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!
