INFORMATION: Please visit these threads to learn more about FiddleKnits business policies and treatment of customers. I have knit several of her patterns and used her yarn, but during the Philosopher’s Stone MKAL, some disheartening facts came to light.

9/9/13 On the mats to block, never tried to block lace before. I was hoping to stretch the S7 and do something pointy with the picot edge points, but the whole thing is huger than I would have thought. It really did “bloom” and relax from being washed, machine gentle cycle cold water in Woolite. Can’t wait to see and feel it after it dries.

9/4/13 S7 finally done. Miscalculated number of new beads 4mm large-hole sterling silver, I thought they’d add weight to the edge so I had to order more at 18 cents each X 180, never again. Yes the beaded picot took forever, but worth it, hope it lies flat after blocking. Hate-hate-hated the S7-- is that fagotting? Hate the name.

8/13/13 S6 complete. Each section, prettier than the last. Now in the weeds of 300+ stitch rows, have put stitch markers either side of center stitch, and every 50 stitches from the center.

7/31/13 S5 complete. This is a really pretty section, I just hope I will be able to block it to best effect. Easy to knit, to see the seven-stitch repeat, I didn’t get off track once.

7/25/13 S4 complete. I put stitch markers either side of the center stitch which helped considerably but I still counted after every RS row and still managed to be off a stitch one side or the other half the time. The beads row was correct, so I’m good.

Looking forward to S5 and S6 being on only half the width, less overwhelming, easier to keep count.

7/17/13 Section Three complete. I am 2 stitches off in the stitch count, I was off by one after picking up what I thought were 24 stitches from the side edge of the lattice, and I think I corrected the wrong direction on the next row, I am not frogging those beads, so hopefully I can correct in first row of Section Four.

I didn’t like the pearly white beads I used in Section One, so I used silver-lined crystal in this Section for a little more bling.

7/8/13 Section Two complete, relieved it looks like everybody else’s.

7/2/13 Woo Hoo! My first beads! I wasn’t sure I’d be able to pull the yarn through the bead, but yes I can do this. Section One complete, very pleased with how pretty the leaf edge is, or will be after blocking, which I’ve never done with lace.

6/29/13 Success on using the long tail for the provisional 6 rows, turning the corner, proceeding. So far, so good!

6/28/13 At the point of knitting the 6 rows of the provisional stitches, I’ve realized if I had only left a reallly long tail when casting on, I would not need to attach a second yarn and create all those ends to weave in at the neck center. Tearing out and starting over, with the first 6 rows’ worth of yarn as a tail, so I can just use the tail for the provisional section.

6/28/13 Got the provisional cast-on on the second try using the cable of a circular needle, pausing a YouTube repeatedly. I like this cast-on-- the provisional stitches are real stitches, and no waste yarn looped around things confusingly.