The Highland Triangle Shawl from
Folk Shawls has taken the first position in the finishing line up. There was a bit of extra motivation since on August 4 and 5 I am teaching a workshop at the
Recycled Lamb, on knitting and designing this shawl and it's kin. It will be great to knit along with the students as they launch their own shawls. I'm pretty sure I'll still be working on it then. There's a long piece to go on this one yet.
It took me some minutes this morning to find my place in the pattern. I think that I must have last knit on this one around Easter as I saw a doodle of a bunny on the chart, a definite seasonal clue. I found my place by counting the lace motifs that move up the center of the triangle and correlating those to the chart. Luckily I had left myself another clue; the marker stuck into the center of the knitting indicates the end of the first repeat and the beginning of the next set of row repeats. That was confirmed by the motif count.
I will admit that I do not always mark where I've been or where I've left off. Like many knitters in the thrill of the beginning of a project, I'm sure I will knit right on through it, never leaving it long enough to lose my place. And this in spite of the fact that I know I am constantly starting something new. Well then, here's a good lesson from the revived Highland Triangle: leave clues and make notes as you knit, just in case.
I will thoroughly enjoy knitting on this shawl again. I has a rhythmic pattern and the central triangle grows quickly. Knitting satisfaction. Plus the
Just Beautiful Alpaca is one of may favorite yarns for knitting. Feels grand in the hand (quickly jots down the corny slogan).
When I'm working from large wound balls of yarn I like to use a yarn bowl to keep the ball from rolling around. Been doing that for years and years, ever since I saw Kaffe Fassett doing so in one of his videos . He, of course, was using a beautiful Chinese bowl. This one is also no doubt Chinese, but plastic, and will not break no matter how harshly I treat it. It's lightweight, clear so I can appreciate my yarn, and extremely stable with a wide square bottom. Not elegant but functional.
On the subject of functional, the Best Loved Garter Stitch Shawl, a most functional garment, will be right by my side today to knit on in those moments when my time to concentrate on the Highland Triangle lace is limited, conversation ensues, or I am just plain tired. It's just garter stitch ( I love that phrase) and the color is so enticing it's a joy to knit in the summer light. It was an unusual batch of
Dancing Colors in Crimson. Watermelon color. Refreshing. That's the joy of color and hand dyeing. Shifts happen.
Best Loved is large now and close to being done, so it may be the first to be completed. Only twenty-four rows to go but they are long ones, some 320 stitches each. Lovely long rows.
Let the knitting begin!
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