Finally!

What do you think of them fancy stitch-markers, huh? ;) I think it's several dollars well-saved, personally. Someone suggested using loops of waste yarn for stitch markers. Very clever!

I'm excited to have gotten this far, even though it took me a long time, and excited to be doing my first lace project, and working from a chart for the first time! Reading other people's posts has really helped me prepare. I've only done the first two rows of chart 1, but it was still a confidence-builder!

I like frogs, but the green ones!

I was about two-thirds of the way through the second chart when I noticed that the pattern was off kilter on one side. Somewhere along the line, at the last pattern change, I didn't do one of the yarnover increases. Fortunately, I added a lifeline about 6 rows back. Yep. I ripped back to the lifeline. I switched from my Denise needle to one of the new Knit Picks today, and I think it made it easier to pick up the 300+ stitches. Maybe if I had been using it last night I wouldn't have goofed. (Hey, I can dream, can't I?) The needles are extra sharp and the cable is the thinnest I've ever seen.



This is what it looked like when I started picking up stitches.

Gauge Question

If any of you who have finished the shawl kept a record of your stitches per inch before blocking, could you post that information? I'm trying to decide how much to shorten mine, as I'm pretty sure I don't have quite enough yarn to finish the pattern as written.

If I knew your stitches per inch before blocking, plus your final dimensions of the shawl, that would be a great help. I'm getting 5 stitches to the inch in stockinette, using a US5 needle. I definitely don't want it to be 90 inches wide (and don't have that much yarn, either).

Thank you, fellow Seraphim knitters.

Ladies and Gentlemen...

The Luxembourg Knitting Studio (LKS) is proud to present to you
Their newest creation featuring

Ladyslipper Zephyr and Dianthus Zephyr
together with
Mim's Pattern

Miss Seraphim

In the above picture she's lightly windswept due to a thunderstorm coming in

Here she rests in presence of her knitter's foot to give an idea of her size
(foot is 10 inches long)

A close(r) up of her point. The LKS would like to point out
that at this moment in time Miss Seraphim
has not been bathed or blocked.
This picture also shows the touch of ruffly cast off edge Miss Seraphim
sports. This is a typical LKS touch

And another picture of Miss Seraphim. The lighting isn't very flattering...
aforementioned thunderstorm being the culprit.

Admission of Stupidity

Tonight I outfoxed myself. I learned about lifelines when I was looking for a shawl pattern. I figured that the easiest way to add lines was to just attach them to the hole in the Denise needle and drag it through as I knitted. Worked great the first time when I had only 2 plastic snap-apart stitch marker rings to worry about. When I went up to 22 stitch markers, I switched to tiny rubber bands. Dumb! Dumb! Dumb!

Carried the new lifeline through, then started back on the next row. Oops! Lesson learned. Remove the line. Now I'm threading it through with a darning needle. And avoiding the rubber band markers.

I feel better getting that off my chest. But, I still feel stupid.

Confession...

All that is left is 16 grams of each color of yarn... so (after multiple conversions) that is 176 yards or yarn (or 160 meters).

But what does this mean???? The fact that I know exactely how many yards of yarn I have left over???

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SERAPHIM'S FINISHED!!!!!!!

I need to block her of course, but I'm just going to block the border part. I'm not going to make her bigger. I think she's 70-something inches across already. This is the first shawl that I made that is actually big enough for me hahaha.

I always have problems to bind off, so what I did is take a crochet hook (6.50 mm... don't know what letter that is), put it through the first stitch, drew the yarn through and made a chain stitch, I repeated this over and over again. This makes that the edge is a bit frilly, but just a tad!!! And it looks even better I think...

I will make pictures once the temps have cooled off a bit and that the thunderstorms have stopped. It's been thundering for the past 36 hours and everything's wet. I need to make a pic of her outside cos my apartment's too small :)

Cheers Eva

Seraphim Blocking!!

Seraphim Blocked
Originally uploaded by Inky Knits.

Here she is finally blocking. I loved working on this shawl, my very first charted lace shawl. Mim's patterns are so well written, and her support of knitters is fantastic!!

Seraphim Blocked
Originally uploaded by Inky Knits.

My Seraphim is Frog Tree Brushed Fingering Weight Suri Alpaca. I bought 5 skeins (about 200 yds each) and used 4. I should have made it at least one repeat bigger for myself but wasn't sure. It blocked to about 73 inches by 37 inches. I chose the brushed suri because we have a white cat and this is to be a shawl for use around the house so it was already "cat hair" friendly. Although Seraphim turned out so beautiful I bet she gets to go outside too!!

I want to make another one, slightly bigger and in a smoother yarn. But first to finish Icarus :)

One Week In

One week in, and I can't wait until I can start the charts. I'm using undyed merino with size 6 US Denise. Started with a short cable, but have moved up to a 40". I have some red dental floss that I plan to use for lifelines. I tested it, and I can attached it to the Denise through the locking holes. Tried some very fine crochet thread, but it was too heavy. The dental floss seems to be just the right weight.

