I love lace knitting and have completed a couple of simple projects (Forest Canopy Shawl, Birch Shawl, currently on Seraphim). I want to choose an "easy" pattern from VLT, as I have never done a knitted-on border.
The "Large rectangle with center diamond pattern" on page 20 most appeals to me. I have some Cherry Tree Hill cascade fingering 100% silk in "foxy lady". (This is good, cos I could so use some foxy right now - get me in the mood for the new year).
There are two things I've been thinking about:1. Is 100% silk a good sub for kidsilk haze?
It is a fine weight, but the drape will be different. Does it suit the pattern?
2. The foxy yarn is 666yds. The pattern calls for 750 yards. Is there a simple way to calculate how much I need to reduce the length and/or width of the shawl? Would losing one repeat in the center panel (width) and two repeats of the ten row chart (length) be enough?
Any thoughts would be warmly welcomed.
4 comments:
Happy Holidays! I will put in my 2 cents: I haven't worked much with silk, but it is my understanding that it will stretch, like cotton. You should make a swatch with a one or two repeats and then block as you would the finished scarf and see what you think. You might want to consider a slightly smaller needle size if it grows too much. In the back, there is some information on how to customize the patterns so it should help with trying to make this a little smaller. Also, if you make the swatch, you could calculate how much yarn you need for a pattern repeat and then shrink either the width and/or the length before adding the border. The silk will definitely be drapey and look more crisp than the KSH in the book but that "foxy lady" looks like it will knit up very nicely. Good luck!
Jacqui, I've never done a knitted-on border either, but the instructions at the back of the book look sound - and fun. I'm halfway through the body on the large rectangle with leaf/trellis pattern (p. 54) and can't wait to finish so I can tackle the border! C'mon, take the plunge with me.
Thanks for your thoughts, guys. I've got a way to go on my seraphim, so that's good thinking time. Best wishes for a peaceful New Year.
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