Day Sixty-One

I guess, technically, this is day sixty-one.  I finally was able to block it.  The problem was that I needed a large, clean space where I could pin it in position for several days.  Then I wet it down and just let it sit and dry.  The only place I had was my king-sized bed.  Since I am going out of town for the weekend, I figured this was a good time to put my bed to another use.

Day Sixty

IT"S FINISHED!!!  I can't believe it.  It still needs to be dressed which means stretched and blocked.  That will sharpen the points and corners and flatten it out.  I won't do that until I get back from Baton Rouge this weekend.  I can't believe I got it finished so soon.  I mean I know it took over 200 hours which is 5 40-hour work weeks, but I didn't know if I would still be working on it the week of the wedding.  At the minimum wage in Arkansas of $7.25, the cost of labor would be over $1500.
    I love it.  I want to start another one right now, but I have many other things to do before the wedding.  I do have a couple of left over skeins of yarn and maybe after I've got all the wedding stuff done, I'll knit myself a lace scarf.
    Now, let me say at this point that this was entirely my idea.  Natalie never asked for it.  I know it is highly unlikely that she will wear it at the wedding or the reception.  And I'm okay with that.  I told her I would just like one picture (or two) of her with it.  Maybe she can use it on a table or something.  Whatever she does is fine with me.  It's her day, not mine.  Besides, like most things I make, this was about the process and not the finished product.  And I thoroughly enjoyed the process.
    I'll try to continue to use this blog to document the things I'm working on.  I'll have to be careful though about talking about gifts that I'm working on.  But then I don't know if anyone is actually reading this.
   And now for some pictures.  Remember this hasn't been blocked yet...

Laid out but unblocked

Another view

One corner

The Ocean Wave edging

The Pineapple border

The Lace Leaves middle

Day Sixty knitting time...9 hours

Total knitting time...209 hours!!!

C'est Finis!!!

Day Fifty-Nine

I may actually finish the shawl today.  I'm so excited.  As of yesterday's session, I have been knitting for 200 hours.  That's a long time.

Day Fifty-Nine knitting time...6 hours

Total knitting time...200 hours

Day Fifty-Eight

I am so close.  I think I will probably finish it tomorrow.

Day Fifty-Eight knitting time...8 hours

Total knitting time...194 hours

Day Fifty-Seven

Day Fifty-Seven knitting time...7 hours

Total knitting time...186 hours

Day Fifty-Six

I've been spending a lot of time knitting lately.  That's because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I think I just have a few hours left and I am so excited.  I don't want to do anything else.  But...this being the first of the month I do have to take some time to pay bills.  However, as of yesterday...

Day Fifty-Six knitting time...7 hours

Total knitting time...179 hours

Day Fifty-Five

Day Fifty-Five knitting time...8 hours

Total knitting time...172 hours

Day Fifty-Four

Day Fifty-Four knitting time...4 hours

Total knitting time...164 hours

Day Fifty-Three

I spent most of yesterday dealing with family...my uncle's visitation.  Then the funeral was this morning.

Day Fifty-Three knitting time...1 hour

Total knitting time...160 hours

Day Fifty-Two

Spent the day watching the first season of "Downtown Abbey" and knitting.  Then started the first season of "Mad Men".

Day Fifty-Two knitting time...9 hours

Total knitting time...159 hours

Day Fifty-One

Hitting a milestone...

Day Fifty-One knitting time...7.5 hours

Total knitting time...150 hours!

Day Fifty

Day Fifty knitting time...4 hours

Total knitting time...142.5 hours

Day Forty-Nine

Day Forty-Nine knitting time...3 hours

Total knitting time...138.5 hours

Day Forty-Eight

Day Forty-Eight knitting time...2.5 hours

Total knitting time...135.5

Day Forty-Seven

Hopefully, things are settling down for a couple of weeks and I can concentrate on knitting.  I would love to finish the shawl before my trip to Louisiana in a few weeks.  That may not be a realistic goal, but I'll try.

Day Forty-Seven knitting time...7 hours

Total knitting time...133 hours

Day Forty-Six

Back home from Texas and finding a little more time for knitting...

Day Forty-six knitting time...2 hours

Total knitting time...126 hours

Day Forty-Five

I'm getting ready to take another break.  I'm going to Texas tomorrow to Jerry and Jenny's for Tai's first birthday.  I would love to take the shawl to work on, but they have three Weimeraners and the last time I took a knitting project, I came back from the bathroom to see the yarn trailing from the living room through the doggie door into the backyard.  They didn't do any damage, but I sure don't want to take a chance with this shawl.  Besides, I doubt that I will have any time to work on it.

It's time for some more pictures.  The first one is one whole corner.

The next one is a close-up of the wave edging.

Then there is the pineapple border.

