Monday, March 26, 2007

Cheesecloth or Shawl? It's your call. (The Wedding Ring Shawl Center)












Actually, the cheesecloth is cleaner than the center of The Wedding Ring Shawl at the moment. It's amazing how dirty your hands get the yarn over months of handling it. Finally, the center is done. I'm not much with the digital camera so these are not the best pictures but here it is at last. Over-all I'm pleased with the center. Yes, it's not perfect. That makes it an accurate reflection of it's maker :-) I didn't want to over-stretch this so it only measures about 30 inches across at this time. I have no idea what it will block to. Knit on US 0 needles with cobweb weight Shetland singles from Lacis in Berkeley this shawl will definitely be "For show, not for blow" as my friend Louise would say. Unlike Mountain Pines, this is not a shawl I will be wearing to next years Stitches West even if I do finish it. I'm too frightened to catch it on something. This is the best it will look for awhile because once I pick up and start knitting the boarder, you will not be able to see much though I may be able to post sections like missalicefaye has done with her own Wedding Ring Shawl (you really have to go and look if you haven't been keeping up with her progress!)

Once again, I want to thank missalicefaye for knitting the Wedding Ring Shawl or I would never have picked mine back up after I stalled. You are a terrific inspiration! I also want to take this opportunity to thank all of the people who have been taking the time to blog about their own knitting experience and for everyone who has checked in with me and given me such wonderful encouragement and support. I love looking at all the beautiful work that you share and I've learned a great deal from everyone elses knitting. Now to pick up the edge stitches. I have enlarged the first chart for the border so I can see it well. I think I will go knit on Boundary Waters for a bit before I get back down to business with the WRS. It's coming out pretty too!

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Stunning. Can't wait to see the border.

Beth S. said...

I just followed a link over here and oh. My. Goodness! You are a knitter after my own heart. So much lace goodness!

I have the Mountain Pines / Boundary Waters pattern in stash, waiting for the right yarn, but I don't think I have EVER seen a knitted exemplar of either pattern. It seems to have been passed over by the knitting world somehow. I was so pleased to discover that you have tackled BOTH sides of the booklet! :-)

Laritza said...

You Go Girl!
Great job!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! Even all folded up, I don't think anyone could mistake it for cheesecloth. :) Watching you work on the wedding ring shawl made me want to start knitting it, so I'm glad I could return the favor! It will be soooo gorgeous in that delicate Lacis wool.

Kathy said...

Awesome job Jane, I was wondering where you were! Glad to see all that non blogging time was spent in a good place.

Now remember to keep up the posts for us on the borders, You post such nice clear pictures.

K

knitspot anne said...

bravo! it's really lovely. yes, you deserve to "rest" by knitting ona nother shawl for a bit . . .

fleegle said...

Fabulous! Stunning! Gorgeous! Amazing! Exquisite!

Definitely do some pin-outs of the border. Eye candy big time!

June said...

Wow, Jane this is gorgeous! I need to get this pattern - is this the one that is sold out right now? Only a certain number to be sold?

Lacefreak said...

Dear Francesca,


I can't wait to see the border either. That's why I go to missalicefayes blog to see her progress on the border. It will take me a week just to pick up the stitches to start knitting in the round! :-) I'm glad you are enjoying pictures of the progress on this shawl.

Lacefreak said...

Dear Beth S.

Glad you were able to find me! I'm really enjoying making Boundary Waters right now and I don't know why more people didn't knit these shawls. It's been out a long time so maybe most of the people who knit it did so before the advent of much blogging on knitting. I know if you google the boundary waters shawl there is one person who knit it in a light blue color quite some time ago. I understand Mountain Pines may be re-issued in the fall so maybe more people will make that one. My friend G has pretty much asked if he might have Mountain Pines. I was going to keep it for myself since I spun the yarn for it as well as knitting it, but he's been a friend for many years so maybe I will have to give it up to him. Good luck finding the right yarn to knit your versions. They are a pleasure to knit!

Lacefreak said...

Dear Laritza,

Yipee! So happy to get that darned center done! Now the agony of picking up the correct number of stitches for the edge! Suddenly I need chcolate.

Lacefreak said...

Dear missalicefaye,

Funny how seeing someone else's knitting will inspire you to go at it yourself. I had no idea that's one of the reasons why you started yours but I'm very glad you did! More eye candy for everyone! I'm always interested in seeing what everyone decides to use to knit this shawl and I love the yarn you chose for yours. Thank you for the inspiration.

Lacefreak said...

Dear Kathy,

Post or Knit? Sometimes there is just nothing to post because I read a book instead of knitting or did some other crafting. Belive me, if I knit something worth looking at you will see it here first! Knowing people actually check in on this blog still blows me away. I will be sure to post borders as I go. Wish I had better photography skills or a nice area for taking pictures with natural light. Glad you are enjoying the pictures!

Lacefreak said...

Dear Anne,

Even if I wanted to keep on knitting I can't manage when the old brain gets to the "fried". Taking a break really helps me out and Boundary Waters gets to make some progress as well as getting in some reading from my "trashy novel" pile! Thanks for posting and for the encouragement!

Lacefreak said...

Dear fleegle,

Thank you! From you this is very high praise and I appreciate it. Considering all the eye candy you have provided to me so I will try to produce pictures that are worth looking at. I don't know how missalicefaye manages to get such great pictures and wonderful lighting for her posts. I'm usually taking pictures in the dead of night with flash from the digital camera. Not the best but I will try to do better on future "eye candy"

Lacefreak said...

Dear June,

I have to admit when I saw this pattern for the first time I knew I just had to buy it too. Unfortunately, it is sold-out and will not be re-printed until 2010. However, the Princess Shawl will be re-printed this fall I belive. I will be trying to buy that one to do as well so maybe you might want to try that? I'm glad you are enjoying watching my progress. I know I enjoy watching everyone elses knitting on the net and thank you for posting. It's always really nice to hear what others have to say.

Lacefreak said...

Dear June,

I have to admit when I saw this pattern for the first time I knew I just had to buy it too. Unfortunately, it is sold-out and will not be re-printed until 2010. However, the Princess Shawl will be re-printed this fall I belive. I will be trying to buy that one to do as well so maybe you might want to try that? I'm glad you are enjoying watching my progress. I know I enjoy watching everyone elses knitting on the net and thank you for posting. It's always really nice to hear what others have to say.

Lacefreak said...

Dear missalicefaye,

Looks like weekend photography is going to be the way to go. It means there might be a little more delay with the pictures but I hope they will present better. Thanks for the tips! As for Princess Shawl, I think it would be great to be knitting it at the same time:-) Is there a way to pre-order? Or is it going to be like "chum in the water with sharks" time? Just wondering.

Lacefreak said...

Dear missalicefaye,

I guess I'll just have to stake-out the site as we closer to the date it is to be re-issued. Maybe there won't be that many crazy people like us who want to knit this shawl? Nah!