A lot of things have gone by the wayside this school year.
I’ve been an inconsistent blogger.
My housekeeping has gone to pot.
My knitting, though, has not ceased.
In January, I cast on for this term’s OWL…a three-month project that reads almost like a dissertation when a proposal is submitted. We’re hard-core on Ravelry!
I love to knit lace, so the Laminaria Shawl fit the bill.
I used Malabrigo yarn I’d purchased some time before (I didn’t have to use the pink, but it was there as a backup plan in case I ran out of the purple), but it wasn’t long before I hit a snag.
Thank heavens for Ravelry. Folks, if you want to make this shawl, DO YOUR HOMEWORK! There are some issues with symmetry in the pattern. The KAL (knitalong) forum for this pattern proved invaluable and helped me figure out how to adjust the stitches on the left side in the first couple of charts.
I used a lot of lifelines and about halfway through quit counting stitches. It gets old counting out three to four hundred stitches. Relying on my ability to hit the end of a section with the right stitch was scary, and I often tinked back to fix mistakes.
Still, I persisted.
Mom’s health crisis nearly did me in at the end. Deadline knitting can be stressful, but it’s also a motivating factor when I knit. That’s been a big bonus since joining the Harry Potter Knit/Crochet House Cup.
I took this project with me during both trips to visit my mom. I knit in her hospital room by the light provided by the bathroom during the times when Mom’s headaches were so bad that she couldn’t tolerate any extra light.
I knit in the car when Super Sis drove the second trip down.
I knit when the Mr. picked me up and we traveled to Orlando for a Spring Break vacation.
I knit on the way home and then the day after that.
Blocking went much quicker than I’d originally expected, and I was able to take pictures the next day.
I do love my picture taking, although I sometimes fear that my neighbors will one day commit me to the loony bin; the sight of a camera on a tripod and me running back and forth to set the self-timer must be hysterical to behold.
A special thanks to the Mr. who did snap a few photos for me. He grew aggravated, snapped a photo of my rear end for laughs (husbands…sheesh), but tolerated my request for help…to a point.
I wound up using nearly both skeins of yarn (935 yards), more than meeting the 800 yard requirement for this Charms OWL.
I tried to figure out a way to show off the lace work. The purple yarn was difficult to photograph. I hit upon an idea…using the shawl like stained glass. My front window provided the perfect backdrop.
I’ll let you peruse the rest of my photos. It’s a smorgasbord, that’s for sure! If you want more details about the project, visit my project page on Ravelry! I’m Auburnchick over there!
Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: HPKCHC, Knitting, lace, Laminaria, ravelry | 2 Comments »
AuburnChick's Adventures 