that I'm crazy, but ...
Sharon Miller's birch shawl, featured in Rowan 34 is based on the classic fern lace motif, which comes in many variations. It is a classic shetland motif and works really well either on it's own or as a panel within a larger design. The charm in Birch is it's simplicity. It's such a lovely pattern, easily and effectively executed on Kid silk haze, giving it a gossamer effect that is warm and feminine. The pattern only used 3 balls of KSH, at 75g, it's the perfect shawl to not only drape over your shoulders in the house, but to wear over your shoulders thoughout the year.
The only problem was the design required you to cast on nearly 300 hundred stitched and to work until you got to the point of the shawl. Whilst birch isn't a particularly difficult pattern, a lace newbie might have some problems learning the pattern on so many stitches. Kid Silk Haze is also not the most amenable yarn to be ripped and reknitted. The mohair makes the stitches cling together for dear-life when you try to frog or knit, whilst exhibiting an alarming tendency to slide off the needles whenever you put this thing down. It was virtually impossible to count the stitches when casting on and casting on loosely was not easy (especially with the stress of casting on nearly 300 stitches). Working such fine yarn on large needles (recommended 5mm) was also another nightmare.
So, I've reworked this pattern, so that
(1) you get a triangular lace shawl using the fern pattern
(2) You don't need to cast on 300+ sitches. For my version, you use a provisional cast on of 3 stitches
(3) You're knitting from the neck down, but you can stop when you get fed up and don't need to knit until you're at the point. This is because the point is always there.... really... you can see it after the second repeat.
(4) Tension? what's that? for those of you allergic to doing tension squares, you can stop when the shawl is wide/long enough. If you have a low threshold for boredom, you'll probably end up with a 'kerchief.
(5) I've test knitted this swatch from the charts, but I'll write up written instructions and test knit those as well.
Here's the swatch.
I've even wet blocked it to check that it lies flat, is triangular and I get a nice edge on the cast-off. I'd tried several edgings and cast-offs before I was satified with the elasticity and integrity. As you can obviously see. I'm not as fastidious with my swatching as I am with knitting actual projects. The center stitches could had been better executed on a few of those rows and I would add an extra repeat of the fern leaf on the outer edges of the shawl edging. But what the heck, it seems to work and it give me a good idea of how this is put together. I haven't decided, but I might make the edging a bit pointier.
Now that most of the jiggery pokery is done, maybe, I'll go hunt for some Kid Silk Haze and see how that turns out.
Posted by atu at November 2, 2004 09:00 PM | TrackBackBrilliant.
Thank you Polly for putting so much time into making something simple. I keep looking at Birch and thinking maybe one day. Wow.
Posted by: Sarah Murray at November 5, 2004 10:01 AMOH! CAN HARDLY WAIT for the pattern. I also need to figure out where the heck the scarf one is....do you remember? Was it on the Rowan site? I am oddly enough thinking of making a scarf version of Birch. I probably need my head examined! ;)
PS--I bow to your clearly superior math skills!
I love it, Polly. I cannot wait to see your pattern and THEN knit it. Three skeins of Kid Silk Haze in Marmalade waiting in the wings.
Posted by: elisabeth at November 3, 2004 10:06 PMPolly, I just abandoned the idea of doing birch b/c I couldn't face casting on 300 stitches in kidsilk haze and figuring out how i was going to deal with the inevitable mistakes. I did a flower basket shawl, which was fun, but like the fern stitch much better. Looking forward to the instructions. I've got the mohair waiting.
Posted by: ricki at November 3, 2004 10:06 PMI've got one word for you Polly- WOW!
I'm stunned!
that is so impressive! and so cool!
i might just do another Birch, the Polly way!
thanks!
PS kay, i thought that Polly and Thomas put together directions for Birch as a stole somehwere...
Posted by: benedetta at November 3, 2004 03:18 PMthis is awesome polly!! i can't wait to try it out!
Posted by: carolyn at November 3, 2004 01:33 PMA flower basket birch shawl : Really a great idea !!
I ' m waiting ...
A flower basket birch shawl : Really a great idea !!
