August 1: I saw this completed shawl displayed at the knit shop, Island Wools, on Friday Harbor and fell in love with it. The shop owner tried to talk me into an easier pattern since I’ve never done lace before but I’m stubborn. I want to learn to make this. So I bought the yarn and downloaded the pattern and now I’m building my courage up.

December 15: Before I even started this pattern, I bought a class on knitting lace and watched it over and over again. I’ve got it now! I’m just going to start.

December 20: When I drop a stitch, I have to start all over because I’m so unused to figuring out lace stitches! So, I started over tonight after only 32 rows on the center section. But I’m glad I did. It looks much better!

April 4: Back at this after taking a break to make a poncho. I had to frog the center circle and so the new picture is the newly completed center circle… all done! I liked the color way on the first circle better but I’m not going to take that too seriously. I’ve actually completed the first wing and am about half way done with the second wing. I’ve learned so much about lace knitting that now I don’t need to rip out rows to fix a dropped stitch. I’ve learned to read my knitting. How exciting.

May 3: I have both wings done and am now working on the “dreaded join.” I have to say I was entirely confused about what to do so I took the three pieces (center piece, left wing, right wing) to Island Wools, Friday Harbor, where I purchased the yarn, and spent two separate days with Libby. We worked it out together! Using Lynn893’s very very helpful notes in the All Weights Lace KAL, I think I’ve got it!

I’ll post a picture.

July 10, 2017: Well, the join went terribly badly clear back in May. Just as I finally had it figured out after hours and hours of reading and taking notes from the KAL on ITP, i set the knitting down, ready to begin the edging, and my dog, Sargie, got caught in the yarn and pulled out oodles of stitches. There was absolutely no way I could figure it out so, I frogged the entire project! But I’m not giving up. I will start again. The poor yarn is getting a bit worn out but I’m still moving on.

I learned to use a life line and, with lace, I will put stitches onto something more firm than other yarn when holding the stitches (cable is much better) so that I can more easily see those yarn overs.

JULY 13 , 2017 STARTING OVER!! Finished frogging all three parts. That actually took an entire day. Whew!

July 15: Finished the central spiral in two days and started the first wing. I’ve learned so much since my first effort.

When I get to the dreaded join, I will use lynn893’s very detailed descriptions on how to do this. I can just click on her project notes (see related projects on my own project page to find) and read away as I go. Lynn’s In the Pink (green) version is even more detailed and has a helpful listing of the amount of yarn (by weight) used for each section. I will use this to determine if I will need to buy more yarn (probably a different color) for the border.

Notes on Wings of Osiris version also seem quite helpful.

July 19: Am finished with center circle and almost done with the right wing. I ran into a little difficulty with dropped stitches again in the wing (just set the knitting down without the stoppers!) so had to tink back a few rows but am back where I started.

Libby from Island Wools is going to bring me another skein of Cranberry Zuberball for the trim. (She is on San Juan Island and I’m on Orcas. Very nice of her.) and I bought a skein of black yarn in fingering weight just in case so I have options for finishing without running out of yarn.

JULY 27: Exciting! I am finished with the center spiral and BOTH wings. Of course, my heart is beating fast as I think about the next steps. I’m going to just go over the various instructions I have in front of me without actually doing anything and seeing if I can understand all the steps and then, if I feel I’m ready, try doing the join through where one starts the border tomorrow. I wish myself luck!

JULY 31: I’ve been working 2 days nonstop on the shawl now and Izzy, Foxycrafter and Lynn have been super super helpful!!

I’m on the border now and trying to figure out is meant by:

(the stitches that form the lines
of the spirals form the middle stitch of the double decreases)

and:

(the
stitches that form the lines of the spirals form the stitch in the middle of the YO’s

Hoping someone will help!

AUGUST 7: While in LA for brother’s wedding, I spent two full days reading and re-reading the post in the KAL to fully understand rows 1 - 4 of the border. It FINALLY sunk in what everything meant and so, in order to create the greatest option for success, I decided to put stitch markers in BEFORE knitting row 3 and then mark where I was going to make adjustments ahead of time. I ended up making adjustments at the 2nd triangle (where most seemed to have to do the same) where I had 2 extra stitches. I decided to k2tog in two places at the beginning of the triangle and it seems to look ok. I also decided to continue with SSK rather than K2tog and am a little bit regretting this (not sue how it will appear differently) but I’m not tinking! Onward! I’m ready to begin the garter for the feathers.

AUGUST 23:I only have two more repeats to go! I think that means I will actually finish this shawl.

AUGUST 26: OMG!!! I’M DONE!! Off the needles and on the blocking mats. Waiting for it to dry. I’ll buy a special black dress to wear it with the first time.

THANK YOU RAVELRY FRIENDS FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE!