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Name: Rows of DOOM!
Pattern: Sampler Shawl by Cheryl Oberle, from Folk Shawls
Yarn: Valley Yarns 2/14 Alpaca Silk in light grey
Needles: Knitpicks harmony size 5
Notes: First of all, I love this yarn. I used my leftovers from MS2, and frankly, was unsure if I would have enough. Turns out, I did...but just barely. I had maybe 25 yards left over. (The final edging is a doosy!) I know a lot of people are turned off when they feel it at WEBS, because it has a stiffness to it. Let me just say, "Don't knock it until you've blocked it". Seriously. It is so soft after you block it. Luuuurve.
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I loved some stuff about the pattern, and disliked some other stuff. What I liked: changes stitch patterns often, so no boredom; makes a nice big rectangle - good for us larger boobed ladies; & inspirational - makes you want to invent your own! What I disliked: 400 stitch rows; the notes about how many times to repeat a pattern weren't terribly clear; 400 mother fucking stitch rows!! Damn.
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It was worth it in the end, because I love it. I really do. The slog through the long long long rows made it good SnB knitting, since I didn't have to constantly check my charts, and the stitch patterns were relatively easy, no need for tons of stitch markers. Overall it was an easy knit for a lace shawl, and ever changing for us easily bored types.
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One final bit of advice if you venture down the Sample Shawl route... don't figure out how many stitches you have left to do at any point. Seriously. When I got to 25 rows left I stupidly did the math. When one thinks they are in the home stretch, seeing the sum total of "10,000" stitches left to complete (PLUS a cast off) just about makes you want to die. That is all.
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P.S. if my first pic is sideways, my apologies. I corrected it in flicker, but it doesn't seem to want to stay corrected.
1 comment:
So purty!
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