Putting it all together

The girls are going out tonight to celebrate Clare's birthday. The "secret thing" is finished. Well, the knitting is finished, now we come to the bit I just love (NOT) - the seaming.

Kate, being Kate, has to read everything there is to read about whatever it is before she starts. My one-time stitching teacher, Ann, used to say, "Just START, Kate!" I try but I can't "just start".

First we have to weave in the ends. We need to read a bit about that first. So we apply to the wonderful Knitty, and we find this. All fears about weaving in the ends assuaged, we move on to the seaming. Knitty comes to the rescue once again with this article. The "secret thing" is close, very close. Once again, there are still no pictures because, well, you know where the camera is, don't you?

I suppose you need a bit of eye-candy? During the knitting of the Heirloom Shawl, I also knitted this:



Frost and Ice shawl, designed by Sharon Miller from the Simply Stunning Collection, made with 3 plus (but not 4) balls of Rowan Kidsilk Haze. Started March 10th '05. Finished 26th April '05. Size 4.5mm needles.

I love Sharon Miller's patterns: they are clear; they are easy to follow; they look "stunning". My only complaint is that I don't like Kidsilk Haze knitted on 5mm needles, which is what the pattern calls for. I prefer a greater contrast between the "holes" and the "solid bits". The remedy is in my hands - I just use a smaller needle. Knitter's choice. I almost managed to knit this whole thing without tinkering with the pattern (but not quite!).

The top border is knitted on at the end, first from one side, then from the other, and the five stitches are seamed at the centre back neck. In my wisdom, I decided I should leave the two sets of five stitches live and graft them. I sometimes think I should be in one of those cults where they wear hairshirts and wrap barbed wire round their tender parts. I decided to graft when I didn't need to? What is wrong with me?

I just thought it would look better (and it's only five stitches, right?) I don't think it came out too badly:



In fact, I don't think you can see where it is, and for that I have to thank Knitty again, for these fantastic instructions on grafting.

Just in case that's not enough for you, here is the Ab Fab throw, my Christmas present to myself and my first FO of 2005:



"Absolutely Fabulous" throw from Colinette. Various yarns. Size 7.5mm bamboo circs.
Started 4th January '05. Finished 19th January '05

Not too shabby.