I finished! I think my grandma will love it. I really enjoyed this pattern - the repeats are easy to remember and easy to see when you're making a mistake early! It felt like it just flowed from my needles when I had time to work on it!

I want to warn those using Jaeggerspun zephyr in fuchsia that it bleeds:



Blocking pictures:

my swallowtail

It's going okay. I'm on repeat #12 or so of the budding lace detail. I went out and got some Lace Addis today and that really sped things up. I'm using Hand Maiden Sea Silk.

I wrote two previous posts about it on my blog, so if you really want to see them here they all
are. The only interesting part is that I did four repeats in Cherry Tree Alpaca silk before I ripped them out and switched to Sea Silk.

I can't wait for this to be done!

I'm obsessed!

I'm making my very first Swallowtail, and I love it. I did extra repeats to enlarge it, so I'm just now getting to the first Lily of the Valley border. I'm using Malabrigo laceweight, in a candy pink color. I hope the photo is okay--I took it in a rush this morning.

--Judy, aka Nerdy Knitter

I picked up my swallowtail again last week. I had brought it along on my vacation, but only did a few repeats on the airplane and then put it aside. I'm excited about working on it again and am almost through the budding lace chart. I thought I was through last night, but counted my stitches and still have one more repeat to go. It looks beautiful in the pink zephyrspun. And I'm very inspired by seeing everyone's swallowtails. What percent of the shawl is finished when you finish up lace pattern 2?

I'm almost there!

My Swallow Tail Shawl is currently soaking. I'm so excited to see my first lace project bloom into something even more beautiful than it currently is. Unfortunately, in my haste to get it to its bath ASAP, I didn't take a "before" photo! d'oh.

Swallowtail Inspired Baby Blankie

Patons Jet, Wool Alpaca Mix 10 Balls
6mm Knitpicks Options x 2

I started with a circular provisional cast on, and added extra stitches to double the pattern (make it square), and also to make each of the four "ribs" double instead of single knit stitches (just to make it easier to knit in the round.

It took me about 6 weeks, but I moved house in the middle of it, and just got around to blocking yesterday. iPod included for scale.  The edging is just moss stitch (seed stitch).  Knitted for my new neicephew, due in December '07.

I have the yarn to do this again, but following the edging charts too - for a much bigger blankie, for my baby, due in November.

Swallowtail in Golden Chai

Pattern: Swallowtail Shawl
Yarn: Artfibers Golden Chai, 100 % golden tussah silk
Amount Used: Over 500 yards
Needles: KnitPicks Options circular 47-inch size 8
Pre-Block Dimensions: Length 27 1/2 ", Width 56"
Post-Block Dimensions: Length 34", Width 70"

Love this yarn! I really can't tell accurately how much I used, as I ran out with 5 rows left to go! I had to order more. I have more details on my blog: http://mymerinomantra.typepad.com

Sea Silk? We'll sea! (Har har)

I actually knit this last October over two weeks when I was between jobs, and I intended to give it to my Grandmother for Christmas after blocking it.

Sorry, Grandma.

I did finish the shawl (even though I took this picture before finishing the border), but I followed my usual procedure and immediately started knitting something else instead of just taking the last step and finishing the project. (Maybe I enjoy projects so much I never want them to end? Perhaps...) So, when I saw this KAL I thought I'd join it and it would induce me to finally block the dang shawl already.

This picture looks more like "Stingray Shawl" but it shows how the shawl knits up with Hand Maiden Sea Silk and size 4 needles...

As you can see, at this point I still had a lot of yarn left. I had a teeny little bit left over -- about the size of a silver dollar-- when I cast off the final stitch. If anyone is considering making this shawl with Sea Silk, one skein is exactly enough yarn for this project.

Here's a closeup of the rosebud lace:

I have read that the Sea Silk looses up quite a bit during blocking, so I am curious to see what happens. I'll post pictures. Personally, I don't think a person can ever go wrong with silk, so hopefully Grandma will have silky shoulders for Christmas this year-- finally!

WOOHOO I am now blocking

I can't believe it, I finally finished, this was the most intense knit I have completed to date.

Here are my before and during blocking pix


The top corners look a little weird...I know its not completely even, I tried my best, I don't have a T-square like Eunny Jang's example...but it will be flowy right.. so I think it will be okay

I have more pictures on my blog of the blocking progress and measurement before and after

I assume I will leave it like this until tomorrow so its fully set??

