She's blocked, she's ...

beautiful, she's big.

Recapping Swallowtail shawl:

Pattern Interweave knits fall 2006 Evelyn A Clark
with an extra lily of the valley chart 1 epeat

Yarn Knitpicks Gloss 70% merino 30% silk, 3 skeins
(rated 50 grams 220 yards each, 38 gr left)

Needle size 6 nylon circ

Measurements: 30 inches by 70 inches (blocked)
(was 22 by 46 unblocked)

Bound off September 29, 2006

pictures later,
j

STS blocking

She is knit and she is bound off and she is blocking. Let's hear a big woohoo.

Here is a pre-block pic of swallowtail. Preblock size is 46x22.



And here is a close up showing two of the "adjustments". The stitch markers show where I cheated two of the ssk k1 k2tog, by substituting k3 to gain two stitches.


She should be dry by tomorrow. Stay tuned for finished pics.

more later,
j

Adjustments for 3 lilies

Well, swallowtail is proceeding well toward the finish but these rows are getting looong.

I could tell by projecting stitch counts per row that I would need more stitches going from the extra lily chart to the final border. Four extra stitches by my calculations to make the transition from the last row of lily to the first row of the final border chart. I devised a scheme to add an extra row (and associated purl back row) to the final lily motif. You know how the yo nupp yo moved over from row to row? Well, my extra row moved it over one more. Elegant, I'm thinking. So clever, I'm thinking.

Well, I moved on to the final border chart and neared the center and my row was not coming out "even". I went back and checked my stitches. They looked ok. I checked my calculations. They looked ok. What's up?? Well, after much counting and refiguring I determined that not only must one have a multiple of 8 (plus lead in and follow up stitches) in the row leading into the final border, one must have a multiple of 8 on the left and a multiple of 8 on the right (plus those other stitches). Stated another way, one must have an even multiple of 8 or, yet another way, one must have a multiple of 16 (plus those other stitches). The short story is that I needed 4 more stitches on the left of center, and 4 more stitches on the right. I considered rewriting the center transition stitches but did not feel up to it. After much grumbling, I tinked back some stitches and left off some decreases (4 of them) so that the result was that I had my extra stitches. This row has a series of ssk-k1-k2tog yo-k3-yo. That's not the sequence of the repeat as written but that's how my brain remembers it. Well, that ssk-k1-k2tog makes two stitches go away and if it is replaced here and there by k3, 4 times total, or 2 times on each side of center, there's my 8 missing stitches. I have marked these areas with clover markers, which I will leave for the next picture (not tonight, it's late). I have knitted in the next two right side rows, and cross your fingers, it seems to be working.

Now, my question is, what should you do if you add an extra lily chart? And somehow you need an extra 12 stitches? Suggestions please.

more later, but not tomorrow, because you know, Tuesday is knit night,
Jeri

STS with 3 lilies

Sorry to be absent for a while. I've been missing you.

There are many excuses -- too much work (6 days a week), feeling sniffly, more interest in knitting than "playing" on the computer... Maybe the knitting qualifies me for an "excused absence"... Well not really but here's an update on the Swallowtail shawl.

First, I'll say that I am really enjoying knitting this one. And the knitpicks gloss is nice to knit too so the combination is good and has been keeping my attention. I finished the 14 bud repeats and gave her a stretch (it was about 22 + inches, which is two sheets of standard paper, a handy measuring device when you don't want to get up and get the tape measure or yard stick), and I said to myself, looks like it might be big enough so I proceeded to the lily of the valley chart 1. Then on to lily chart 2. Well, about this time, Angeluna (who did the extra five repeats of the bud chart, and her STS is done) called, and as we talk, I'm reconsidering my choice and wondering if mine will be big enough... Well, back in the beginning, I had talked to one of my sisters of the wool, who is quite a shawl/lace expert, and she said she might do an extra lily repeat, if she knits STS.

So I start running some counts about how one might best add in another lily chart repeat. It seems with a 10 stitch repeat and adding on a chart with a 10 stitch repeat that one could just give lily chart 2 another go. And one could. But I'm not positive about the counts so check this, if you decide to try it. But I pulled her out and checked how lily chart 1 and lily chart 2 work together and found that the double decreases were stacked and the swath of nups/lilies were stacked and it looked like simply repeating lily chart 2 would not stack. However, my counts revealed that going back to lily chart 1 would stack the double decreases and who could tell what the lily nups would do (I couldn't tell what the lilies in chart 2 were doing relative to the lilies in chart 1 until I was a few rows in to lily chart 2) but it looked promising, so that is what I did. Well, close. I am repeating lily chart 1, leaving off the plain transition rows 1 and 2, after lily chart 2. I'm ready for row 9 and so far so good.

I did not realize this post would be so long so congratulations and thank you if you're still with me and here are the pics. Full out, well, as full out as lace will lay, not yet blocked, and staying on the circ. And close up, showing the lily borders with lily border 3 half done with the double decreases lined up and the lilies lined up.





Oops, almost forgot to say, I did a modified nup. Instead of knit yo knit yo knit in one stitch at nupp time, I did knit yo knit. The on the purl round, I had a purl 3 together to do instead of purl 5 together. I like it. Not quite as nuppy but easier to execute and nuppy enough for me.

catch up pics on the sweater

I finally got all the sweater parts grouped for a picture. This is where we are:

She'll be getting some knitting time this weekend and I am having a weekend. No work-work today (Saturday) and Monday is a holiday. I may go out and sell some trees at the farm today and watch some rain, hopefully.

Haven't decided whether to work on sleeve 2 or front 2 next. Targeting to do both over the next coupla' days.


Meanwhile, swallowtail has caught my fancy again. She has gotten knit time this week and is at 12 repeats. I have a decision point coming up at 14 repeats of the bud chart. I want her a bit larger than the pattern is written, and I'm thinking of doing more bud repeats. Stay tuned for my plans (and some math) at 14.

more later,
j