My first COMPLETED lace project!!!
Post-block measurements: 24” x 52”
Used approximately 400 yards (with two additional repeats of Chart B) Your actual mileage may vary…

This was the ONLY project I knit for 9 “Olympic” days…It was a real exercise in discipline and a surprising education in the actual time a project requires. (my estimate: between 30-40 hours, which is also the approximate time it takes for me to complete a pair of simple womens’ socks)

The pattern is really clever. I appreciate the engineering! I thought with the garter stitch body the pattern would be easy, but the sequences are NOT the sort that you memorize and accomplish while watching TV. I love a challenge!

Day 1-2/15/10-In less than last two hours…Saw pattern mentioned on Scout’s Blog, bought, downloaded, printed, selected stash yarn based on yardage, wound yarn…Cast on at 10:10 am

Completed the first 56 rows plus the first repeat of the set of eight rows in this first intensive day of knitting.

Day 2-2/16/10-Only two repeats of Chart B today, but I’m enjoying the process more.

I set a few stitch markers at the beginning and end of the 22 stitch sequences that make the lace. 22 stitches remains constant from row to row. Stitch markers help me see the pattern in bite sized chunks. The garter stitch section allows me a chance to breathe and blink.

Day 3-2/17/10-Completed three repeats of Chart B. I’m still making mistakes, but I think I have two alternatives at this point…

1. Live with them or…
2. frog the whole thing and never complete the project…

My choice is to accept the mistakes as part of the learning process, complete this shawl and do better on the next one. (I know I will wear this shawl happily, mistakes and all. Besides most of my friends won’t be able to see the mistakes.)

Day 4-2/18/10- Completed two repeats of chart B…Plus spent four hours spent correcting an obvious mistake in the garter stitch section…A mistake I could NOT ignore…a mistake even muggles would recognize!

Day 5- 2/19/10-Completed three repeats of chart b
Note: Since I placed stitch markers at the beginning and end of the lace sections I haven’t had any more glaring errors. This set of 22 stitches remains constant from row to row and forces me to check for missed or migrating yarn-overs

Day 6-2/20/10-Completed two more repeats. Those garter stitch sections sure are soothing…Long stretches without even thinking…That’s my kind of knitting!

Day 7-2/21/10-Finished the fourteenth and fifteenth repeats of chart B. I still have plenty of yarn remaining, so I ran a life line at the end of repeat #15 and I am adding another repeat. Steam Valley Fiber sock yarn is very generous at 485 yards per skein.

Day 8-2/22/2010-Completed two bonus repeats of chart b

Day 9-2/23/2010-Finished at 3:27 pm!!!!! (Still need to block it but I might just wrap it around my neck tonight to look jaunty for dog school!) Thank you to my puppy, Alli for modelling.

I am definitely going to make a second one…I loved this project. I learned a lot about knitting and a lot about myself.

Significant yardage of yarn left over tells me I don’t have to worry about using smaller skeins. My postal scale broke, or I would share the exact weights used and leftover.

2/24/2010-Blocked it!

2/25/2010-Wore it and received 5 complements…Mistakes and all! I think the next one will be red…