And, finally, the leaf pattern for the center.  You can see the corner is shaping up nicely.  I wasn't sure that I would be able to make the center work the way I had it planned, but so far I think it is turning out nicely.

So far today I've worked about three hours on it.  I plan to work another hour before I quit, so I am going to say...

Day Forty-Five knitting time...4 hours

Total knitting time...124 hours

Day Forty-Four

Day Forty-Four knitting time...3.5 hours

Total knitting time...120 hours

Day Forty-Three

I haven't posted in a while because when I've had time to knit I've been working on samples for the center to help me choose the pattern.  I finally chose it yesterday.  I am using a leaf pattern.  Also, when I am unsure of what I am doing I have a tendency to procrastinate.

Day Forty-Three knitting time...2 hours

Total knitting time...116.5 hours

Day Forty-Two

I finished the border last night.  Now I am working on a sample to decide what pattern I want for the center.  The one I am working on now is a small leaf pattern.  Don't know yet if that's the one I will use, although so far I like it.

Day Forty-Two knitting time...4 hours

Total knitting time...114.5 hours

Day Forty-One

Wow, it's been quite a while since I posted.  That's because for the past three weeks I've been concentrating on spending time with family as we supported our Uncle Don in the hospital and then mourned his loss.  Uncle Don was a remarkable man.  There will never be another.  But it's been a week since we lost him and life is slowly getting back to normal.  It will never be the same.

Day Forty-One knitting time...5 hours

Total knitting time...110.5 hours

Day Forty

Day Forty knitting time...5 hours

Total knitting time...105.5 hours

Day Thirty-Nine

I haven't been working on the shawl much this week because my beloved Uncle Don has been in the hospital and I've been up there most of the time.  When I am at home, I've been too tired to tackle lace knitting.  Besides, I was at a place that needed some intense deciphering.  But, last night I got it figured out.  On paper it doesn't really work, but in yarn it does...so, that's what matters.  Everything seems to be one stitch off, but for now it's working.  I hope I don't pay for it later.

Day Thirty-Nine knitting time...3 hours

Total knitting time...100.5 hours

Day Thirty-Eight

I want to share the pattern for the pineapple border with you (for those of you that understand).

Day Thirty-Eight knitting time...3 hours

Total knitting time...97.5 hours

Day Thirty-Seven

Happy Easter!

I didn't get to work much on the shawl yesterday. My uncle is in the hospital here and I visited him a couple of times.  Then I went to the Easter Vigil mass last night.

I had forgotten that the reason I put the work away on Friday was because I accidentally pulled the needles out of about 20 stitches.  Yesterday it took me about an hour or so to get everything back on the needles correctly.  After that...

Day Thirty-Seven knitting time...1 hour

Total knitting time...94.5 hours

Day Thirty-Six

Here are pictures of the work as it looks today.  If you look at the top of the bottom picture, around the purple marker, you can see the start of the pineapple.  The ocean waves in the edging are fairly plain to see.

Day Thirty-Six knitting time... 1.5 hours

Total knitting time...93.5 hours

Day Thirty-Five

Day Thirty-Five knitting time...6.5 hours

Total knitting time...92 hours

About time for another picture.  I need to remember to do that soon.

Day Thirty-Four

Today for the first time in a while, I was able to sit and knit for a good part of the day.  The downside of this is I got so engrossed that by the end of the day, I realized that I had forgotten to call Rebekah to wish her happy birthday.  So, Happy Birthday!

Day Thirty-Four knitting time...6 hours

Total knitting time...85.5 hours

Day Thirty-Three

Day Thirty-Three knitting time...1.5 hours

Total knitting time...79.5 hours

Day Thirty-Two

Oh, man! I am back on track. I must admit I've been purposefully avoiding working on the shawl because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get it figured out.  But, today, I spent about two hours unknitting the last round to get back to a place I was pretty sure was correct.  Then I re-knit that row and then the row that caused me SO much trouble.  The pattern repeat is 28 stitches.  In the beginning I had used markers to mark the beginning of each repeat.  I got to the point where they seemed to be in the way so I took them out and that's when I got confused.  So I put them back in and it makes all the difference.  If I had to make one suggestion to anyone attempting lace knitting, it would be to place markers at the beginning of each repeat.  It's much easier to focus on where there might be a problem. I'm excited to be back in the flow.

Day Thirty-Two knitting time...2 hours

Total knitting time...78 hours

PS. I didn't count the time spent unknitting toward the knitting time because I want to only count time actually spent in creating the project.

Day Thirty-One

I have got to get this figured out.  If I don't, my brain will explode.  If that happens, I'll wind up taking the whole border out AGAIN! and starting it all over again.  Heaven help me!

