shawl.
5. For an i-cord edge, I usually make an yo on the RS and the drop it on the WS, instead of trying to knit those stitches more loosely. To me, that gives a perfect, even i-cord edge. Needless to say, I don’t use that for the i-cord BO, as it’s done in a different way.

I think that’s it! :)

A few notes on blocking:
I always spend a lot of time on blocking my shawls (and other items). Up to an hour, I’d say. If your new to this type of blocking, I have couple of hints for you.

1. Look at photos of other people’s shawls to decide what shape your want your finished product to have.
2. Then start by pinning up the basic shape. You will find that you start moving pins around even at this stage.
3. Then you start on the details. While pinning them, you will have to move the first pins again.
4. Do you think you’re done? No. Take a step back and look if it’s symmetrical. Are there lines that should be straight but aren’t? Fix it.
5. And when that’s done, you take a close look at each and every pin, to make sure they’re not pulling some strand in a bad way. You might want to add more pins at this stage. You can never have to many pins. A basic rule: Many pins on outer circles, none (or few) on inner circles.
6. Then I take photos, and look at them. I might find something I’d like to move when I look at the photo.

My shawl is fully beaded with clear beads with a turqouise center, that I bought from AliExpress. Super cheap, but they look very nice (once I’d taken out the smallest and largest ones, which were not very many really).

This is a fun and pretty fast project and I recommend it to anyone. Don’t let the Vikkel braid or the Wicker stitch scare you off. Just take your time, and it will be alright. I also suggest beading the Vikkel braid according to the pattern, as it actually helps you to get the stitches even. Yes, it takes more time, but it’s totally worth it. And anyway, you’re knitting because it’s fun, aren’t you? So why complain that it’s time consuming to bead your projects? (Sorry, I accidentally blew off some steam here…)