Heavily modified the charts in order to elongate the shawl. Actually had to re-chart a large portion of the pattern, in particular the center spiral motif, to get the effect I wanted. Ended up with nine total charts not including the edging chart.
-Adding size 6/0 and 8/0 silver-lined clear beads to outline the design. The beads are placed before knitting the stitch and over two/three stitches before completing a decrease.
-Cast on 111 stitches using Judy’s magic cast-on (as the provisional cast on), 12 for garter stitch edge and 99 for chart. Because I used JMC I am able to hold the stitches for the other half of the shawl on the same needle I am using to work the first half of the shawl and use a magic loop like technique to knit. When I bind-off the first half, those stitches will be ready and waiting to go without any additional fiddling to start the second half!
-Adding a six stitch garter edge to both sides and beading the first stitch and slipping it the wyif. The two stitches at beginning and end of each row of chart are now part of the stockinette background.
-Omitting the lace side panels altogether.
-Adding ktbl before all decreases with beads and above all YO’s.
-Final measurements: 144 inches x 24 inches

2 of 10shawls2010

Photos courtesy of Li Ward at Fat Orange Cat Studio
http://www.fatorangecatstudio.com
Li is an amazing Boston area pet and wedding photographer who is also a fellow raveler. I was so lucky to find her. Visit her profile at Domesticat

Not enjoying the beaded ssk and beaded center double decrease… yuck!

I had originally planned on knitting this in a Kid Silk haze type yarn, but decided it was just too fuzzy and switched to an alpaca/silk/cashmere blend which is a much better match to my dress and a lot easier to work with. You can see the two yarns in the pic of the larger swatch (mohair on bottom half, alpaca on top half) Also the swatches were an experiment in bead placement. I learned a lot while knitting these swatches and I think the final product will turn out quite nicely because I learned from the “mistakes” I made in the swatch.

3/3/10: Finished charts 1-4 on the first side. Using up beads faster than expected. I’ll probably have to order more.

3/16: Finished charts 1-9 and broke into my second tube of beads in the middle of chart 8. That means there will be around 3500 beads on this shawl by the time it’s finished!

4/1: Just past the 50% mark and shockingly have used about 3000 beads, probably because I went a little bonkers on the edging section. The shawl is getting kind of heavy. I will either have to break some off or figure out a different way of wearing it becasue I don’t know if in the end it will stand up to being hung from the back of my dress in a veil like fashion… I was super afraid that the pattern wouldn’t line up when I started the second half. But “me of little faith” was relieved at how perfectly the JMCO worked out. It really is magic!!