Day Thirty

WOW! This is hard.  Every time I start a new round, it takes me a while to get it figured out.  Once again I find myself completely confused by this project.  When I went back to redo the round that confused me last night, I got it straightened out. Then I got a couple of rounds done and then came up against another confusing one.  So, I've put it away for the night and hope with fresh eyes and brain tomorrow, I can get it done.  Nevertheless, I'm still enjoying the process.  I just wish I could spend more time on it without getting so confused I have to stop.

Anyway, I spent about three and a half hours on it today, but I am not counting all that time because some of it was trying to figure it out and ultimately unknitting back to the start of the round.

Day Thirty knitting time...2.5 hours

Total knitting time...76 hours

Day Twenty-Nine

I came to a difficult point last night around seven.  The round I was working on just didn't seem to come together.  So I took all that round out and put it away.  Now, I'm procrastinating getting it out again because I'm not sure how to handle it.  But, I've got to see what I can do.  I'll keep you posted.

Day Twenty-Nine knitting time...1.5 hours

Total knitting time...73.5 hours

Day Twenty-Eight

I spent most of yesterday working on crocheted Easter eggs for two of my grandchildren.  This was at the request of my daughter.  After I finished six eggs, I was able to work on the shawl.

Day Twenty-Eight knitting time...2 hours

Total knitting time...72 hours

Day Twenty-Seven

Day Twenty-Seven knitting time...5 hours

Total knitting time...70 hours

Day Twenty-Six

I'm ba-ack!

Had a wonderful trip to Milwaukee to spend time with Rebekah's wonderful family.

Back at home nursing a bum knee.  The upside is that it gives me more time to knit as I am trying to stay off of it.

Day Twenty-Six was yesterday.

Day Twenty-Six knitting time...4.5 hours

Total knitting time...65 hours

Day Twenty-Five

Well, I am almost back to the same point where I discovered my big goof and had to start the border all over again.  It's going pretty well.  But, I am taking a break while I go visit Rebekah's family for about a week.

Day Twenty-Five knitting time...3.25 hours

Total knitting time...60.5 hours

Day Twenty-Four

This posting is for yesterday's knitting time.  I haven't gotten to knit today because I am getting ready for a trip to Milwaukee tomorrow.  I won't be taking the shawl with me as I will be visiting two small grandchildren and I want to spend my time with them.  Plus, I don't want to take any chances of any accidents happening.  As for today, don't you hate it when all you want to do is sit and knit but you need to clean and pack, etc.  Anyway, as for yesterday's time...

Day Twenty-Four knitting time...3.75 hours

Total knitting time...57.25 hours

Day Twenty-Three

I was going to count each day whether I knitted or not, but I've decided to only count the days I actually knit.  That being said, today was deja vu all over again.  I've been redoing what I had to take out because of my stupid mistake.  The positive is that I'm getting pretty good at this particular section.

Day Twenty-Three knitting time...5.5 hours

Total knitting time...53.5 hours

Day Twenty-Two

Well, I knew things were going too well.  I just figured out that I made a rookie mistake...I got my knitting twisted when knitting in the round on the borders.  So, I have to take all of that out and start the border over again.  That also takes me back to 46 hours of knitting time as I only want to keep track of the time I actually spend on the shawl.

Day Twenty-Two knitting time...2 hours

Total knitting time...48 hours

Day Twenty-One

Day Twenty-One knitting time...4 hours

Total knitting time...61.1 hours

Day Twenty

I really think I can do this.  It's going really well right now.  This is a picture taken earlier today.  I am working from the outside in on circular needles, so it doesn't look like a lot right now.  But it's actually coming along quite nicely.

Day Twenty knitting time...5.5 hours

Total knitting time...57.1

Day Nineteen

Day Nineteen knitting time...5.5 hours

Total knitting time...51.6

Day Eighteen

I think I'm ready to start knitting on the borders.  To me this is the scariest part of the whole project, not only because it's mitered, but because I had to chart the mitering by myself.  We'll see how many restarts I have to do before I get this mastered.

Day Eighteen knitting time...4 hours

Total knitting time...46.1 hours

Day Seventeen

I think I have the border pattern figured out.  I am using a Pineapple pattern because the pineapple is the symbol of hospitality in the South.  I learned that on a tour of Nottoway Plantation in Louisiana a long time ago.  I'm not quite ready to start knitting the border yet.  I have to sit down tomorrow and graph out the miters for the corners.

Day Sixteen

Wow, this is hard!  I'm still trying to master the pattern for the border.  After many...many...many restarts, I thought I had it going really well and then I got to some really bizarre stitch patterns that completely threw me.  So, put it away until tomorrow, Katherine.

Day Fifteen

Well, I've spent a good deal of time today trying to master the pattern I want to use for the borders.  So far without a lot of success.  Of course, for the last hour or two I haven't been heeding the warning of not trying to do it when tired.  So, I think I'll go to bed and start fresh in the morning.

