I cast-on using the Short-Tail Long-Tail Cast-On by Betty Balcomb. She was kind enough to share the directions for this cast-on here on Ravelry. It worked perfectly! Thank you Betty! I used my size 10 needles for the cast-on. After I cast-on, I purled one row before starting the chart. I did not purl the middle stitch for rows 21-34. When I first saw this beautiful pattern, I thought it looked like a bunch of hearts. So I am making a few changes to try and make the top part of the lace pattern to look more like fully shaped hearts. After knitting the chart, I knit 1” or so of garter stitch before starting the short rows. I started the short rows as the pattern directed until row 6. I then did a K2 instead of the K4. I did not have enough of the same color yarn to make this as deep as I wanted.

1/27/2012 - I used both skeins of yarn before I finished this project. I am waiting for more yarn. I want to do a picot cast-off. We will see what I end up doing. I love the color of this yarn!!! It is my favorite shade of red.

2/2/2012 - I received my yarn today. The color of the new yarn is a little darker. So, I evened everything out stitchwise and I am using the new yarn to do a picot cast-off.

2/3/2012 - I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this project!!! I think the darker color yarn worked out very well for my 2 stitch picot cast-off. I ended up using a size 8 US needle for the cast-off and I love the way it looks!

2/4/2012 - I did soak and block this project and it is very soft and quite lovely. It is very, very long (92 inches). I had tried using a smaller needle when I first started this project but I did not like the way it looked so I went with the larger needle size. I am sure this is why it is so long.

Note: These pictures do not do the color justice. This color is gorgeous!!!

2/16/2012 - Sad to say that I frogged this project and I am going to make it again but shorter. I loved this project but it was bothering me because it was so long and not really as deep as I had wanted it to be. I will be much happier redoing this project.