Lace Quandary

If you have a Typepad blog there seems to be an issue with the DSL server at my office and I can't comment (or post). It seems to be sporadic OR it could be Typepad...anyone else have trouble?
Back to the regularly scheduled post:

The many choices for lace projects are so great and I just can't seem to decide just what to do and when to do it.  I signed up for the The Amazing Lace Along and told Theresa I wanted a big ass lace project team mate but hadn't decided what it should be. Maybe you can give me your two cents worth.   

In my stash are 20 balls of Elann's Baby Silk, color Aubergine, purchased for the Kimono Stole in Folk Shawls. (I can't find my book, however.)  Also, in the stash is a large skein, about 1000 yds, of beautiful Kingfisher blue merino lace weight from New Zealand.  It was unassigned but, Mim's Mountain Peaks Shawl would be fabulous in this color and I'd like to knit it soon. Laurie also sent a lovely gift cone of cashmere in a deep purple that would make up nicely into Mim's shawl.  However, it might be a bit fine and I don't want to fuss with making more repeats to enlarge the shawl.

Another very exciting possibility is the Blue/Violet lace weight purchased last year from Grayce, of Plain and Fancy Wool, at Estes Wool Market.  It would knit into a wonderful stole and with 1600 yds it could be anything!  After perusing several web sites and books, it was in Three-Cornered and Long Shawls by Sigridur Halldórsdóttir, that I found something different and beautiful.  It's a long shawl, pictured on the front of the translation booklet, with a pretty lace border and pattern stitches on EVERY ROW!  It would be difficult and may be beyond my capability.  It must also be graphed together, which I know I'll need help to do (or will need to beg and grovel so someone else will do it for me). I could use any of the above yarn choices for it too but, it scares me a bit.

Of course CeCe is already in process but, she'll be knit anyway and I'd like a stole or shawl to take me through the summer…something big ass big (and beautiful).

In the mean time Mountain Stream II is streaming along nicely.

Comments

[Kathy]

You are an amazing knitter -- of course you can do it!

[michele]

Please, please post a picture of you "CeCe"...I started it twice now and I think I've got the pattern down but would love to see it.

[michele]

oh my gosh...I'm must not be awake yet..you DID post a picture of CeCe...my screen picture didn't look big enough, so I couldn't see the details. silly me. have a great day!

[Lucia]

Well, you know how I am: I'll go straight for the purple every time. Since the cashmere (pause to wipe drool off keyboard) may be too fine, I'd pick the Baby Silk.

As for the project, I too believe you can do anything, and urge you to go for the long shawl. It would be unbelievable.

[Carole]

My teammate for Amazing Lace is the Lotus Blossom shawl in Blue Heron mercerized cotton. I think it's a great pattern but I'm sure you'll love whatever you choose.

[Laurie]

My vote is for the Halldorsdottir shawl. I've only seen Hyrna Hergorbar knitting up from that book so far (which is on my queue once I get my Leaf Lace started/done from Judy-yarn).

[Lolly]

Margene, I have been so far behind in commenting, but I have been reading.
The aubergine and the blue laceweights are just perfect for the coming months of Project Spectrum! :) I have many blue and purple projects planned myself!

Best wishes,
Lolly

[Ann]

Hmmm, I too am doing a Lotus Blossom shawl out of Judy's yarn, but it's a pretty easy (compared to the Halldorsdottir I think) knit -- good for watching kids at the pool. I was looking at the Heirloom lace series (which I ordered in during a flight of fancy) -- there are several of those that would be perfect in the kingfisher. And...still considering the Diamond Fantasy Shawl -- imho, it's a good, open, airy, cool project for silk in the summer. Especially with beads like Cara did. Oh, and a purple cashmere peacock shawl (Fiddlesticks)? Smashing. So many shawls, so little time.

[amanda]

I think you should go for the gusto and co for the long shawl. It would be amazing!

[Miriam]

Is there anyway to avoid the grafting in the stole? Maybe do a provisional cast on, but then just repeat the instructions for the FIRST border, the one that's NOT supposed to be grafted on?

