7/8/13
I checked other people’s project notes and no one mentioned having difficulty getting to gauge. When I swatched, I had to go down to a size 6 needle whether I worked in the pattern stitch or in stockinette, rather than an 8, to get gauge. I was going to work with a 7 but I’m destashing and don’t want to purchase any more yarn, should I run short. I have 1 more ball than the pattern calls for.

i like what the finished project looks like, but I also notice that no one else who has made it has been bothered by the fact that the stitches on either side of the center increase do not look the same. It bothers me, but all the completed shawls look like my stitches and I’m not inspired to figure out how to make them look more alike. I love to wear shawls and I think this one will be an autumn workhorse.

I’m not project-monogamous, so I won’t be busting this out really fast, but as soon as I can.

7/25/13

The asymmetrical stitches killed me, and then I found Raveler “lizacorrea” who did the work I didn’t want to.

Her mods, which were simple and perfectly intuitive as soon as you do them, were enough to cause me to frog the 250 yards I had knit the according to the Red Heart pattern. If you want your shawl to look like the photo, use lizacorrea’s notes. After just a few inches, I was so glad I ripped out my previous work. (see photo that looks like a manta ray) Now, I can’t wait to finish.

8/14/13

I just finished this shawl. I love it but in addition to the “lizacorrea” mods, I have the following comments:

The starting point, that the pattern calls the bottom, works better as the top. This shawl is a kind of diamond shape. The point you begin with is a flatter point than the ending point, or it was for me. So I prefer it as the top “collar.”

When I picked up stitches for the ruffles, I used removable stitch marker and made the 16 sections for the bottom and top ruffle edges. I picked up 18 stitches in each section for the bottom ruffle and picked up the same for the top ruffle, EXEPT that ninth isn’t section, I only picked up 17 stitches. Th result was that I we 2 stitches over what the instructs call for, which was no problem.

I thought the 3 repeats of the knit and purl rows after the yo row for each border was a little anemic, so I did 4 repeats. That required a bit of a 5th ball of yarn. I did knit at gauge, which necessitated size 6 needles, for me.

I like the rustic almost woven look of the fabric in this shawl.

8/22/13
Will blog a little more at length than in these notes.

Had nearly a ball of yarn left, so I improvised a hat. Still had yarn left and ditto, for a cowl. I’m ready for a little chill in the air next month.

If you’d like the hat pattern, it’s now a free pattern here