Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Wanna KAL?

Oh, don't act so surprised. Like you didn't know that I was going to start knitting a Triangle Horseshoe Lace Shawl. The only mystery was whether it would be bottom up, or top down. And when I'd finally give in.

At least I finished writing a chapter of my YA first. And I got past the heel on the Horseshoe Lace sock before I bowed to the inevitable, which is when I learned that the definition of inevitable includes: really tricky.

It's hard to adapt an asymmetrical motif written for knitting in the round, to a flat project that needs to be vertically symmetrical. With edge motifs. And 10 increases worked as evenly as possible into 16 rows, but only on the right side (of the fabric, not the shawl. There are an even number of increases on either side of the shawl)(duh). It took awhile, and a bit of brain wrinkling, but I got it worked out.

I've already added 2 Horseshoe Lace Motifs (2 new repeats are added every 16 rows after the bottom point), and so far, it's working out well. This yarn is natural colored millspun (commercially spun from a small farm) merino/nylon. It's highly processed and looks to be heavy fingering weight, but my guess is that it'll bloom to at least sportweight after washing and blocking. I'm knitting it on Size 8 needles. I don't know if it'll need/want an edge lace or not- the edges are pretty lacy already and the filler-motifs on the edge (for the increases) are lacy too, and they'll be sorta scallopy from the double increases. I'll wait until the triangle is done to decide.

I have no idea how much yarn this shawl is going to take, or how big it'll be. I have over a pound of this yarn, so I can knit until I am so sick of it that I run screaming into the night.

Want to live dangerously and knit a shawl along with me? From a totally untested pattern? Choose whatever size yarn you want, and whatever needles feel right and join the fun.


Click on the jpg to enlarge, right click to save. Print from any graphics program.

No signup. No deadline. No Pressure. Join in if you like, and send me progress pics if you can.

And for those who'd rather work from written instructions, here they are:
click on image to enlarge, right click to save, print from any graphics program.
And just in case (here is where mistakes sometimes creep in, so if you find any, please let me know and I'll make corrections)
:
Horseshoe Lace Triangle Shawl Written Instructions
Chart A:
Row 1: P
Row 2: K1, YO, K1, YO, K1
Row 3: P
Row 4: K1, YO, K3, YO, K1
Row 5: P
Row 6: K1, YO, K1, YO, SL1, K2 tog, PSSO, YO, K1, YO, K1
Row 7: P
Row 8: K1, YO, K2, YO, SL1, K2 tog, PSSO, YO, K2, YO, K1
Row 9: P
Row 10: K1, YO, K3, YO, SL1, K2 tog, PSSO, YO, K3, YO, K1

Chart B (working all 3 portions):

Row 1: P
Row 2: K1, YO, K1, place marker, (the next 10 sts are the center Horseshoe motif), YO, K3, SL1, K2 tog, PSSO, K3, YO, K1, place marker, YO, K1
Row 3: P
Row 4: K1, YO, K1, YO, P1, move marker, K1, YO, K2, SL1, K2 tog, PSSO, K2, YO, K1, P1, move marker, YO, K1, YO, K1
Row 5: P4, move marker, K1, P9, move marker K1, P4
Row 6: K1, YO, K2tog TBL, YO, K1, P1, move marker, K2, YO, K1, SL1, K2 tog, PSSO, K1, YO, K2, P1, move marker K1, YO, K2 tog, YO, K1
Row 7: P5, move marker, K1, P9, move marker, K1, P5
Row 8: K1, YO, K1, YO, K2 tog TBL, YO, K1, P1, move marker, K3, YO, SL1, K2 tog, PSSO, YO, K3, P1, move marker, K1, YO, K2 tog, YO, K1, YO, K1
Row 9: P
Row 10: K1, YO, K2, K2 tog TBL,YO, K3, move marker, YO, K3, SL1, K2 tog, PSSO, K3, YO, K1, move marker, K2, YO, K2 tog, K2, YO, K1
Row 11: P
Row 12: K1, YO, K1, YO, K2, K2 tog TBL, YO, K2, P1, move marker, K1, YO, K2, SL 1, K2 tog, PSSO, K2, YO, K1, P1, move marker, K2, YO, K2 tog, K2, YO, K1, YO, K1
Row 13: P10, move marker, K1, P9, move marker, K1, P10
Row 14: K1, YO, K3, K2togTBL, YO, K4, P1, move marker, K2, YO, K1, SL1, K2 tog, PSSO, K1, YO, K2, P1, move marker, K4, YO, K2tog, K3, YO, K1
Row 15: P 11, move marker, K1, P9, move marker K1, P 11
Row 16: K5, K2togTBL, YO, K4, P1, move marker, K3, YO, SL1, K2 tog, PSSO, YO, K3, P1, move marker, K4, YO, K2tog, K5

After each set of 16 rows in Chart B, there will be 2 more 10 st Center Horseshoe Lace Repeats per row. Repeat that 10 st motif as many times as needed in each row.

12 comments:

Mary Keenan said...

YES
(but not till after my Carrot cardi is done because I am such a good girl!)

joannamauselina said...

I'm very tempted, but I have a Fair Isle cardigan going on. Hmmmm, I wonder if it could be my portable project. Hmmmm.

Unknown said...

Hmm... I've never knit from a chart before...

Kathleen Taylor said...

I've added the written instructions for the lace motifs. If you find any mistakes, let me know.

Unknown said...

Interesting, how about adding beads to the yo at the edge instead of a lace border?
Thanks for sharing.
Does this shawl have a name yet? It has to have a name!

Kathleen Taylor said...

Beads would be a lovely addition. I suspect I'll be knitting more than one of these (I have some handspun in mind, but I wanted to do a test run to see how much yarn was needed first).

And yes- Kathleen Taylor's Horseshoe Lace Triangle Shawl is not a good name. We'll have to have a contest to name it.

Jan said...

Thanks for sharing K...

LizzieHelen said...

Maybe.

Anonymous said...

Yes I have just printed and looks like lots of fun. I will try to cast on this weekend. Thanks for the lovely pattern. I will be back with progress. Are you on Ravelry posting this as well??

mikeslittlesis said...

I will give this a try!

wanderlust said...

How many do i need to cast on 5???

Kathleen Taylor said...

Wanderlust- no. CO 3, and work the first chart, and then continue on.