Engeln Spitsenstricken B Done!

I finished my “B” version yesterday. I found it quite difficult to follow all new symbols for the knitting stitches, so I graphed it all out in spreadsheet format with symbols familiar to me and just printed out the parts I needed as I went along knitting.

I LITERALLY had 2 feet left of my yarn!

Blocking was difficult, I had a very hard time getting the two sides to come out symmetrical, so I tried a novel approach, I folded the shawl and blocked. Just had to steam out the fold line when I was done. Finished size is 29” deep and about 60” tip to tip.

My Own Lace Stole in White Zephyr

I finally decided that it was time. Too many favorite stitches and that big cone of Zephyr just calling to me (the one I WAS gonna do some space dyeing with!).

I began with an edging pattern from Ms. Walker's Second Treasury. "Cockleshell Edging" on page 372. I graphed it out: As you can see, I used my usual stitch number hints. I also am knitting on the edging as I knit, which I like to do.

Next I cobbled a lovely pattern from Wendy Engstrom"s Orenburg Shawl pattern. It is a lovely shawl, done in the Orenburg style, (every row is knitted) and has some great stitch patterns within it. I chose this one for my border:

And for the center I chose some obscure pattern I have had in my computer for a while waiting to use it: Really don't have a clue where it came from, but it was not written for knit every row so I had to alter it.

I like this pattern because the ovals it forms that surround diamonds seem to echo the patterns of the edgings and border patterns. I noticed about one repeat into the pattern that because of the vagaries of K2tog, YO pattern design, the center pattern was not PRECISELY centered, so I did a hidden K2tog on the right plain area and increased by one on the left. Only I will ever see the error, right? So - here is what the working stole looks like:

I can't begin to tell you how important that music stand is! Not to mention the blue painter's tape! Open Office Spreadsheet using Aire River Knitting Font , the color laser printer I thought was such a crazy thing to buy and a home networking system all contributed as well! The pattern is big enough that it can't be reproduced on on 8 1/2 x 11 page, so I just have the center and border pattern in main page, with reference numbers to the edging pattern rows, so I have to read the lower page for the edging pattern. I usually get the whole shebang memorized by about the last pattern repeat of the shawl/stole/sweater!

I am knitting this on size 3 24" knitpicks circulars, it is working well. I plan on a finished stole of about 23" X 79". I am thinking ONE of these two girls (daughter and niece) will just up and decide to get married and I will have an INSTANTANEOUS wedding shawl! dNow - off to do the crochet edging on my "Spitzenstricken" and get ready for the garden tour in Tigard this weekend. I'll be a hostess at my sister in-law-in-law's house (that is her in the picture) (these relationships get SO complicated!

End of an Era

We are talking 30 years for sure. I believe purchased at a Cost Plus or some such store. For the longest time we had "V" for vegetables and "M" for meat enscribed on either side to prevent contamination. Just the right size for cutting the veggies for the salads, easy to clean, easy to store and get. My favorite cutting board. With (now) a real almost "bowl" in the center on either side where so much cutting had carved a place. I guess the earnest new dishwasher was it's demise. I will miss it. Lotsa memories there, lotsa creative stir fries.