Red Silk
Thanks to everyone for the commiseration about my tangled mess. Luckily, it wasn't nearly as bad as it looked at first. I'm so glad that I didn't go with my first instinct which was to toss it! I still have to finish winding it - it's a lot of fine laceweight (unfortunately a lot of opportunity for more tangling), but I really want to use it for the Three-cornered shawl in clover pattern from Victorian Lace Today. I actually started a swatch, just to see what it's going to look like.
I've been wanting to use the yarn for a while and I'm determined to actually start something. I know I still have FPS to work on, but it seems to be dragging. The VLT shawl is worked by casting on something like 600 stitches and working the two shorter sides of the triangle and working in to the center, so while it's a PIA to cast on, each row will actually get shorter. I will tell you that I won't be doing the recommended loop cast on because while it's really easy, it's also a pain to try and get into for the first row. Six hundred stitches of that, I don't think so. I'll probably do the knitted cast on.
I've been wanting to use the yarn for a while and I'm determined to actually start something. I know I still have FPS to work on, but it seems to be dragging. The VLT shawl is worked by casting on something like 600 stitches and working the two shorter sides of the triangle and working in to the center, so while it's a PIA to cast on, each row will actually get shorter. I will tell you that I won't be doing the recommended loop cast on because while it's really easy, it's also a pain to try and get into for the first row. Six hundred stitches of that, I don't think so. I'll probably do the knitted cast on.
Labels: lace shawls, Red Silk, Victorian Lace Today
posted by Alison at 7:59 AM
8 Comments:
600 stitches?!? Holy Crap.
Yikes, that a lot of casting on. Though I think I would like the fact that the rows are getting smaller rather than longer.
600? Hah. I decided to do that shawl in black Misti Alpaca laceweight. Only I decided to make the square version Sowerby casually mentions, because I prefer squares to triangles and want a big, black, elegant, Victorian shawl. Big mistake.
I actually did do the loop cast on. All 1200 stitches worth. I think I managed to avoid twisting the stitches before joining. I can't be sure. I tried knitting the first round, but I couldn't even find the right loop, then I couldn't get the needle to slip in easily.
After a couple hundred stitches of sheer desperation, I gave up and ripped the whole thing. All three hours worth of casting on and counting.
I WILL NOT be defeated by this stupid shawl, but I WILL use a knitted cast on next time. Then again, I may use the black alpaca (which was part of the problem--alpaca so loves to stick to itself) for a hexagon or somesuch.
Oh man, and loop cast-on is weird because you always end up moving a bit of extra yarn along as you knit the first row - so by the end of the first row with 600 stitches, your tail would be quite long!!
Glad the silk wasn't as bad as it looked.
Quite a few people at the VLT KAL blog have opted out of the loop cast on for that shawl. It sounds grim. But it is a beautiful shawl! Looking forward to seeing how it goes!
That's a gorgeous color! I always hate knitting the first row after a loop cast on. 600 stitches of that? No way! :)
Gorgeous yarn. 600 stitches?! *thunk*
600 stitches...you're a better woman than I ;o)
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