Ok, it’s not my best title ever. However, after many months and tens of thousands of stitches, my Shipwreck Shawl is finally done. Not blocked mind you, but done.
I didn’t do the beads, I’m not a bead girl. The bind off gave me fits and got the whole project put in time out for a while. This weekend though, I looked at my summer of finishing projects board and I was down to just two. This shawl and the afghan that will not end. The afghan is getting tackled next but I’ll talk about that in a minute.
When I went to bind off the thing I looked around and found a couple of lace bind offs. I tried a couple of them out but as they included yarn overs on top of already existing yarn overs, when I tinked, ugliness ensued.
This Friday with the girls I untinked most of the issue which ended up being the last row plus some. When you consider that’s almost 1200 stitches you’ll see why that made it go to time out.
Last night after untangling my yarn (we won’t talk about that mess) I knit the second to last row back on. Then for good measure and because I had so much yarn left, I knit another one of those on. Then I knit the final row which is 5 million k1, yo. Give or take.
I started the bind off process again and was quickly unhappy with the results. I tried another lace bind off and was also unhappy with those results. Then I decided my problem was all those yarn overs. So I went around one more time, did I mention I had a LOT of leftover yarn in that last skein? This time with just knit stitches. That gave me a nice solid edge to cast off with. In the end I went with JSSO because I know it works and I didn’t have any more brain power to keep track of another bind off.
Countless hours and countless episodes of Heroes later, it’s done. How many freaking episodes are in season 3 of Heroes anyway?
I thought about blocking it but considering the hour I decided that could wait. Many times while I have been knitting this I have wondered where I’m going to wear it. Now that it’s off the needles and I can see it and hold it I can tell you…any where I think I can get away with it. It is beautiful. It is amazing. It’s huge and complex and I made it for me and I love it. It’s currently this odd little conglomeration of stitches stitting in a pile but even then you can see the beauty.
I remember when this project came out I loved it and I thought that there was no way I could knit lace like *that*. Oddly enough, the part I was most awed by was the simple netting of k2tog, yo in increasing needle sizes.
There will be more Pi shawls. Eventually there will be one of my own design.
But first, blocking. And pictures of it once it’s blocked. And socks. Lots of socks. I’m even getting ready to get my toes wet designing my own socks.
I have a post coming on the search for the perfect increase on the Lifestyle heel. That post has been cooking for a while now as I knit and reknit that heel. Hopefully the pictures I’ve taken will show adequately what I’ve been trying but if not, I have my notes.
Oh, that afghan. I’ve been knitting this afghan for longer than I want to remember. Actually, I’ve been saying I’ve been knitting it. Mostly it hibernates. I decided though, the other day, that I’m going to line the back of it with fabric. Then Kate suggested that I make that fabric flannel. Suddenly this project is more appealing to me. That and it’s the last thing to get off my summer of 2009 finishing list.
But first, more heel knitting.
