Mandala Pictures

This pattern is Mandala. It was last year's Goddess Knits Anniversary Mystery Knit-a-long. The Ravelry pattern main page has some pretty pictures of finished shawls.

This pattern had 5 clues. Each of the first four clues had four different charts to choose from. So many options for the final shawl. The last clue was the edge. There was only one choice for the edge but you could substitute with another edge that had the same number of row repeats or if you were willing to do the math. I went with the given chart for clue 5.







































I was nervous about the blocking but it was a snap with a 70" round plastic table cloth.


Oh...here's my project page at Ravelry.

Pi Cloth Experimentation

It was time for a circular cloth knit in the round.

This is a great way to practice the Lighter Circular Beginning (second half of that video) Or if you don't like youtube here it is in still pictures: last entry here

This is also a great way to get your mind wrapped around a knit on border. It is easier to knit a knit on border than it is to figure out how to knit a knit on border. In other words once you have the start of it figured out the rest is a snap to knit.


For the doubling rounds I used the knit in the front and back of each stitch so I wouldn’t have the YO holes. The pattern on the main part of the cloth was not from a stitch dictionary. I drew it in Excel. The knit on border is from a stitch dictionary.









Unblocked (smoothed flat) it is about 10” in diameter.










Blocked it measures 10.5 inches.

The yarn is Pisgah Yarn & Dyeing Co., Inc America's Best Article 960, Perle Cotton (Size 5, mercerized). Color: Lime #56.

I used size 2 double pointed bamboo needles (8" long) for the whole thing.

The pattern is still in handwritten notes but I do have plans on writing it up with links and details for the tricky parts.

Ravelry link to project.

Seasons of Lace

The other "big" start on the 21st was for the Seasons of Lace (Rav link) and the Goddess Knits Anniversary Mystery Shawl. This is a Pi Shawl. You can still sign up for this KAL (knit along) until the 30th of June!

Goddess Knits site to sign up for this free pattern
Yahoo Group link ...where the pattern is uploaded so you can download.
Group on Ravelry

Clue 1 was fast. Completed it June 21st. This is Chart A. You had to pick one of the four charts.



Clue 2 was released on the 21st. I finished on the 23rd. This is the shawl so far. I didn't stretch it out completely.



For Clue 2 I used Chart B....again four different charts to chose from. As of this moment there is the possibility of 16 different shawls. If Clue 3 has four chart choices again then we're up to a possible 64 different shawls. Then Clue 4...256 different possibilities. Then there will be one more choice at the end to make it bigger if desired....if I'm remembering correctly.

The yarn is from Handpaintedyarn.com
I chose this yarn for the color and the price. The color is Mares Profundos. It is a very deep dark blue - semisolid. As I hand wound one of the two hanks I noticed that it isn’t consistent in its width. Some areas are a little thicker and some a little thinner. There were some kinks too. I’m not a spinner but those little kinks look like some spots may be over spun???? No clue if that is the case though. Some spots don’t look spun at all. So I have no idea. Anyway…I love the color. I hope it blocks ok...and keeps the block! Most of the items I've blocked tend to shrink up again...sometimes on the first wearing.

I'm using size 5 needles. I moved it to 24" circular needles as soon as possible. The bamboo dpns tips were a bit too rounded for long term lace knitting. They did work to get it started though.