flyinmysoup

in previous posts, i talked about dealing with the really long chart for parts 3 and 4 of the Heere Be Dragon Shawl, but i didn't really expound on it. missalicefaye posted a comment that asked about my solution (thanks for the kick in the pants, btw ;) ), and i thought it high time that i blogged about it!
first, let me tell you that, when i work on a chart that doesn't have a vertical pattern repeat (ie, a set number of rows that repeat over and over) i like to mark off completed rows on the chart with a highlighter. because this no-repeating is true of the HBDS, my chart holder didn't need to be metal for the use of magnets (my prefered method with repeating patterns). so, i went to Joann's and picked up a sheet of foam board. this is the tag that's on the back of the board, for reference.
then i scored the board horizontally (long way) in the middle, cutting through only 1 layer of the paper covering.
this makes the board fold in half and stand up like so. this arrangement worked great for the three pages of chart in part 3, but the board was too short for the four pages of chart of step 4. so, i cut an approximately 9" wide piece off the back part of the board and affixed it to the front. voila! a chart holder for a really long pattern for under $2...rock.

yeah, i'm probably way too excited about this, by the by.

i finished up the fouth set of charts on the Heere Be Dragone Shawl tonight!!!! whooo HOOOO! here she is:
Clicky for the big picture (in a new window)

i'm thrilled with how the HBDS looks so far. fyi--the measurements of the shawl as it's pictured are 46" across the top (wingspan) and 32" from the middle top to the bottom point. this is without actual blocking, of course...i just pinned it out a bit. so now i'm off to start the border...i'm not looking forward to all the stitches that i have to pick up!

The coordinators over at the Lacevember KAL posted this little questionaire, so here you go:

The knitting questions, or the usual suspects

How long have you been knitting?
 i've been knitting for around 3 years now.

How did you learn to knit?
 i knew how to crochet, but i wanted to make socks and couldn't find a crochet pattern for them.  i picked up a copy of Knit It! magazine that had an article on knitting socks in it and learned from that.  yep, my very first project was a pair of socks.

Favorite thing about knitting?
there are a ton of things that i love about knitting, but i think that my favorite is the feeling of accomplishment that floods over me when i finish up a really gorgeous project.

How long have you been knitting lace?
i finished my first lace object (a stole from Lionbrand) in October of 2004.

Favorite thing about knitting lace.
BLOCKING!!!  i love the magic trick of going from something that looks like a wad of yarn to a beautiful piece of finished lace.

The yarn questions, or flash your stash

Favorite lace yarn?
Jade Sapphire's Lacey Lamb--it's terribly fine, but it feels like butter.  it makes every other laceweight i've ever used feel like steel wool in comparison.

variegated or solids for shawls?
as a rule, i do NOT like variegated yarn for shawls--i feel that they tend to obscure the lace work.  now, the yarn that i'm using for the HBDS is variegated, but quite tonal, and the color changes are very subtle.

Favorite lace color?
i love my lace in jewel tones.  this (and the variegated yarn answer) isn't true of lace socks--anything goes with socks.


Technique, or show us your skillz

Circs or straights?
cirs all the way. 

Favorite lace knitting trick?
taping the pattern to a cookie sheet and using it as a magnet board.  adding lifelines with interchangeable needle sets like the Boye or knitpicks set is a snap if you thread the lifeline yarn through the hole used tightening the needle with the little key-thing.


Lifelines? If so with what?
i don't use them like i should--i'm sorta renegade with the lace knitting.  but, on the occasion that i do use them, i use Aunt Lydia's Crochet Cotton--is smooth and skinny.

Fancy blocking wires, or just sewing pins stuck in your carpet?
i've got my eyes out for some blocking wires, buy until then, i use lengths of mercanized cotton in place of wires--it works fairly well.


Pattern, or can you follow directions

shawls or lacey items?
i love love love shawls.  i think that it's the romance around them.

triangle, rectangle, or circular shawls?
they all have their merits.  i think that rectangular shawls may be the most easily worn.

Charts or printed instructions?
CHARTS CHARTS CHARTS CHARTS (can you tell i've got a preference?)

Favorite lace you've knit?
 i think that the HBDS  wins this one, even if i'm not 100% finished with it yet.

Favorite lace you want to knit?
i've been checking out the Wedding Ring Shawl from Heirloom Knitting.  lordy, it would be a lot of work, but how gorgeous is it?

Just Fun, yup that's right, just for fun

Favorite jelly belly flavor?
Juicy Pear

Tell me everything you know about Eric the Red.....
He was a pagan; he had red hair; he was the father of Leif, first viking to explore Vinland in NA...

Coke, classic or with lime?
eh, if one of these two is my only choice, then with limey goodness

Holiday carols, sing along, or wish they would be banned from all public airwaves?
Sing along...loudly...with total abandon...even in the grocery store

What is the definition of irony?
i always though O'Henry's Gift of the Magi to be the perfect example

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop?
i actually tested this when i was a much younger kate.  iirc, it was some where around 114 or so

Why is my cat always puking in front of my son's bedroom door?
the cat has a sick sense of humor

What is your superhero power?
static electricity control and empathy

If the laundry is 9 foot by 11 foot (just dreaming, that's a big laundry room), and the walls are 8 feet tall, and you are going to tile the entire room in tiles that are 3 inches by 5 inches, what color should those tiles be?
the color that is on sale...that's a lot of tile.

