finshed Ashton Shawl

[northern robin]

I have not been here in a while and thought someone might wonder what I have been up to..Rachael got me started on Estonian Shawls, but I needed help as had not knitted for about 15 years..ended up on a KAL ( knit along) on Knitter's Paradise..here is my finished project.

[northern robin]

I quickly found with the Ashton shawl project that my hands and my patience could only take about 4 rows knitting/day. Am now exploring a new technique of knitting..Portuguese style..this has the tensioning of the yarn done by either having the yarn around your neck or you use a pin on your left shoulder. Its supposed to help with carpel tunnel or arthritis, or tendon issues..my issue seems to be tendons. So it took me over a month to make this shawl. There are more KALs coming up with more shawls..but I have other projects in the works at this time..when I return to shawls it will probably be an Estonian one..those nupps are so lovely.

[IdahoCanuck]

Very very pretty! What a lovely pattern! We all need a break now and then, yours was very productive, :)

[bjulia_lacer]

What a pretty shawl..! You haven't knitted in 15 years and now you did that..! Wow...I'm going to start up again to, but I never, ever, made anything like that before. Hope I make something half as nice...!

[xstchntat]

Your shawl is beautiful Robin. I finishe 2 while in the hospital but have not posted pictures yet. Congrats on a beautiful finish!

[Tammy]

OMGoodness!!!!!!! That is gorgeous.
I'm about 5 months now into needle knitting and I love it!!
Isn't the Portuguese style wonderful? I have tried it and do like the purl especially but don't normally have a problem doing purls the German style anyway. A couple things about the Portuguese style that I have problems with are when you have the yarn over the back of your neck you are now allowing the fibers to rub against the natural oils of skin and hair much more than it does when passing through the fingers as it is being knit. When I have tried using a pin I find I'm afraid it will cause the pin to damage my top. I do keep trying it about once a week or two just to see if the light bulb turns on in my brain.
Your wrap is beautiful I look forward to seeing more of your projects.

[northern robin]

Thanks everyone..it was a lot of fun cause of the other lace beginners, we all commiserated. The group is knitting on making more lace shawls. I am now working on some wool socks..its fun too cause its so fast compared to a shawl. Eventually I might try some lace ones..but plain 1x1 ribbing for starts. In my climate the attraction for wool socks is purely practical...the difference between wool and anything else is huge. Rachael I am sorry you were in the hospital..hope that you are stable in your health situation now.. Hospitals are darn b-o-r-i-n-g. Take care!

[Judy]

Lovely shawl... It has a perfect balance -- not so fragile that I'd be afraid to use it, yet delicate enough for really dressy occasions. Well done.

[Flia]

Gorgeous !

[northern robin]

OMGoodness!!!!!!! That is gorgeous.
I'm about 5 months now into needle knitting and I love it!!
Isn't the Portuguese style wonderful? I have tried it and do like the purl especially but don't normally have a problem doing purls the German style anyway. A couple things about the Portuguese style that I have problems with are when you have the yarn over the back of your neck you are now allowing the fibers to rub against the natural oils of skin and hair much more than it does when passing through the fingers as it is being knit. When I have tried using a pin I find I'm afraid it will cause the pin to damage my top. I do keep trying it about once a week or two just to see if the light bulb turns on in my brain.
Your wrap is beautiful I look forward to seeing more of your projects.

well in the cooler months maybe you could use a designated knitting garment..like an old sweatshirt for the pin!..I got a fancy one from Andrea Young..with a hook ( not the pricey ones with beads, etc), but I would speculate that an ordinary safety pin would work. oddly enough..I have reverted back to the "throwing" technique for the socks..and my hands are not bothered. The finished Shawl only weighted 5 oz..so surely the weight of it was not the cause. maybe it was the circular KNs. I got burned out on making sweaters years ago..but that is what my DH wants..he even paid for the yarn! So there is at least one sweater making activity in my future..thought I could jazz it up with a new never done pattern..but he is not so excited about the mosaic ones that I have ambitions to try..they might have to become place-mats or a felted purse. I will be using the Portuguese method for the sweater for sure. One of the fun things about knitting is that useful objects result..and they are so much faster than tatting..tatting would be a stiffener added to knitting with all of those knots.. I can just see a tatting edging on a place mat..but needle tatting it would have to be if the yarn would match the place-mat or purse. I sort of miss the tatting crowd and this site..being on it so often..guess I still qualify as a knitter..:-).