Day Fourteen

I just finished the last edge.  Now is time to start on the border.  I'm going to work up some samples of different patterns to see what I like.  I'm not going to count the time I spend on the samples into the knitting time.

Day Fourteen knitting time...2.5

Total knitting time...42.1

Day Thirteen

Day Thirteen knitting time...3 hours

Total knitting time...39.6 hours

It looks like so far I've put in a full work week.

Day Twelve

Why does knitting get such a bad rap?  I mean, you hear people talk about little, gray-haired ladies sitting in rocking chairs knitting like they don't want to end up like that.  Well, I may be littler than I used to be, but I'm not little.  My hair is gray now, but I am not sitting in a rocking chair...it's a recliner, if you please.  And I knit because I chose to and I love doing it.  It certainly isn't the only thing I can do.  As you may have guessed, that's a pet peeve of mine.  Besides, research has shown that knitting has some of the same stress-reducing effects as yoga.

Day Twelve knitting time...6 hours

Total knitting time...36.6 hours

Day Eleven

One of the suggestions in one of the books was don't do lace knitting when you are tired.  I would have to strongly agree with this.  It's no fun "un-knitting"!  Luckily, I haven't had to do too much of it.

Day Eleven knitting time...6.5 hours

Total knitting time...30.6 hours

Oh yeah, I finished the third edge and started the fourth.

Day Ten

THE YARN IS HERE! THE YARN IS HERE! THE YARN IS HERE!

If anyone needs me, I'll be knitting...

Day Ten knitting time...5 hours

Total knitting time...24.1 hours

Day Nine

Day Nine and still no yarn.

Day Eight

Well, yesterday was day eight and was also a Sunday. Therefore, there was no mail and no yarn.  I am still waiting for today's mail.  Unfortunately, the extent of tracking on the package is a shipping date of February 20.  Sure hope it comes today.

One interesting thing I've learned about the history of Shetland lace knitting is that it is so fine and delicate that many of the women who did the lace knitting were excused from regular household chores.  This was because calluses and hangnails could get snagged on the fine yarn.  We all know how easy it is to snag a pair of hose or a sweater.  I've actually done this myself while knitting some of the samples. I have a callus on my thumb that's actually from knitting (not from housework) and I've caught it on the yarn and pulled a hole. Very frustrating!  And I don't think I am using the finest yarn available.  I think for that I would actually have to order from the Shetland Islands.

Days Six and Seven

Days Six and Seven

Still no yarn, so no knitting, at least not on the shawl.  I always have something going on.

Day Five

So, today I finished the second edge of the shawl and started on the third before I ran out of the first ball of yarn that I have.  I am waiting for an order from Patternworks with more yarn.  I hope it comes tomorrow.  The yarn I am using is Filatura Di Crosa Golden Line Nirvana.  It is extrafine, 100% merino wool.  I am using US size 1 needles.

Just for the record, I know I am early in the process, but I am loving this.  I wish I could make a living knitting Shetland lace.

Day Five knitting time...3.5 hours

Total knitting time...19.1 hours

Day Four

Day Four knitting time...3.5

Total knitting time...15.6

Day Three

Day Three knitting time...2.6 hours

Total time...12.1

Day Two

I have finished the edging for the first side. Three more to go. I spent three and half more hours on this today bringing the total time for the almost two yards of edging to thirteen. Time to start the next side.

Day Two knitting time...8 hours

Total knitting time...17.5 hours

Day One

My precious middle daughter, Natalie, is getting married in October. I have decided to make her a Shetland lace wedding shawl for the occasion. This is quite an undertaking. It's not unusual for me to set tasks for myself that seem insurmountable at the time. Only time will tell. I will try to use this blog to track my progress. Maybe that will help me stay on track.

I spent much time researching online. I have a book on Shetland lace by Sarah Don that I bought in Scotland when we were there (unfortunately, we never actually made it to the Shetland Islands). Then I splurged on a book by Sharon Miller called Heirloom Knitting. Besides the patterns and instructions, both books contain some very interesting history. I will try to share some of the history as I go along.

There are several ways to approach the construction of a Shetland lace shawl. The traditional method is to knit the edges first and then knit from the outside in. The most common modern method is to knit the center first, then add the borders and the edging. I am using the traditional approach. So far today, I have spent almost seven hours knitting. I have about a yard of edging. I have chosen the pattern Ocean Waves Edging on page 78 of Heirloom Knitting. I chose this because both Natalie and her fiancee, Steven, both work for and have a passion for the preservation of the Gulf coast. I haven't chosen the border or center patterns yet.

I will share pictures as I go along.

Back to knitting...

Day One knitting time...9.5 hours

Total knitting time...9.5 hours