Swanning Along

I promised pictures today, so let’s jump right into the Swan Lake Stole update!

This is the current progress of the stole. I’m approximately 35% done, and I have a month in which to finish it. Do you think I’ll be able to make it? I’m certainly going to try. This is now my everywhere knitting. It came to work with me for the first time today, and I’m going to knit it on my lunch break. And when I visit M after work (assuming I do, that is) if there is TV knitting time, that’s what I’ll be working on there, too. I had been leaving the MS3 at home because the beads and lace make for a touchy travel knit, but since I’m to the part with the least difficulty and the fewest beads, I figure I can take it places.

(That’s where I am - the long section of cat’s paw lace, for those of you who know the pattern. There are still beads along the edges, but none in the interior of the pattern at this point.)

Also, I am still planning to knit the symmetrical version, because while I love the wings and the idea of a flighted stole, I don’t really want an asymmetrical shape on a stole I plan to keep. I like symmetry in shape - the design inside the shape doesn’t matter as much, but the shape itself I want to match. (Yes, this does mean I plan to knit the two-winged version as well.)

(A close-up with a colored background so that you can actually see the stitch pattern… for all that unblocked lace tends to be a scrunchy and not-very-pretty thing, I think this knit doesn’t look too bad unblocked.)

Anyway, the pattern is now available to the masses here, if you want to buy it. It’s a lovely knit, and so much fun to knit with beads! If nothing else, Melanie (the designer) has gorgeous pictures of her finished shawls up on the site. Go check them out!