The Forest Path Stole has been hibernating on and off for about 6 months. Putting down a project for a long time is not without risks. It took me 4 hours to find the pattern** since I separated it from the WIP recently to help someone with a knitting question.
Despite my best intentions to finish it, it has been slow going. Part of the problem is because I'm knitting if off a cone of Jaggerspun zephyr.
This makes it decidedly unportable, since I'm not dedicated enough to lug 454g of yarns around.
The other part of the problem is the colour. Yes, I love to wear black, but knitting on fine black yarn where I have to pick up stitches with every entrelac square is a bit hard on the eyes.
Not to mention hunting down dropped stitches, which is seems to happen at least once every 3 squares, whenever I have to do the p5tog for that darn lily of the valley stitch.
Picking it up again in January, during one of the dullest, greyest and most dismal months in the northern hemisphere was probably also not the swiftest move. It took me a full hour to figure out how that entrelac was supposed to work and still, I forgot some selvage stitches that resulted in a bit of fudging to fix.
Despite all this, I would like to report, that I'm halfway across tier 18. I think that I will probably do 25 tiers, because like marathons, once you past the 17th mile, does it really matter if there's 5, 6 or 7 more to go.
** I actually found the magazine with the pattern , not the copy of the pattern with my notes. Note to self, I must put things back after use to prevent this from happening again/
Posted by atu at January 20, 2008 05:58 PM | TrackBackHello, thank you for the Kiripattern, I'm knitting it in naturalwhite Malabrigo bought at Wolhemel Neth. Your comment about the heavy cone of black wool for one of your projects has resulted in a note on the cone (thriftshop) to unwind the wool in reasonable sized balls on my woolwinder (came years ago with a not used for many years knittingmachine). Tip: after a knit or purl together you are SUPPOSED to give a little tug to position the stitches. As many knitters do this tug unconsciously they do not tell you about the tug. If you have to k or p more than 3 stitches, try using a crochethook, works like magic. Margriet A.
Posted by: at June 20, 2008 10:44 AMMakes me feel kind of silly for not picking up my Firestarters socks after a long lull and no note taking. If you can manage that Work of Art I had better get busy and bust out my simple socks! Your shawl is going to be gorgeous and worth every painful minute.
Posted by: Knitting Bandit at January 26, 2008 12:15 AMNow I do like your "note to self", I have very often had to make that self same to note to my self, if only my darned self would ever listen!
The shawl is beautiful though and my gosh, you have my sympathy on chasing dropped stitches in dark yarn. The finished result will be well worth the marathon.
Posted by: Rebecca at January 25, 2008 07:33 PMYou must love it as it didn't get ripped in your clear out! It will look great Polly - I like the suggestions made for P5tog in some of the other comments.
Sarah
Posted by: Sarah at January 25, 2008 01:29 PMIt is looking fabulous, definitely worth the effort if your eyes can stand it.
I think the crochet hook for the purl 5 together a great idea, maybe it will put an end to the dropped stitches. I am going to keep that in mind when I get to something with a lot of purls together.
Posted by: Louise at January 24, 2008 01:01 AMI used a tiny crochet hook for the purl 5 together for my Swallowtail Shawl. It really cut out a lot of the nasty dropped stitches.
I hope that helps you.
Posted by: Alexandra Walters at January 23, 2008 06:26 PMIt's tough work but it will be worth it when it is completed. It's looking VERY beautiful!
Posted by: peggy at January 23, 2008 05:07 PMIt looks like a challenge especially the black yarn. I knitted a pair of black socks & had a hard time picking up stitches. Anyway, the stole is beautiful & it will be worth the effort.
Posted by: Ann at January 23, 2008 08:33 AMPurl 5 together??? Good lord, chicky, I'd be dropping stitches right and left! It is beautiful, though. I can see why you persevere. 25 sound like enough tiers to me:)
Ang
Posted by: angelarae at January 23, 2008 02:45 AMWhat needles are you using that make p5tog possible?
Posted by: Peggy at January 22, 2008 11:30 PMPolly, let me know if some of my suggestions get irritating or bothersome. Here's one more, just in case you might get tired of being anchored to that cone (something I do when a skein gets tangled internally sometimes):
Take a cardboard tube from a roll of paper towels and make a 1/2-inch slit on one end. Several yards down the length of yarn coming off the cone, make small slip knot and insert the knot into the slit in the tube. Hold the tube upright in one hand so that you can periodically rotate the column fractionally while you wind on, by hand, yarn coming off of the cone. Wind on the yarn as if you were making the left-leaning bar of an "X" figure on the tube. (Similar to balls of crochet thread.)
