05.19.14 I finally got some Azula Mermaid in maple, which is what the Purl Soho sample is done in. I am very excited, the yarn is beautiful. I got some new #3 circulars for this project, since all my #3s are straight needles.

08.16.14 Cast on today. Pretty easy to work with this yarn.

08.17.14 Finished the first lace row tonight and wound up with four unaccounted-for stitches at the end of the row. These are not extra stitches, but rather I just worked the pattern wrong and missed a set of YO/SSK midway through the row. I will only need to tink back half a row to fix it. I think when I work with lace I needed to draw up a quick chart, since I am a more visual person. Written instructions are harder for me to understand.

09.11.14 I have worked my way through more than a quarter of this now. I have learned in the last few weeks how to fix the lacework by working vertically down the columns, rather than tinking. It was getting to be too much work to tink all the time. Of course, now that I know how to fix it on the fly, I am making few mistakes because I am just getting more comfortable with the pattern and can quickly tell when something is amiss.

I thought it would take me a very long time to finish this project, but I seem to be working through it rather steadily. But pretty soon I will need to work on some Christmas gifts, so that might delay it. I like the way this project isn’t completely mindless, but does not require my 100% attention either.

I keep checking my gauge and I am spot-on for 8 stitches per inch, which is what the pattern calls for. This is good, because I only have two skeins of this yarn and it’s unlikely I could get anymore from the same dye lot. Not to mention it is very expensive. It took me months to break down and order the two skeins I did get. The idea of spending that much money on yarn for one item of clothing freaks me out a little. The wrap is already looking beautiful, though, and I know I will get a lot of use out of it.

I cannot wait to do more intricate lacework, I really enjoy it.

10.06.14 I am starting with the second skein now. I finished the first pattern repeat and thought I was in really good shape, as I had a foot or two left of the first skein as I finished the pattern. Then I noticed there are about 6 rows between the first and second pattern repeat and I ran out of the first skein about 1.5 rows into that, so I am not sure how it will play out.

I noticed the reason the pattern from Purl Bee says to maybe get three skeins is because Mermaid used to be 700 yards per skein but is now 670 yards per skein. My skeins have labels that say the skeins are ± 700 yards, so I should be good. But given where I ran out, I am not at all sure. I might have to try to knit a little tighter this second half to make sure I don’t run out with just a row or two to go. And here I thought I was spot-on. We’ll see …

11.24.14 This project is on hold while I work on Christmas gifts and a pod for my cat Batty in this cold weather. I should be able to pick it up again after the holidays and still get it done in time for warmer weather.

10.14.18 After falling ill in early 2015, I finally got back to knitting in late 2017. At first I was a bit confused, it was hard to read my work. I couldn’t figure out, for example, how I had decided to handle the edges. Did I follow the pattern, or did I use some other option for better edges? The stitches are so tiny, I couldn’t tell. I also had some issues with the lacework.

I got some help in a class led by Theresa Gaffey from The Yarnery on those problems (thanks Theresa!). Since then, it’s been a good project for me to get back into knitting, since it’s relatively simple.

03.21.24 Back at it. Yes, it might take me ten years to finish this one, when it’s all said and done. I’m completely at peace with this.