[Vicki]

I don't think anything is beyond your capability, really. It will require a lot of concentration and commitment and might be intimidating -- and those things might get in the way -- but I know you're capable!

I've got Typepad and haven't had any problems with comments that I'm aware of.

[ann]

you are just plain talking crazy if you think that something is beyond you. Of course you can do it! and it does sound like that's the one you really want to do - go for it Margene!!

[hillary]

I'm still searching for my Amazing Lace project but I'll go for something simple due to my limited lace skills. You are so talented though, that I'm sure you could do anything - even the scary-sounding Halldorsdottir shawl. Yarn-wise I vote for the Aubergine baby silk because the color is so deep and rich.

[Norma]

Ditto what Ann said. What a bummer about your posting and commenting Typepad issues. I haven't had any trouble.

[Bakerina]

Oh, Margene, your Kingfisher blue laceweight from New Zealand bears a striking resemblance to the Helen's Lace I am using for the Mountain Peaks shawl! Because I am a genius (/sarcasm), I have misplaced the wrapper, so I can't remember the actual shade name, but it's less royal blue, more teal/turquoise than your Kingfisher. I had originally planned to knit this using a dark purple laceweight merino from Knit Picks, and I might do so yet, but I have to say that this knits up brilliantly in blue; the stitches are easy to see and it looks magnificent when you hold it up in sunlight.

And I agree with everybody else: you are utterly capable of the long Halldorsdottir shawl. I say go for broke; should your energy or spirits flag, just let me know, and I'll send you some preserves-based therapy. ;)

[Rachel]

I would love to see the long shawl knitted up, but I think the Mountain Peaks shawl would be gorgeous in the blue merino, too.

[Cara]

I want a big ass big and beautiful too. Ann and I are thinking about the Irish Diamond Shawl in Folk Shawls. Big. Check. Ass. Check. Beautiful. Check.

You know I'm a sucker for those Diamonds. I have to check out the Halldórsdóttir book too.

[Andrea]

Typepad blogs always take a really long time to load for me.

[susan]

Oh, remember how I lusted after that rectangular shawl! I have a huge-ass stash of J&S cobweb and I may make either that rectangular shawl or the Forest Path Stole in an old IK. Want to knit the same thing and challenge each other??? ;)

[Chef Messy]

;) I vote Mim's shawl for the Amazing Lace Knit-Along (which I may have to join!), but then maybe I'm biased. I loved knitting it.

[Laura]

Decisions decisions - I'm trying to decide what to do for the Amazing Lace myself but I think it will be something more yarny and garmenty - this Mountain Stream will last a while and I certainly don't need two filmy projects OTN at the same time. heh Whatever you choose will be absolutely stunning - I know that. :)

[Chris]

I'm in the same boat for the Amazing Lace! I have a cone of black wool/cashmere or a hank of Helen's Lace in black purl - so I'm looking for something that uses about 1100 yards of laceweight but won't break this lace novice's brain...

[Paula]

Lovely lace yarn. I haven't touched my Helen's Lace shawl in ummm 8 months. More CeCe photos, I am getting ready to start for the third time. Those pesky stitch counts get messed up.

[Sarah HB]

Um, isn't Mim's Mountain Peaks also a different pattern on every row?

I think the blue is a good choice for Mountain Peaks.

[Beth S.]

I get SO excited whenever anyone pulls out the Great Icelandic Shawl Book. :-) I haven't yet dared to knit anything from it myself, but I aspire to! So I hope you'll go with that one, even though it's so complex. It would make great blog-theatre. ;-)

[Snow]

I have yet to buy that Three-Cornered & Long Shawls book, but it gets more and more tempting all the time! I'm more than certain you have the capability to knit anything you set your mind to, Margene. I know you well enough to know that.

I love your Aubergine yarn, and the Kingfisher is gorgeous, too. I'd love to see Mim's Mountain Peaks in either of those colors. I'm especially drawn to that Kingfisher color lately. I might have to find something in that shade soon...hmmmm...

