Wonder what happens…#1

I finished the first shawl border but still need to do the other side.  I’ve been thinking about picking up stitches - there are 200+ and that’s what I did on the first side - picked up all 200+ on one looooooooog circular needle.  But I’ve been wondering if there’s another way to go about this that might make working things a bit easier. 

I’m thinking it would require the use of 2 strands of yarn: one to pick up the stitches with and one to work them with.  You’d use an appropriately sized DPN and pick up, say, 24 stitches.  Then place a point protector on the back end.  Attach the second strand of yarn, the working yarn, and begin working at the other end.  When you’ve worked through those 24 stitches, remove the point protector from the needle holding your picked up stitches and pick up another 24 - or whatever number is convenient for yo to work with.  Re-cap the pick-up end of the needle and go back to the other end to continue with your border.

Does that sound like it would work?  I’m probably going to give it a try this afternoon.  That big, honking circular is a lifesaver if it’s your only option, but that sucker sure is unwieldy :)  I’ll keep you posted…

Wonder what happens…#2

I’ve also, I admit, become a little obsessed (Who?  Me?) with the shawl’s border lace pattern.  An idea occurred to me night before last which I worked on off and on yesterday.  It seemed like a good idea, having gotten my Dulaan 2007 stuff mailed out, to get a start on my Dulaan 2008 stuff.

What I was wondering about was taking the stitch pattern (in the modified form that I’m using on the shawl), mirroring it and using the result as a scarf.  This is what I got:

The pattern is below.  Please forgive me for not providing a chart :)

Cast on 30 stitches

1.  P5, k1, yo, k1, yo, k1, sssk, yo, k8, yo, k3tog, k1, yo, k1, yo, k1, p5.

2.  (and all even rows) Purl.

3.  P5, k1, yo, k3, yo, k1, sssk, yo, k6, yo, k3tog, k1, yo, k3, yo, k1, p5.
5.  P5, k1, yo, k5, yo, k1, sssk, yo, k4, yo, k3tog, k1, yo, k5, yo, k1, p5.
7.  P5, k1, yo, k7, yo, k1, sssk, yo, k2, yo, k3tog, k1, yo, k7, yo, k1, p5.
9.  P5, ssk, yo, k1, sssk, yo, k16, yo, k3tog, k1, yo, k2tog, p5.
11. P5, ssk, yo, k1, sssk, yo, k14, yo, k3tog, k1, yo, k2tog, p5.
13. P5, ssk, yo, k1, sssk, yo, k12, yo, k3tog, k1, yo, k2tog, p5.
15. P5, ssk, yo, k1, sssk, yo, k10, yo, k3tog, k1, yo, k2tog, p5.
16. Purl.

Repeat rowa 1-16 for pattern.

Wonder what happens…#3

Some of you may have seen these photos before but I am reposting them for commenter Opal over at The Akami Knitter, herself the companion of a black cat, who wondered about Jade :)

Happy Wednesday!