When you've wound on as much as you think you'll need to finish the stole, break off the yarn and fasten the broken-off end lightly to the OUTSIDE of the ball. Carefully push the entire ball off the bottom of the tube.
You can then release the other end (tethered to your piece of knitting) from the slit on top of the tube (or you can just tear the tube away).
Voila - a center-pull ball that can be placed in a plastic baggie or even a large plastic bag to carry along. I've been known to pin my bag of yarn to my clothing while grocery shopping or browsing at the library.
Posted by: Bobbi at January 22, 2008 10:10 PMIt's going to be a stunner when it's done. Think about that while you're wrestling with the p5togs. ;-)
Also, how's the lighting in your knitting spot?
Posted by: Beth S. at January 22, 2008 06:37 PMIt is going to be beautiful when done. Black is tough to knit with, but so elegant and lovely to wear.
Posted by: carol at January 22, 2008 04:16 AMHang in there, it will get done, and it promises to be stunning! Your grandchildren will treasure the heirloom...
Posted by: desiknitter at January 22, 2008 01:33 AMThat is real dedication Polly - it's going to be lovely ! Of course you may well lose your sanity in the process but it'll be lovely !
Heather x
Posted by: Heather at January 21, 2008 06:53 PMyes, but... it's just so beautiful!
and if you knit on yours and keep showing us lovely photos, then I can live vicariously through you and not have to knit it myself.
Posted by: woolcat at January 21, 2008 04:46 PMp5tog? Good gracious that sounds daunting. Not awful or impossible, just daunting. I do love knitting off a cone though, very satisfying.
Posted by: KT at January 21, 2008 04:23 PMWell Polly, no matter what the setbacks are, it is very beautiful, and I know you will get compliments for years, each time you wear it. You're doing great!
Posted by: Tracey at January 21, 2008 01:17 PMCongratulations for having the motivation to pick the FPS up again. I think I would have given up long ago! It's going to be beautiful.
Posted by: jessie at January 21, 2008 12:26 PMBlack. Lace. Almost innumerable tiers. Entrelac. Entrelac! You're a champion!
Posted by: Bobbi at January 21, 2008 06:25 AMhmm, maybe I'd better look at mine again before it becomes grey and dreary down here...
good luck with yours!
It's so beautiful Polly and I'll be thinking good, positive finishing thoughts for you! (but just reading this reminded me how happy I am to NOT be knitting it, heh!)
Posted by: Debi at January 21, 2008 05:52 AMIt's so beautiful Polly and I'll be thinking good, positive finishing thoughts for you! (but just reading this reminded me how happy I am to NOT be knitting it, heh!)
Posted by: Debi at January 21, 2008 05:51 AMI'm not sure if it will work with this pattern, but I recently completely the Swallowtail Shawl which has the Lily of the Valley pattern in it. Instead of the p5togs I did slip 2, p3tog, psso. Seems to produce the same effect!
Posted by: TheKnittingBee at January 20, 2008 11:37 PMJust think, it will be sooo gorgeous when it's finished.
Posted by: Ling at January 20, 2008 10:06 PMI admire your dedication, but a little bit of me question's your sanity - in the nicest possible way of course. Just looking at the pattern gives me the heebie jeebies.
And of course, it looks wonderful.
Posted by: Mandella at January 20, 2008 09:51 PMBlack is hard to knit with, but your shawl looks lovely. I'm sure it will be worth it when you finish.
Posted by: Sallie at January 20, 2008 09:37 PMso beautiful but very hard on the eyes when knitting I guess?
Posted by: Marianne Archer at January 20, 2008 09:21 PMIt's looking lovely. I wish I'd knitted mine in a darker colour. After doing the p5tog I tugged my knitting just to make sure I hadn't dropped a stitch.
Thinking encouraging thoughts!
He he he, I like how it compares to marathon running (but knitting a beauty like that should really be compared to a moon voyage or a deep see exploration! - thats how brave I think you must be!)
Posted by: Karen S at January 20, 2008 06:37 PM