I waiting ...
Clever girl,extrapolating from the Flower Basket Shawl.It's the same basic construction as Caryl's Kerchief as well.My favourite way to make a shawl/kerchief.
Works very well for Birch !
PS - I really like your new layout.. Love the cute sheep.. IDA
Posted by: Ida at November 3, 2004 10:13 AMI am with everyone - hope you will share the pattern, I feel tempted too..
IDA
Posted by: Ida at November 3, 2004 10:10 AMwow, thanks to you i may actually be able to try this shawl. being a lace newbie, shawl newbie and just a plain St. st knitter, i have been frightened by the idea of birch. every time i see the balls of it in my stash, i put something in front them. i have to get over my fear of ksh.
you rock!
Posted by: froggy at November 3, 2004 09:25 AMWow, great idea, I am really impressed!
Posted by: Marta at November 3, 2004 08:51 AMWow Polly, that's pretty stunning! I've been studying the swatch for about 10 minutes now and am still not quite sure how it works! I can't wait to see the finished article & pattern.
Posted by: Sarah W. at November 3, 2004 08:38 AMI am gobsmacked!!!!!
Posted by: Jacinta at November 3, 2004 06:57 AMI hope you're "open to sharing" because I'm a shawl ho, a lace ho, AND a mohair ho. I would LOVE to get my hands on the pattern. pretty please with chocolate on top?
Posted by: La at November 3, 2004 06:23 AMwill you be sharing that when it's done?because i LOVE the look so far. it's somewhat similar to the falling leaves shawl in the fall IK, but that has more lace and space between leaves. i like how these are right ontop of eachother. beautiful work!
Posted by: alice at November 3, 2004 03:11 AMwill you be sharing that when it's done?because i LOVE the look so far. it's somewhat similar to the falling leaves shawl in the fall IK, but that has more lace and space between leaves. i like how these are right ontop of eachother. beautiful work!
Posted by: alice at November 3, 2004 03:11 AMPolly
That's breathtaking. Good job.
Mona
Polly, I'm amazed.
Posted by: marjorie at November 3, 2004 03:03 AMYour version of Birch is just perfect, can't wait for the pattern. I can finally knit a Birch of my own if I don't have to cast on 300 stitches. Just call me chicken, but that number of stitches cast on all at once would make my head spin.
Posted by: Louise at November 3, 2004 01:23 AMVery Clever! She looks beautiful as a shawl.
Posted by: Eilene at November 3, 2004 12:49 AMYou're my hero!
Posted by: Toni at November 3, 2004 12:45 AMClearly it takes a graduate of the Bronx Hi of Sci even to ATTEMPT this mission. I'm in awe.
Just the math skills.......not to mention the spacial reasoning.......quel esprit
Here's a question I keep forgetting to ask you. One of your Afghanalong squares (in apple green cotton) was Birch, but it was square. I've always wanted to do Birch as a rectangular stole, but when I looked at the pattern and tried (for a few minutes) to see how that could be achieved, I temporarily lost my mind. Clues, please?
xoxooxox Kay (By the way, while in Nashville, I 'borrowed' Ann's Birch (in Lord, a midnight blue) for a wedding at the end of November....she's a soft touch, ol' Ann. I may be able to get a ransom for the return of Birch.....)
Posted by: Kay at November 3, 2004 12:39 AMWOW - this is exactly what I've been trying to figure out. I am in awe that you did it! I can't wait to read your pattern.
Posted by: Jackie at November 3, 2004 12:33 AMThis pattern re-working is so far out of the range of anything I could achieve, I'm speechless!!! Amazing.
Posted by: Lesley at November 3, 2004 12:21 AMPolly, you are brilliant! I might even get to do it, I gave up on Birch, as you say it's that yarn and all those stitches.....
Posted by: Jill at November 2, 2004 11:07 PMOh, thank you, thank you. I have been wanting to knit Birch but have been daunted by the 300 stitch cast on. I really like your blog and got major Rowan envy reading your archives. I look forward to your version of the pattern for Birch.
Posted by: Daisy at November 2, 2004 09:36 PM