Been So Long...

It's been just past the point of embarrassing since I last posted. There's been some knitting. I will have to update those things at some later date.

Cause now I have a Serious Project and will likely need to keep track of it to ensure things work out as well as anything completely insane could possibly do.


Here's the details: Somehow, inexplicably I found myself agreeing (volunteering?) to make a co-worker a stole for her wedding. We looked through Ravelry and agreed that the Hanami Stole was lovely.

Here’s the buts/ands:

• but, I’ve never knit a stole before
• and, I’ve also never really done a lacy project
• and, now that you mention it, lace actually terrifies me, thankyouverymuch
  
• and, also I’ve never knit with beads before

Clearly, I need to handle these issues so I can get to work on her wedding stole. Otherwise, how can I be sure it is done in time...

• but, she’s getting married “sometime in July, I think”
• and, she’s not picked out a dress yet
• and, she’s not sure if she prefers pure white, or creamy white or silvery white
• and, she’s not sure she won’t opt for a beaded bodice, etc.
  

Practically, no casting on until these things are decided. Her choices will dictate what yarn, beads, etc I will need.

Soooooo, I am going to try a practice Hanami since it’s been in my queue since the 12th of forever.

3/26: practice yarn bought! I got some insanely delightful Baruffa Cashwool. It was so lovely I actually bought two skeins. (apparently I am going to start knitting lace all the time now.)

To Vic’s in the evening with the intention of casting on. I will need some help to learn this beaded cast on business.

Except, I need beads.

Thankfully, she has beads and is generously offering them up.

Except, none fit on the tiniest crochet hook I’ve ever seen. Argh.

3/27: Explain all of above to housemate and convince him to come to craft store with me.

Ummm….He may not have been the best companion. He was as seduced by beads as I was. Some $65 later, we leave with beads in abundance. (apparently, I am going to start knitting with beads all the time now.)

Armed with Melanie Gibbons’ exceedingly awesome instructions and a good deal of chutzpah, I attempt to teach myself the beaded cast on…

...and succeed!

Later that night…1st repeat of basketweave done. I cannot express how tiny this yarn is and how huge and clumsy I’ve learned my fingers are.

I’ve decided to add more beads because I really want to get the whole working-with-beads thing down. I even taught myself a way to add them mid-row. Score! Now I need to figure out some sensical way to use them.

3/28 have decided to add a bead above each sk2tog,psso. We’ll see how that turns out. (apparently, I am going to make things up as I go along all the time now.)

I have determined it takes me about 18 minutes to do a pattern row and its partner purl row. The pattern is written with 498 rows.

That’s 4482 minutes or 74.7 hours if I do everything as written.

But wait, now I’m “that girl” - who modifies things despite not having a clue what I'm doing in even the most basic sense.

One thing my co-worker did know was that she wants the stole longer. Fantabulous. So I’ve already determined to add an extra basket repeat, some extra SS rows and will add rows to the flower side to even it out. More than likely I will add 8 rows to each chart through F then do chart G 4 times a la spinayarnforewe’s mods.

So that’s say 84 more rows, or 756 minutes, or 12.6 more hours.

Ummm... for a total of 582 rows, or 5238 minutes, or 87.3 hours

So yeah.