What's for dinner tonight?
left-overs and oven roasted veggies

What is clogging my children's bathtub drain?
maybe you should talk to the cat....

have you seen the new IK??? have you?????? in my opinion, it is one of the best issues they've put out in a long time--almost since i started buying it. there are sooooo many things in here that i want to knit!
this is the Arctic Dimonds stole, and i think it's lovely. it seems like it would be a really great tv knitting project for me--fairly easy to follow, but not so easy i start to hate it. wouldn't this look gorgeous in the KnitPicks Gloss? i'm not a huge fan of browns, but i think this would be stunning in the Cocoa color. and the Gloss for the project would cost around $20 as opposed to the $50 or so the called for yarn costs.

now, i now that the Cardigan for Arwen is really similar to both the Rogue and Eris cardis that i've already knit, but i still love it. if i knit it, i plan to make it a bit longer--i'm not real fond of cropped tops in general. how cool are the cables? there's no wrong side to them!

i think this might be my favorite thing in this issue. i think i love the simplisity of it...and the fact that it uses STEEKS!

as does this beauty. i want to make this top, but i think that i want to use a different palette. the prospect of picking out 9 different colors that work is way more daunting to me than the cutting-up-of-the-knitting part.

also in this issue are the Nantucket jacket, the Pewter Coat, and the Wine and Roses mitts, all of which have tempted me. all in all, this issue is well worth the money!

in addition to picking up the IK yesterday, i also snagged the pattern for a beaded shawl done in the Lacey Lamb.
i've been lusting after this pattern since i came acrossed it a couple of months ago. just from looking at the pattern, i think that it's going to be a rediculously easy knit, with lots of band for the buck.

the HBDS is done. i'll show you some pictures, but let me say that the blocking job is abbysmal. i really really wanted to get it blocking tonight, and using my bed (the usual method) was out of the question as i need to rest up because i start a NEW JOB tomorrow (WHOOT). anyway, don't judge me by the craptacular blocking.

clicky for biggness
Here are the stats:
Pattern: Heere Be Dragone Shawl by Sharon Winsauer
Start/Finish: 26 Sept/ 10 Nov 2006
Yarn: KnitPicks Bare Merino Laceweight that i dyed myself (i used approx. 120 gr/ 1060 yds)
Needles: 3.25mm for body; 3.5mm for edging
Finished Size: 57" "wing span", 36" depth
Notes and Comments: i love this pattern finished. i did, however, have a couple of bouts of confusion while i was knitting it. i think that the only thing that may have saved me from ripping my hair out of my head in frusturation is my past knitting experiance. Join the yahoo group if you plan on making this. that way, you can learn from others experiances. overall, i'm totaly thrilled with the FO. i'm not, however completely thrilled with the edging. my problem with it is this: the side edgings aren't mirror images, and this tweaks me a bit. if i ever make another one of these bad boys, that will be changed. all in all, this is by far one of the coolest things i've ever knit.
i will post action shots of the shawl when it's all dry.

non-wrinkly clothing is important to the HBDS...here, it can be seen at the ironing board, ready to smooth out some khakis. maybe this isn't the type of "action" shot you had in mind? well, what about.....

the HBDS drapes Xavier with dragon-y, lacey goodness...hmm, still not quite right?

HBDS, it loves to dance and spin (i, however, almost made close, personal, face-plant-type friends with the wire shelving)

alright, alright. i give up. how do these strike you? the HBDS's "wing span" on a five footish tall girl. it's not as wide as it could be (remember the less-than-perfect blocking). another go around with a more severe blocking is going to add some width, i think.

same shorty girl with the shawl as it will look when worn (actually, the spinning one is probably more accurate, but anywho...)

so, there you are, action shots as promised!

Here is the question to be answered for the third Lacevember contest:
What are your ideal lace making conditions?

first, there are the constants: good lighting is a must. good, pointy needles (circs) are essential. and coffee or tea. then again, i sorta always have coffee or tea, handy, so... also, a chart and some type of chart holder. even if the pattern was written out, i'll go through and chart it. i don't loathe written lace patterns, but charts are just soooo much easier for me to work from.

the other conditions really depend on the difficulty of the pattern. is it a crazy-complex chart that changes every row? then i MUST have a highlighter to mark off the completed chart rows. if it's a repeating pattern, then i need my magnets and cookie sheet set up. i don't like knitting to music, but i love to have the a dvd playing or listen to streaming old time radio programs.

i think that's about it!

so, i'm finally getting back into the swing of living by someone else's schedule. for close to four years, i've focused on school and things NOT of an employment nature, and, even though i'm not working full time right now, adjusting has been interesting. i've gone to being able to knit pretty much whenever i felt like it to having to decided if i'll be able to finish a row before i have to breeze out the door. overall, however, i am loving the new job. but seriously, i work in a pet store--what's not to love? plus, the added paycheck will eventually mean....you guess it YARN!!! (for a bit, it'll mean a boost to bills and the like, but eventually--mwha hahhahaha)
in knitting news, i've been working on the Beaded Swirled Pearl Shawlette. i ran out of beads and had to madly drive about to find some more. and then, the store only had one tube left. i hope that it's going to sufice, but we'll see. this pic was taken a few repeats back--i'm only one repeat away from finishing, and the shawl is bunchy on the needles so not good for photographing. i'm absolutly loving how this is looking so far. it's such a dead-simple knit (good for knitting while catching up on Grey's Anatomy and such) and the yarn--my fav. i'm using beads the same tone as the yarn, and i love that they add just a subtle little bit of sparkle and flair. i think this baby's gonna be a great to wear for the holidays!
and guess what i get to break in when it's time to block it???? that's right! blocking wires!! i picked them up at one of the LYS yesterday in lue of some really fabulous sock yarn (that will be mine so that i can make parrot socks, but all in good time). the set was cheaper than the Knitpicks set, and i got to take it home right NOW. it took all of my willpower not to go nuts and reblock everything that i've knit in the past year or so. i love tools, and i love knitting, and knitting tools are just about the best thing ever!