Photos:
Color varies between photos due to light. Best representation is on 2nd pic, taken on my DR table. Yarn shows stitch definition beautifully, as you can see. I’m tall (5’10”) so you can see width in my arm span and also on my big screen shot.
After wearing this a year (today is 7/2/11), I con’t to get loads of compliments on this piece. ABFAB design Pandosu!
6/1/10
DONE! 56 repeats X 20 rows X 19 st avg = 21,280 stitches in the border. With 2800 beads….
Hands are cramped and I think I have carpal tunnel for the first time ever but…..
Absolutely beautiful finished.
About 64” across.
Used blocking wires to save all the pins. I think I could have blocked even bigger but this one was bigger than my DR table and had no other safe place (Dogs…) to block it.
Zephyr is not my favorite yarn but it finishes up pretty, with just a little bit of shine and good stitch definition. Used 2.5 balls of Zephyr (very healthy bit of ball 3 left over).
5/22/10
About 1/3 through the border. Like all circular borders, it’s slow going because of the area you are covering. This is twice as slow because I chose to bead. First time out with beading and it’s clearly a labor of love. Looks good but hell on my hands.
As a result, I’m limiting myself to 2 repeats a sitting and then working something else.
5/9/10 3 repeats in (see photo) on Clue 7, the border. Slow going the first 2 repeats because I was uncertain of the pattern (kept thinking I was doing it wrong). Once the pattern emerged in the piece, moved faster. Also, the dental floss method of slipping on beads makes all the difference (thanks to TeriB for posting pictures of the technique). Piece in the picture is bluer than real life and the beads blend in; they are more obvious in person.
4/25/10 Just about finished with Clue 6 - just the garter stitch rows left. Pattern is beautiful and can’t wait to block it.
Talked myself into beading the border. Morgaine at Carolina Homespun helped me pick some out and talked me through various methods for working them onto the work. Waiting on Clue 7 now….

4/17/10 Finished Clue 5. Pattern is beautiful and easy to follow. Used only 1.5 balls of the Zephyr so far. I’m expecting the final clue and the border (especially the border) to eat up 2+ balls.
Zephyr is holding up well and dealing with what little tinking I’ve had to do but still not pleased with it. Even the relatively cheap Daphne (Elegant Yarns) is smoother than Jaeger.
4/11/10
Started Clue 5 yesterday, 24 st repeat makes it easier to keep to the pattern. Spoiler pics show a great finish to this stage.
The first real change in this clue is when you k1-yo-k1 into a center stitch of the repeat. If you want to minimize the hole this creates, twist the stitch before you knit into it.
3/29/10
Finished Clue 4 last night. once you find the right starting point, it’s all straightforward - 20 st repeat gives you a good way to check your accuracy.
Resulting columns are very pretty. Pics on the KAL board show how it looks in darker yarn, very dramatic.
Still not happy with Zephyr, just too rough for my taste (good otherwise). Will see how it is after blocking.
3/27/10
Clue 4 out last night. Stock up on stitch markers-28 repeats. Another errata re where you start the first row at this level. Start above the last leaf tip. Had to fudge some of the first row for a couple of stitches but not noticeable enough to tink back and figure out where I added a couple of stitches.
3/16/10
Done with clue 3, finished on the plane. Ripping back was worth it. Lace teaches patience, lace teaches patience, lace…
3/15/10
Errata on line 49 - had to rip back 5 rows. Argh. I knew there was something wrong but kept chanting ‘trust the pattern, trust the pattern“. I knew better and it burns me to have ripped it back.
All fixed now however and not the worst thing. Nearly done w clue 3.
3/13/10
half way through clue 3; first several rows easy. Wonky dancing marker row easy once you get the pattern memorized. chart symbols a little different but easy to understand once you remind yourself to trust the pattern…..
Decided to put a lifeline in between 2 & 3 (always a good idea). Note to self - do not run lifeline through stitch markers….
3/9/10
2nd clue done! second clue not difficult (a little tedious actually). Signs of interesting pattern to come in the last couple of rows.
Zephyr continues to be just ok - raspy as can be on my hands.
3/6/10
First clue done. Again. Used the alternate (for me, at least) K1P1 in same stitch for kfb7. much more even outcome.
Worth it to rip back.
3/3/10
FIRST CLUE UNDONE! started clue 2 only to find that I didn’t have the right # of stitches and couldn’t for the life of me where the error was (not above faking it if I can figure out where the error is), so ripping it back til I get to the right number of stitches.
Also, discovered the ‘other’ way of knitting the star pattern. Seriously thinking of ripping all the way back, will think on it at work while coworkers talk about the serious, important project they are working on….
3/2/10
FIRST CLUE DONE! interesting pattern - never done a kfb7-k3tog.
not so in love with Zephyr. A little raspy in my hands, especially after working in such a soft, soft yarn like lacey lamb (cap shawl project). I’ve seen Zephyr blocked and it’s pretty (and I like JaggerSpun’s larger weight, been working it on a diff project for nearly 3 years now….) but not feeling the love while I knit.
2/27/10
tried the Habu, not right for this either. Now working with Zephyr by Jaggerspun. .
2/26/10
love the yarn, not sure it’s right for this pattern. May switch to Habu boucle cotton….
2/23/10 - started the swatch. Used a different circle cast on. The Thom Christoph circle cast on doesn’t allow you to cinch the center circle once you get going, so you end up with a loose center (either that, or I did it completely wrong).
Used size 2 dpn to get going, switched to size 4 dpn after first two increase rows - 2s get a nice, tight center and didn’t have 3s in the house (oh, need to go to the LYS again, just for needles, honey….). still in the easy stage, looking fwd to seeing the pattern.