Last week of March 2012 in review

I know that I want to use these photo tips, but San Diego sometimes has 'OVERCAST' as the normal condition. I don't have a tripod yet or a light box, so the outside tip is what I wanted to follow, just waiting for a sunny day.
In the meantime, I went to the Knitting group "In the Heights" on Tuesday evening. Try it! Knitting in a group, seeing all the other projects, yarn choices, knitting styles, and Ladies is fun, fun, fun. The second half of the Lace shawl keeps growing nicely. I can't wait to wear it. And, the piece of pie that I took home with me was delicious.
Today, since the weather is not cooperating fully, I am going on a yarn discovey trip.
Someone asked me to find the right yarn and give her an estimate of how much it would cost to make a beach wrap. It's from the Spring/Summer issue of VOGUEknitting, page 81. The lacy leaf-stitch pattern is made of Trendsetter Yarns' "Dolcino". I have been calling all the shops in and near San Diego, but no one has that exact yarn that was used for making the pattern. That's fine with me, I like the challenge of finding the perfect substitude, and I like yarn shop hopping on Saturdays.
Wish me luck in finding a great alternative!

Rainy Sunday

It rained and rained and ....well you know, rained. Maxy don't seem to mind.

So my Lace shawl kept growing
and growing yesterday.
After dinner I was only
4 inches away from
starting the other half.

How did I know that?








I took a measuring tape and wrapped it around my neck just like a shawl, fairly simple. Then I measued the length of my knitting project and ta-da....I know I am 4 inches away form the center. This is IMPORTANT.

 5" X 5"



















As you can see from the original  Lotus Patern  the end of the shawl has wave look. On the picture above it is clear that the knitting will result in a straight line when cast off.
The goal here is to have this wave look on the shawl the same on both ends! That will make this project really professional und pretty.
Long story short, 4 more inches to the center and I will start another shawl, the other half. When both halves are complete I crochet them together and the finished shawl has the wave look on both ends.
Now all I need are a few more rainy days in row.

Lotus Pattern

I found this free pattern in Knitting Daily.
I guess it looks somewhat like little lotus petals

 The trick with knitting LACE is to find a rythm in the pattern.
 This one was at first really hard. I did not know the stitches and the rythm was hiding
 So first I looked all over (internet) for a knitting dictionary. I am german and learned knitting in Germany. English patterns have english abbreviations which need to be discovered.
http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/knitting-glossary

Ah the wonders of the internet! the solution is only a few key strokes away.

 Second I try out the pattern with the yarn I like. It never is the yarn that is recommended. I don't know why, it just is that way.

 While I am knitting it for the first time I make notes on the sheet to mark my rythm.

The lotus pattern, for example looked like this:

Rows 1-5: Knit.
Row 6 (WS): P1, *yo, p3, sl 2, p1, p2sso, p3, yo, p1; rep from *.
Row 7: K2, *yo, k2, sl 2, k1, p2sso, k2, yo, k3; rep from *, end last repeat k2.
Row 8: P3, *yo, p1, sl 2, p1, p2sso, p1, yo, p5; rep from *, end last repeat p3.
Row 9: K4, *yo, sl 2, k1, p2sso, yo, k7; rep from *, end last repeat k4.
Row 10: P2, *k2, p3; rep from *, end last repeat p2.
Row 11: K1, *yo, ssk, p1, yo, sl 2, k1, p2sso, yo, p1, k2tog, yo, k1; rep from *.
Row 12: P3, *k1, p3, k1, p5; rep from *, end last repeat p3.
Row 13: K2, *yo, ssk, yo, sl 2, k1, p2sso, yo, k2tog, yo, k3; rep from *, end last repeat k2.
Row 14: P2, *k1, p5, k1, p3; rep from *, end last repeat p2.
Row 15: K2, *p1, k1, yo, sl 2, k1, p2sso, yo, k1, p1, k3; rep from *, end last repeat k2.
Row 16: Work as for Row 14.
Repeat Rows 1-16.

My final version that I am using every day has the rythm marks on it und looks more like this:
Rows 1-5: Knit.
Row 6 (WS): P1, *yo, p3, (sl 2, p1, p2sso) p3, yo, p1; rep from *.
Row 7: K2, *yo, k2, (sl 2, k1, p2sso) k2, yo, k3; rep from *, end last repeat k2.
Row 8: P3, *yo, p1, (sl 2, p1, p2sso) p1, yo, p5; rep from *, end last repeat p3.
Row 9: K4, *yo, (sl 2, k1, p2sso) yo, k7; rep from *, end last repeat k4.
Row 10: P2, *k2, p3; rep from *, end last repeat p2.
Row 11: K1, *yo, ssk, p1, yo, (sl 2, k1, p2sso) yo, p1, k2tog, yo, k1; rep from *.
Row 12: P3, *k1, p3, k1, p5; rep from *, end last repeat p3.
Row 13: K2, *yo, ssk, yo, (sl 2, k1, p2sso)) yo, k2tog, yo, k3; rep from *, end last repeat k2.
Row 14: P2, *k1, p5, k1, p3; rep from *, end last repeat p2.
Row 15: K2, *p1, k1, yo, (sl 2, k1, p2sso) yo, k1, p1, k3; rep from *, end last repeat k2.
Row 16: Work as for Row 14.
Repeat Rows 1-16.

Now you can see the pattern.
The stiches in parenthesis are the streight bars inbetween the lotus petals

still knitting, image comming soon!