[Risa]

I certainly don't think that shawl is beyond your capabilities. You should go for it. I love that book and made the infamous shawl from it about 2 years ago (finished it right before I started blogging). That whole charting, foreign language, needing a translation book was a little bit overwhelming, but when actually knitting, it certainly wasn't so bad. I say go for it.

[Anne]

Ooooo - so many WONDERFUL choices. I think half the fun of a project is picking which one and which yarns to work it up in.

[Theresa]

For the biggest big ass one of them all - the three corned thing is so unusual. I love the bright blue, however. Stunning color.

[peg-woolinmysoup@blogspot.com]

I also am knitting CeCe! I have an (Shh!) acrylic and rayon mix and want to have it for Oklahoma in June! I have started the sleeves. I love blue - what can I say - I would make a shawl that would have easy rows every other row! I like a challenge, but no one that I have a strong possibility of frogging after piles of my hair sit around my chair!

[Anne]

I vote for some balance of challenging and fun. Don't want to end up with a Penance Shawl!

And Typepad has been broken almost as frequently as it's worked lately.

[--Deb]

Hmmm, I hadn't even heard about the Amazing Lace project . . . I wonder if my Peacock Stole would be up for a challenge??

[Kristi aka Fiber Fool]

Ooooo, those are tough choices! I think you'll have a wonderful teammate no matter whom you choose!

[Christy]

I had work server/typepad issues for a long time before Typepad did their big server update a few months ago. Their server was so slow that at work, no blogs would load- it would simply time out. No commenting for me for months! Thank God for bloglines or I wouldn't have read either.

I haven't had that problem recently though.

Bummer for you.

[MJ]

I would say the Forest Path Stole from an old Interweave Knits issue. It's entrelac *and* lace, so it would be interesting. (I've fallen hard for it myself!)

[Carrie]

You can do it, you can do it! It's only string and sticks, after all. There's nothing we can't make out of string and sticks!

[lisa Co. Springs]

so many choices.....so little time :(

[Erin]

If a knitting project was beyond your capacity then I am whole reality has altered. You can do anything! I think you should go for the long, difficult shawl you talked about.

[Stephanie]

I can comment, but bloglines didn't update your feed (at least not mine). I don't know how you're going to decide, they all sound so lovely. Maybe you should just draw a name out of a hat.

[Rebekah]

Man all this talk of lace is getting my fingers itching, why do you people do this to me! Although I do see a great black dress with an amazing pink lace wrap in my future for some reason, don't know why, just do. Maybe I'll pick one day a week and dedicate it to lace. What can I say, I'm good at plans.

Have you considered doing the German Shawl...the knitalong is going on now and Helle has done a translation. I ordered it from Martina and the pattern arrived in 5 days! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/German-Shawl/?yguid=224701839 Kate/Massachusetts

[JessaLu]

That aubergine is beautiful - and just being able to say 'aubergine' is so chi chi ;o)

[Debi]

All your possibilities are stunning but I love the long sawl you chose! And you can knit this shawl AND graft it, I have complete confidence in you! However, if you don't want to, you can mail (bring) it to me and I will :)

[Sneaksleep]

Well I'm sure you can guess who my teamate will (finally) be. ;-) Since I can't see inside the book to know what the Kimono Stole looks like, my tendency is to vote for the Mountain Peaks. However, I tend to prefer rectangular shawls for versatility, especially in the summer. Sorry, I know that wasn't at all helpful...

[Karen]

Just the words...big ass big...scare me when it comes to lace.

[Jennifer]

So many lovely lace choices! I love that purple laceweight. Lovely!

[Kathleen]

Love those purples!!

[Jenny Raye]

Ohhh, what about Mim's Icarus Shawl in the new IK? All the yarns are lovely--no wonder you're having a difficult time making a decision!

[Susan]

I love the baby silk. Easily my favorite color in the world.

I have a Typepad blog too but haven't noticed any problems.

[Leslie]

Lovely, lovely lace! With so many choices in such beautiful yarns, I can see how hard it is to make a decision!