Friday, November 30, 2007

Lovely, Lacy Shawl

After all that dying, drying, and winding, the actual knitting seems like an anticlimax. Here's a little bit of the shawl for you to admire:



And a close-up:


The pattern is called either Lovely, Lacy Shawl or Paton's Heirloom Shawl, depending on which list you are reading, I mostly like the original design, which required only a few, minor changes--the yarn, the color, the border, and the edging. The upper part of the shawl is indeed lovely, but the finished edge, as written, doesn't do justice to the rest of the design.

Amazingly, this pattern is a freebie--you can find it here. The Web version is written out and is fraught with errors. The errata page is available here, but is depressingly incomplete. I would urge anyone who wants to actually knit this to search out the pattern book, Patons Wrap It Up (500942), which, unlike the Web version, has charts (that also sport numerous errors). There are lots of sources for this pattern book on the Web--just google Wrap It Up 500942 and pick your supplier.

Good news for intermediate lace knitters--the original was worked with fingering yarn, making the shawl an excellent, non-squinting project. The pattern is somewhat complex, but not impossible, and so far, is not the least bit tedious (unlike the Princess border). My joy in knitting this one is compounded by the luxurious yarn...I stop frequently just to pet the knitting.

Be warned that the errors are fairly serious ones, requiring you to, um, make it work. They aren't simply typos, so if you decide to tackle the piece, be prepared to wing it where the stitch counts are just plain wrong.

LLS is similar to the infamous Triinu shawl, the pattern for which is overpriced and under-explanatory. A beautiful version can be seen here. An,erm, interesting WIP (Warning! Sunglasses Alert!) can be viewed here.

Personally, I like the Paton design better, although I kinda like Triinu's border, which is similar to the Mediterrean Shawl border in Gathering of Lace. I also have my eye on the border for Marianne Kinzel's Rose of England tea cloth for the final touch on the LLS.

By the time I finish, the shawl will probably bear the same resemblance to the original as The Black Window Spider King does to The Spider Queen, but hey, that's half the fun for all of us--especially me!

18 comments:

  1. Both shawls are quite pretty. I always pick up the Canadian Living pattern to cast them on but then think about all the changes I would make and put it down again. Overpriced is an understatement!
    Boring? no! what keeps me going is the excitement of the border and the center :D

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  2. Is that the yarn you dyed? Wow, I like how the subtle colouring leaves the impressions of shadows.

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  3. Beautiful, but I would never tackle something that complex knowing that the pattern is full of mistakes. You are brave.

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  4. Hey, I had a mouth full of Diet Coke when I read "I mostly like the original design, which required only a few, minor changes--the yarn, the color, the border, and the edging"! Not fair! I love watching the Fleegle-ization of a pattern, sort of like "Monster Garage" for knitters.

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  5. I think to "Fleegle" , or the "Fleegleization" of a pattern could become part of the knitting lexicon! I think the yarn came out beautifully and that pattern is really a nice one. Too bad you have to "finesse" the parts that are incorrect :-( I have enough problems than to try to knit this one. I cede the field to you:-)

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  6. A bit upsetting to know the pattern is so off.I've had the pattern printed up for a while, probably just as well that I've never gotten around to making it. Can you make up your own errata page for it?

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  7. pretty pretty! No love for orange, though? :)

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  8. I love that shawl and you're doing such a beautiful job of it. I don't think I'm at the point where I can tackle it though. I'm just not good at improvising with lace yet. Yet. ;)

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  9. That's a beautiful shawl. Can't wait to see the improved version.

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  10. looks nice at least with all the errors it will be keeping things interesting for you along with the minor adjustments you're making!!!

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  11. I believe this shawl is heavily based on Erich Engeln's work - see
    http://www.bastelundhobbykiste.de/kunststricken/anleitungenhefte/engeln-spitzenstricken/engeln-spitzenstricken-nr-17.html and http://www.bastelundhobbykiste.de/kunststricken/anleitungenhefte/engeln-spitzenstricken/engeln-spitzenstricken-nr-15.html

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  12. Beautiful! I hope the knitting fairies are with you on this one. It looks absolutely stunning so far.

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  13. That is really pretty. Although with your cautionary tale of all the mistakes in the pattern, probably not in my repertoire in the near future. Glad you're having fun!

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  14. Looks like a beautiful pattern -- and I can't wait to see your improvements!

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  15. That is a beautiful shawl but it's a bit disappointing that the instructions couldn't even be got right with the errata. Looking forward to seeing yours complete.

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  16. Thanks for the heads up about the errors. Not that I was [planning on doing it anytime soon, but warnings are ALWAYS appreciated!

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