Apparently I'm thoroughly addicted to lace, because I've started my third project from the book. This time it's the "three-cornered shawl in clover pattern," in KnitPicks Alpaca Cloud, Mist Heather.
The cast-on for this was a doozy. You cast on for the entire lower edge of the shawl at once - 624 stitches. Using the loop/e-wrap cast-on, which has very quickly become my least-favorite knitting operation, by a mile. The very first row calls for some increases and decreases, but after about 10 minutes struggling with it, I said NO WAY to that, and just purled the first row (which will be wrong-side) so I'd have some structure to work with for that first patterned row. Probably this is a heinous crime, but there was just no chance I was going to work across all those crazy loops trying to do decreases. Just purling them all was nerve-wracking enough for me! (Maybe next time I work a lace pattern calling for this cast-on, I will try a different cast-on altogether.)
There's still a boatload of knitting to do on this of course, but I think I'm into the rhythm of it now. Further updates as events warrant.
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5 comments:
I started that project and @#$%^&* do I hate that cast-on. I gave up about half-way throught the first row and decided to rip it out. That's when I discovered that, among its other charms, that cast on isn't easy to rip out. I finally cut it of and threw it away. I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has changed that cast on for a different one and what their results are because I'd still love to make that shawl. I was planning on doing a few swatches to see for myself but haven't had time yet.
Well done. I think half the skill of lace knitting is imrpovising and fudging. I will probably do the same as you did. I almost started knitting that pattern but was put off by the cast on.
Wow, congratulations on getting that cast-on done! I have looked at that shawl and it's on my to-do list from the book. But I have backed away so many times because I just don't want to think about casting on 600+ stitches. If I ever do that shawl, I will most likely do a different cast-on. I have never liked that cast-on method.
The sheer number of stitches isn't so bad. I watched American Idol, and placed a marker every 50 stitches to keep track. But I hereby solemnly swear I will never use that cast-on again - that first row is just too nerve-wracking!
I like this shawl too, and it's on my "to do" list when I finish the Melon shawl and the other two shawls I'm knitting from other sources.
What other cast on would work here?
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