I just can't help myself

That Ravelry has got a lot to answer for. The trouble is that temptation is all around - just skimming through there the other day, I came across this delightful shawl from Knitpicks and so I had to have it.

Don't get me started on Knitpicks. I believe I had a rant about them previously. They won't ship outside the US or Canada ("because we can't give our international customers the service our US customers have come to expect"). I don't know how they can expect to have international customers. In order to purchase this downloadable pattern (for a measly $1.29) I had to register and give them what, in my opinion, amounted to a great deal of personal information AND I had to give them an address in the US.

Hello!! It's a download. It really doesn't matter if I'm in Ulan Bator or Timbuktu. I was very miffed and sent them a stiff email demanding that they remove all my personal information from their records. They say they've done it.

The pattern is very lovely, though. However, it is all words, no charts at all. I never thought I'd here myself saying this but I really, really prefer charts. It's so much easier to see how the pattern should be lining up and if there is a mistake in the pattern, it's usually much easier to spot on a chart.

In fact, I did find a mistake on round 50 - nothing major, just the inclusion of two YOs that weren't needed. Easy to spot though - every other round is plain (though there is a little bit of purling from time to time), so when YOs appeared on two consecutive rounds, I knew there was something up.

The yarn is some unknown acrylic stuff on a cone, bought in the "boutique" for a few pence ages ago. I don't have much information about it - the label inside says, "Atkinson yarn. Illusion. Jacinthe 4746. 500g" The word "Burnley" also appears. Considering Burnley is two miles away from where I was born, I thought this was my yarn. It's a two ply - some sort of blue fuzzy stuff (technical term) wrapped with a pink shiny strand. It actually gives a very nice, understated effect. I have previously used this yarn to make a shawl, which I wore to a drinks party last December. One of the guests fell in love with the shawl and her boyfriend took me on one side and begged me to sell him the shawl as a gift for her. So I did. She sent me the most lovely thank you card. I'm hoping to keep this one for myself.

I suppose you want pictures?

Here's the start. I always use Emily Ocker's circular start for pieces like this. It works every time.



Here's one a bit bigger:



Those big holes are caused by working a YO five times on the one round and then working K/P/K/P/K into the YOs on the next round. In retrospect, I think I would do YO four times but still work five stitches into that space on the next round. It would probably neaten the edges of the holes (but then, it's not blocked yet, and that usually covers a multitude of sins.)

Here we are with the centre section completed:



That's probably the best picture you're going to get of this until it's off the needles (unless I thread a string through all the stitches and I just don't see that happening anytime soon.)

Close-up of a lacy bit (technical term):



I'm going to the Knitting and Stitching show at the NEC in Birmingham on Sunday with Ann-at-work, so if anyone is there give me a shout. I'll be the one wearing a hat, a shawl and bright pink crocs (amongst other things).

The back field is still the back field: