For most of the weekend, I’ve been working on the Secret of the Stole.  Since I’m not a fast knitter, I figured I had better get started if wanted a prayer of keeping up with the group.  As it happens, I haven’t gotten through the entirety of the first clue, but I’m within a few rows (5 or 6, I think).

I haven’t had problem with the charted pattern so far - it has been clear and, as nearly as I can tell at this stage, accurate.  I was a little nervous about attempting a chart that was likely to be close to 100 stitches wide.  You know me - I find an 8 stitch, 12 row stitch pattern and just reproduce it all over the place.  Real easy to chart, to read, and to keep track of.  But, it hasn’t been too bad!  The stole’s designer has gone so far as to add a little number in the first knit-stitch box which tells you how many knit stitches in-a-row there will be, if there are more than 10.  I have never seen this before but am maudlinly grateful for it!  It has already saved me from much hair-pulling and gnashing of teeth due to miscounts.





My beads hardly show in real life and don’t show at all in these photos - but I still like them.  They are certainly not ostentatious but occasionally when you turn the piece, you catch a bit of glimmer.  Very understated but, in my humble opinion, rather elegant.





This is just a detail shot where the bead actually shows...a little :) It’s about dead center in the picture.

All in all, I have to say I’m enjoying this trip into the unknown wilds of lace knitting.  I’ll be finished with this part later today and am looking forward to the next hint, due on Friday.

Wednesday, if we’re lucky - socks!