The Rosebud Shawl

Over at the Princess Diaries, K. asked if I would work on something else because she fears that I will get too far ahead of her. I thought about it, reviewed what I have in progress.

There’s a pair of socks, but I reserve those for working at meetings, Knitternight, and family events.

There are 2 sweaters which are resting while I consider where to go next with them.

The 2-ply merino could be spun, but it’s white and there’s currently a lot of white on the ground outside.

The Orange Project is progressing nicely, and I don’t want to break the flow on that.

So I’ll work Sharon Miller’s “1ply Rosebud Shawl”. (Image shown here is lifted from Sharon's site.) A suitable yarn is in the stash, the pattern is on the shelf. While any knitted lace requires attention, this pattern is not unduly difficult. Additionally, the yarn is on the fine side, which is a good thing. Since I’m going to be working the “Wedding Ring Shawl” during the summer with Mar, Franklin and Carol, I want to stay working with fine yarns. (Yes, the yarn –Blackberry Ridge’s “Thistledown Singles” -- is white, but you can’t have everything.)

This shawl is worked as “lace knitting” (where alternate rows/rounds have no pattern) as opposed to “knitted lace” (where all rows/rounds are patterned) which makes it easier to work. It’s also not a large project, so the size is manageable. And the yarn isn’t as fine as it could be. It would be a really good project for a newish lace knitter who wants to tackle their first shawl. However; one caveat.  While it has the good charts and lots of tips we expect from Sharon’s patterns, I found a few things in the text a bit confusing. I’m wondering if this is one of Sharon’s earlier patterns, maybe needing a bit of an edit to reword some of the descriptions and explanations. So if this is a knitter’s first Shetland shawl, having some guidance from someone with experience would be helpful. Otherwise, keep your wits about you, and press on.

The construction process for the shawl uses what Sharon calls the Modern Method: Border Outwards. Here’s the schematic, scanned from page 197 of her book “Heirloom Knitting”.

You start by casting on at the base of the centre. When the centre is completed, the 4 borders are worked, either separately and joined at their sides, or by working the 4 at the same time – which I’ll do. (I have enough problems knitting 2 of anything the same. Working 4 borders would be deadly.) Then the edging is worked around the shawl.

Naturally, I’m not following Sharon’s instructions exactly. I’ll write more about my minor modifications as the work progresses. The first change is that Sharon has you cast-on the centre using a knitted-on cast-on. I don’t like the visual effect of knitting up from that edge – as is done to work Border 4 – so I’ve started with the reliable crochet provisional cast-on. (Google it.) Because I couldn’t exactly remember if I had done this in the past and whether it had worked as I was thinking it should (yup, I was that vague about it), I worked a sample. If all goes as planned, when the provisional cast-on comes out and the released stitches are picked-up, there should be no visible break in the flow of garter stitch. Wait’l you see it.

For those of you who might want to try this at home, here’s how to translate Sharon’s instructions. She has you cast-on, knit back (to confirm stitch count), “knit 4 rows garter stitch”, and then start the chart. With the provisional cast-on approach, you get the required number of stitches on the needle with your waste yarn, switch to your garment yarn, work 2 rows to confirm your stitch count, knit 4 rows, and then start the chart. In either case, you’ll have 3 ridges of garter stitch showing on the right side of the work before you start the chart.

You can just barely see the provisional cast-on, then there’s 2 pattern repeats completed. (Lace looks like nothing before it’s dressed.) That’s about 3 hours work, with various interruptions. No way I could make that progress on the Princess.

Yes, that’s my ball of yarn in a plastic bag. I take the bag, snip off one corner, and thread the yarn end through it. The ball unwinds inside the bag. It doesn’t roll around, is safe from curious critters, and stays cleaner. If I have to rip, it’s easy to wind the yarn back onto the ball. This low-cost yarn storage container is re-usable, and eventually recyclable as well.

Back to my knitting. Have good week, everyone.

Comments

[Valerie]

Odd you should bring up the Rosebud shawl. I just rec'd the Wedding Ring pattern and don't have the HK book. Today I was back at Sharon's site, considering taking advantage of the 'special' to order the book and get the rosebud pattern free. Meanwhile am spinning samples for WR.

[Sherri]

I'm glad to see you're doing this shawl. I recently got this pattern from HK. It will be awhile before I do it, but reading through the pattern, I found some things very confusing - perhaps because I'm so new at this or perhaps because... they're confusing. (I am knitting Dorothy Siemen's Rippling Waters scarf - easy peasey, but it's the most complicated lace knitting I've done. I thought it would be hard until I actually started it. Next up is one of Myrna Stahman's Faroese shawls for a friend.)

Your yarn in the sandwich baggie looks so familiar - that's how I keep mine, too, and it's very satisfactory.
Sherri

[alice]

I assume that you worked the spider queen shawl similarly, instead of working the four borders separately? I debated doing that myself, but eventually decided to knit the border four times, so that I would have four opportunities to feel a sense of accomplishment. That's what I'm trying to convice myself, anyway, at the end of border 1. :)

Also, thanks for confirming what I thought would happen with the provisional cast-on. I was too lazy to actually knit a sample before forging ahead and hoping for the best.