Learning to Design Lace

I am a big fan of Evelyn Clark's designs and am playing with trying to learn to design my own shawl. Does anyone have ideas on books to look at or websites? Or maybe some thoughts? I'm especially stuck on how to build up the edges on either side of the pattern repeat, so that when you start the next repeat, you have enough stitches/

I've been working on the Thistle Lace pattern from Barbara Walker's Teasury, volume 2. My goal is a triangular shawl with a symmetrical, small repeat, then a border, then a peaked edging. The Thistle leaf pattern is a 28-row repeat with purling on all even rows. Here's where I'm stuck:

1. does the border edge have to keep increasing in number of stitches, or can I increase to the number that I need for the repeat (11) and then do plain knit or repeat the same row on either edge until I get to the end of the 28 rows needed for the pattern repeat?
2. any ideas on how the border should mirror the pattern? can I just do a small part, or do I need to build up to the entire pattern as I get enough stitches on either side of the repeat?

My blog is at http://pegotty/blogspot.com if you'd rather leave a suggestion there. Any help would be welcomed! Thanks all.

progress half way there

I signed up in May but I dont believe I ever posted anything, here is where I am at now, I have been procrastinating about switching to circulars, but I dont think I can wait any longer

Im using Lacey Lamb 100% extrafine lambswool, everything else is in a foreign language



I have more info on my blog, but here is where I began some months ago

http://moosieknits.blogspot.com/2007/05/current-wip.html

Finished Swallowtail!

I finished my Swallowtail Shawl! I am so proud of it! I'm going to enter it in my state fair. Here it is in its entirety:

and here is a close up:

I'm thinking of blocking it again, but this time stretching it out a bit more. We'll see!

My Second Swallowail!

I just recently finished my second swallowtail, using Knit Picks Shimmer in Turquoise Splendor. It was a much quicker knit the second time around, and I loved every second of it!

More pictures and details on my blog. Happy Knitting!

First Lace Project!

I am so pleased with the Swallowtail thus far! It's my very first lace project. Here is the beginning of my progress. I pinned it down so you guys can see it, but it's obviously nowhere near done and therefore not blocked.
And here's a close up just to show the detail.
I'm knitting it using Colinette's Jitterbug, I love this yarn! I'm also glad I'm doing my first lace project in fingering weight yarn. Yesterday I casted on for a feather and fin scarf with lace weight and I'm really glad I didn't start with it!

Real Red completed

I finished this about two weeks ago--before starting the semi-insanity that is the Mystery Stole--but had misplaced the camera.

less than one ball Zephyr Wool-Silk in Real Red
size 4 Inox Express 24" circular plus a tapestry needle to aid in nupping (see my earlier post for info on this)

I am really proud of how this turned out; It's my first lace project and I love everything about it. Visit my blog for a few more details. :-) Thanks, all!

I've started a swallowtail! I made an Icarus shawl this year and am in love with lace. It turned out pretty huge and took me five months so a smaller project is looking good. I'm going to visit my grandma tomorrow and it'll be a gift for her when I finish. She loves deep hot pink so when I saw some halcyon yarn zephyr spun in fuchsia I knew it was perfect. I started this weekend and am looking forward to working on it on the airplane tomorrow.



Thanks to everyone on this knitalong whose advice and beautiful finished swallowtails are inspiring me!

my Swallowtail is finished...

Washed and blocked this morning and ready for her photo shoot late this afternoon, my Swallowtail. I'm not 100% pleased with the 3-stitch bobble substitution for the nupps. Next time around, I'll try some of the other variations I've been reading about. The color in the photos is a lot more eye-popping than the actual color of the yarn (Jade Sapphire's Cashmere and Silk laceweight in Blueblood Red) which is a warmer, pinky red. Working with this yarn was a luxurious treat. When I picked up one of my favorite merino wool sock yarns this morning, it took almost an hour not to feel as if I were knitting with baling wire after working with the cashmere and silk. :)

She's Flown the Nest

It was fun. I'd do it again. Here's a pic:
There's more pics on my blog - Something To Laugh About
Specs: Morehouse Merino Lace - 2 skeins in coral
Needles: Addi Turbo Lace Size 5 and for the last row and bind off I used Crystal Palace bamboo circulars Size 8
Some thoughts: I wasn't fond of the transition to the Lily of the Valley border. I ended up liking nups after the first 1 or two rows of them. Watching it grow and bloom when I blocked it was great!

Addicted to LACE

I just started knitting lace over the summer and I must say I LOVE it! I can't wait to get started on this shawl, tho I have to find my missing interweave that HAS this pattern in it...*sigh*

But you will be seeing this off my needles VERY soon!

nope to nupps

I'm in the home stretch, working the Peaked Edging now. I spent several evenings trying all kinds of permutations to achieve the 'nupps'. With the purl 5 together nigh on impossible for me to execute with my Inox greys, I started trying out different things. I finally settled on a 3-stitch bobble which, while not entirely to my satisfaction, is better than throwing down the knitting in complete frustration. ;)