20.05.2021

The first picture merely shows my rough Photoshop planning of the colours.

05.06.2021

To enlargen the shawl, I asked in the “Ishneich” thread in Lucy Hague’s group and got this answer:

The repeat for the cables is 36 stitches, so you will need 72 stitches more before you start the cables.

72 / 12 = 6, so 6 repeats of the 4 rows color B 2 rows colour A section.

04.07.2021

Normal “large” size would be 17 stripes with Yarn A (Malabrigo Teal Feather) in total before beginning the cables, plus 4 rows of Yarn B (Punkrock Unicorn Goa). 221 sts.

Increase of 2 cable triangles would mean 23 stripes of Yarn A plus 4 rows of Yarn B. 293 sts.

Made a lifeline and compared what I already have to the size of my Celtic Myths shawl. I will increase even more, because here it shows the downside of a triangular shawl: Even though the depth of the shawl would already be right and it looks right when I wear it down my back, the width is still not quite where I would like it to be. The Celtic Myths shawl with its crescent moon-shape achieves a good width.

17.08.2021

I am in row three of the cable section, and only just realized that I completely missed out on the tutorials at the beginning of my book. If I had read everything thoroughly, I would´ve made the yarnovers for the elongated stitches correctly… Ah well… thankfully I have a lifeline, so it´s only back to the beginning of the cable section.

31.08.2021

While being unhappy about the cables not showing very well with my Malabrigo Teal Feather, the idea came into my head that I could knit the cables in Intarsia, I have seen a good video tutorial by Suzanne Bryan the other day. I think that this could bring this shawl to a whole new level.

Plus, back when I bought the Punkrock Unicorn “Goa”, I originally thought that I would like to have and add a skein of “Fuchs”, because it was this gorgeous chestnut brown colour which also appears in “Goa”.

Since I only have one third of the cables section completed, and there´s a lifeline in the right place, and since this idea will not leave me anymore (I know it), and I´ve tried out the colourplay in Photoshop as well (see pictures), I will do this! I already ordered that skein of “Fuchs” I originally wanted to have too.

14.10.2021

I’ve set up the intarsia cables today. I really hope this will work. It will look so beautiful when it does.

20.10.2021

The first two rows of the cable section are very straining, because you have to pay very close attention. After that, it becomes easier.

You can also add stitch markers when knitting the first row, in the second row they have to be moved by two stitches, back or forth, depending if you are in section A or B. Afterwards the stitch count doesn’t change anymore (except for later when there will be 1-into-5s again) and the stitch markers can stay in place for quite a while.

24.10.2021

I had noticed some puckering around the elongated stitches and was afraid that I had to reopen everything again, but when I put it on a lifeline and took it off the needles, everything seemed to be fine. I hope it will stay that way… If anyone out there should want to undertake this too, knitting the cables as intarsia, I advice you to take care that the strands in the back of the elongated cables should not be too tight, as well as the cable stitches inbetween two elongated stitches! (See pictures.)

For the intarsia, I took 150 cm long strands of the red yarn and folded them in half. This will definitely not be enough, I will probably have to spit splice the strands.

03.11.2021

Knitting the intarsia cables of this piece is nice, almost meditative. But spit splicing all these many strands holds me up A LOT. Should anyone out there wish to try out knitting intarsia cables in this shawl too: Make the strands long enough! At least 3 meters, I’d say.

05.12.2021

Yesterday I successfully fixed a wrong turn in a cable. It was not overly difficult, it’s just important to always twist the strands you knit with (the one you knit with always getting over the other) to not get holes.

27.12.2021

Note for Intarsia:
Only use it for sweaters or so, where there are not so many individual cables. Not for a shawl like this, where you need many many strands. It simply is not suited for Intarsia cables.

As a yarn, use one which bleeds color as few as possible. Because when you spit splice, you don’t want to consume all of the spare color. And spit splicing is the fastest method of extending a strand, when you have to extend 100+ strands.

When rubbing the yarn ends between the hands for spit splicing, it is better to make long movements for the heat (and press the hands together well) instead of short movements, because the thread doesn’t become so fuzzy with long movements.

I spit spliced every strand at least twice, which would make each strand at least 4 m long. As the strands are folded in half at the beginning of each cable, a whole strand should be 8 m then, if you don´t want to spit splice too often.

30.12.2021

It is very annoying that the position of the stitch markers changes, especially in later rows, and you have to figure out on your own where the stitch marker is placed, and where the cable crossings take place. A big mistake source.

Also, a big source for mistakes is having to remember the change of chart A and B and the sides. Whenever it seems your stitch count is repeatedly off, check if you are on the right chart.

31.12.2021

One round takes approx. 2 grams of the teal.

02.01.2022

So - I lost at yarn chicken, one third into row 35 of the cable chart…
Even my help helpful knitting cat helper Fuli couldn’t fend off the evil yarn chicken.

I counted, it’s going to be 112 yarn ends of “Fuchs” to weave in… But it’s my own fault, I wanted it that way…

08.01.2022

With the help of a knitting friend who sent me a few grams of her Malabrigo, I am able to continue and am currently knitting the lateral braid. Such a beautiful little design element! Though I needed a while to understand how to proceed, because the pattern is not really clear on what happens with the 3 k + yo at the sides. I found out that they are omitted and you just knit the lateral braid, without the 3 k + yo.
I found it hard to keep the yarn tension with the lateral braid.

Note to myself: So I’ve knit 5 chart repeats of A and B each (10 chart repeats in total), plus the side charts of course.

10.01.2022

I didn´t use the whole 50 grams of the “Fuchs” for the cables, but I only used 30 grams in total. The rest was cut-offs. Wasted, unfortunately. But since the ball of yarn consists only of 50 grams now, I want it to be noted in my stash this way.

12.01.2022

It is indeed a great advantage to learn to knit backwards without turning the work for the lace border here, because you are much faster then.
As a knitting belt user I found it easier to perform than what KnitFreedom shows here, she has to help the yarn coming through the stitch with her right hand.
But I simply tilt the left needle very vertically when I push the needle through the stitch, lay the yarn around the needle tip, and then lift the stitch with the right needle over the tip of the left needle with the loop of the yarn - very similarly to what I usually do with the left needle when I’m using the belt. Or similarly to binding off. In any case, I don’t have to help with the right hand, and the movement doesn’t feel awkward, but flows naturally.

I’ve knit the border with 3,75 mm mounted on my circular and a 3,5 mm dpn (I don’t own 3,75 mm ones) with 20 cm length for more comfort - this way I didn’t have both needles attached to the cable and felt freer in my movements. I used the smaller needles because I was afraid that the lace border makes the shawl fabric flare (because the stitches take up more room), and I am not sure if that will block out (being inexperienced in blocking lace shawls).

27.01.2022

Since the lace border consists of stockinette basically, unfortunately the blocked spikes will not stay that way. After only three days of wear, they are already beginning to curl back in on themselves. I already suspected that.

This means unfortunately, that I will never perfom this whole blocking thing on this shawl again, because it is just too much work for something that only lasts a few days.

For all of you out there who read this, you can skip the lace border if you´re so inclined, because it will not show properly after a while But then, I would recommend another border with the variegated yarn, to give this shawl the same visuals.

19.02.2022

Just a little update on the lace border and washing & blocking:

It´s not as bad as I described it in my post before this one. The spikes still are pretty visible, especially on the tip. So I guess, the border the pattern calls for is perfectly fine to make. You decide