I've cast on for my first Pi Shawl. I have admired the FOs of bloggers and Ravelers for years, but it has always seemed like such a daunting affair. When Honey got me Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter's Almanac for Christmas, and I discovered that the Pi Shawl "pattern" was smack dab in the middle of it, I knew that this was a project that I was fated to knit.
So I cast on Saturday before last Saturday between rounds of my Shurtugal Dragon Socks. It was ugly (not the pattern, the attempt at the process of casting on). The initial cast on was a little tricky because it was difficult to maintain a consistent stitch size from one new stitch to the next. That was nothing compared to having to use DPNs for the first 6 rounds or so! Either my DPNs were too long for the task, or my brain can't make my hands work with stitches divided over only 3 needles (5 needles I can do much easier). It was a clumsy, fumbly mess of frustration that was ripped and begun again 3 or 4 times. Finally, I stuck in a 16" circular and just worked the ol' magic loop until the darned thing was large enough to just work around the cable.
But now it's a breeze! It's just knitting around and around and around. I've dubbed this the official TV/Movies project since there are no purl stitches and I can knit with my eyes closed or on the screen on this one. It's easier than a dish cloth. I can't believe I haven't elected to do this one as a beginning circular project in the knitting classes that I teach. I will save the more complex addition of lace patterning for another time--maybe a summer project with some alpaca lace from my shop. As of today, I am on round 28 of the 48 round repeat section.
Anywho … the yarn is my Flock 225 in Highlands. I am loving the subtle mossy color changes in it, that's for sure. I figure I'll work about 2 hanks for this project (450 yards) unless I lose my mind and actually knit through the 96 round repeat to finish the pattern, in which case it will take 3 hanks (675 yds.). That should be enough for my small frame, I think. Time, and how long I can stand knitting in a circle, will tell.
So I cast on Saturday before last Saturday between rounds of my Shurtugal Dragon Socks. It was ugly (not the pattern, the attempt at the process of casting on). The initial cast on was a little tricky because it was difficult to maintain a consistent stitch size from one new stitch to the next. That was nothing compared to having to use DPNs for the first 6 rounds or so! Either my DPNs were too long for the task, or my brain can't make my hands work with stitches divided over only 3 needles (5 needles I can do much easier). It was a clumsy, fumbly mess of frustration that was ripped and begun again 3 or 4 times. Finally, I stuck in a 16" circular and just worked the ol' magic loop until the darned thing was large enough to just work around the cable.
But now it's a breeze! It's just knitting around and around and around. I've dubbed this the official TV/Movies project since there are no purl stitches and I can knit with my eyes closed or on the screen on this one. It's easier than a dish cloth. I can't believe I haven't elected to do this one as a beginning circular project in the knitting classes that I teach. I will save the more complex addition of lace patterning for another time--maybe a summer project with some alpaca lace from my shop. As of today, I am on round 28 of the 48 round repeat section.
Anywho … the yarn is my Flock 225 in Highlands. I am loving the subtle mossy color changes in it, that's for sure. I figure I'll work about 2 hanks for this project (450 yards) unless I lose my mind and actually knit through the 96 round repeat to finish the pattern, in which case it will take 3 hanks (675 yds.). That should be enough for my small frame, I think. Time, and how long I can stand knitting in a circle, will tell.
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