Serephim Update and questions

This is what the Serephim does at my house when there is still a ways to go in Stockinette before the lace begins. Anyway, here is my delima in reading ahead through the charts. I am assuming that the gray area is a "No Stitch" zone, so does that mean that I knit/purt the white squares until I reach the part in the red square and then repeat that part until the number of stitches remain to continue in the white knit/purl squares? Because the chart shows a kind of triangle thing happening. Also, do I read the chart from the bottom up and from Right to Left. Okay, I'm done freaking out. Any answers would ease my worried mind. . . thanks ladies.
~Peace, DAWN

Fear... UPDATE

I'm on the 6th row of chart #3 and am starting to worry about the quantity of yarn still left... I have 1.2 oz left of each color so about 350 yards... I sure hope that will be enough to finish the shawl. The rest of the shawl has taken up 2.8 oz... please wave your needles hoping I'll have enough yarn to finish Seraphim...

Okay, we're several hours later and I've done some math... please keep in mind that

1. I'm math challenged
2. it is Sunday evening and after 11 pm
3. I hope that I figured all of this out right LOL

Anyways, I made one of my excel progress sheets to see how much I had done of the shawl. Right now I've done 70%. I used about 882 yards of yarn (based on the assumption that I had 4 oz of Zephyr in each color and that each color has about 1260 yards). So far I've done a total of 34044 stitches total (oops that wrong... I used a 3 stitch border DUH...). Corrected math: I've done 34412 stitches so far... so 74% of the shawl. I divided those 34412 stitches by the 882 yards which gives me 39 stitches per yard. Next, according to my math, my shawl will have a grand total of 46442 stitches. This divided by 39 stitches gives me 1190-something yards of yarn usage. Of course I forgot to count the bind off, but I should have enough with 70 yards don't y'all thinks?????????????

If there's something wrong you think with the logic behind this thinking please let me know...

Cheers Eva

About affordable addi's...

If you want affordable Addi's you can buy them from Europe. Most cost between 4.50 and 7-something EUR (between 6 and 10 USD) per circular needle. The shop I get mine from has very reasonable shipping prices for the US.
She also sells the popular european sock yarns for a fraction of the cost in the US. I know she can ship 9 skeins of 100 grams for something like 10 EUR. You can find a link on my blog. Just click the picture beneath my green hit counter :) Martina speaks english and you can get the site in english too :)

Just spreadin' the fibery love LOL.

Seraphim in Sweet Peas

This is my Seraphim. She is being worked in KnitPicks Gossamer (100% lace wool) in the color Sweet Peas. I'm holding two strands together and using #5 Addi Turbo circs (32"). This is my first time using Addi needles and the lady at my local yarn store said, "you'll be back for more." You know what? I certainly will. It is like knitting with lightening! I love them. I thought I was a wood purest, but now I will have to add this brand to my wooden collection. I hope you all are coming along nicely with your shawls as well. I'll be in touch. . .

Peace~DAWN

New Old Knitter

Just a note to introduce myself. I recently picked up my needles after a 20 year hiatus, and am learning all over again. Last week I finished a sideways knit cardigan. It's finally blocked and I just need to attach the sleeves. Before that I did one of Cat Bordhi's felted moebius bags. I have mixed emotions about that one.

I've wanted to do a shawl, but have felt intimidated by some of the lace patterns — I've never done lace. Finally found the Seraphim pattern a couple of days ago and knew it was the pattern for me. I'm using an undyed lace-weight merino and size 6 Denise needles. I only have about 5.5 inches done, but I've become more at ease with the yarnovers and stitch markers. I'm sure I'll need some hand-holding when I get into the charts. I've used intarsia charts many times, but lace is a whole different thing!

Thanks for letting me join the group. Any tips and tricks from the experienced lace knitters will be very much appreciated.

Phyllis

I'm here!

I haven't posted before because I was waiting on my needles to arrive. I had the yarn, but without the right tools, it's just yarn. I started the shawl late last night (because I just couldn't wait for the light of day). I am about 20 rows into it and so far so good--it is only St stitch, but hey, with size 5 needles and doubled up lace weight yarn, anything could happen. I am a bit scared about the lace section (I haven't had to follow a chart before). I'm sure it will fall into place. I will get my act together later today and post a PICTURE of the said shawl and the color of yarn I have chosen.
~DAWN

Yoohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where is everyone??? How are your shawls coming along???

I managed to get a lot done on it this week. I'm halfway through chart number 2. Isn't it funny??? I think these rows with the lace in it go faster than the stockinette rows before LOL.

I'm hoping that I'll have enough yarn for finishing my shawl though. I should have, but I am starting to get worried :)

Cheers Eva