In Dreams Errata

Can you tell what I have spent my afternoon doing? Nose buried in the patterns.

sigh...

Having one errata post would look better, but I figure listing them separately will make them easier to find.

I am going to put together a master page with all the errata listings for all patterns.

Chart 7:

Row 194, st 50 s/ b purl NOT pfb.

In Dreams

When the cold of winter comes
Starless night will cover day
In the veiling of the sun
We will walk in bitter rain
But in dreams I still hear your name
And in dreams We will meet again
When the seas and mountains fall
And we come, to end of days
In the dark I hear a call
Calling me there I will go there
And back again

- Words and music by Fran Walsh and Howard Shore

In Dreams
(full pattern)
$9
(includes $1 donation to Doctors without Borders)

beaded half circle shawl
THE TWO TOWERS SERIES
from the needles of Susan Pandorf

Materials: 1300 – 1500 yds. Eos or other laceweight yarn

5000 size 8 seed beads (optional)
Model knit in 6 color Unique Sheep Gradiance - Abalone
size 3 (US) needles or to obtain gauge

Gauge (stockinette st - blocked): 7 st = 1 inch

Advanced Lace

Written & Charted

Sneak Peek Saturday

"Not what we have but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance."
- Jean Petit-Senn (1792-1870, French poet)

It's been a while since we've had a sneak peek Saturday. Each week, time would roll around to the weekend and I would say to myself, "Well, I really want to get to this that or the other point before sharing my recent work."

And the weeks just seemed to fold seamlessly into one another and here it is a month later.

My bad...

It has been an abundant month at Sunflower Designs.

Before vacation, I was sort of burned out on designing, but the 10 days of rest, relaxation, reading (the 3 Rs) and NO KNITTING (gasp) worked their magic on this worn down middle aged knitter.

Well, since vacation, I have come roaring back with a vengeance.

WARNING: picture heavy post!!!

First off, some old business:

Many of you have requested modeled shots of my creations. I roped DH into taking some shots a week or two ago, so here goes...

Barad Dur

Lothlorien - front...

and back

and last, but most certainly NOT least!

In Dreams

I will be compiling the Mystery Shawl clues into one pattern next week, which all KAL participants will receive. This pattern will include all charts, written directions, & corrections. I will post more pictures then.

On to new business:



The Mere is coming along - mine is 1/3 complete and my test knitters have made good progress with their knits. As soon as I get her a little further along and vett the directions for attaching the final edging, I will write her up & get her out to your hot little hands.

REMEMBER: Barad Dur & Mere were added to the Two Towers Series AFTER the Christmas gift certificate promotion. THEY ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE $52 GIFT CERTIFICATE.

They are part of the $15 add-on package. THEY ARE INCLUDED FOR THOSE PURCHASING THE SERIES AFTER MARCH 1 FOR $60.

Those of you forgoing the extra 3 patterns, your first pattern will be Treebeard, which I finished this morning and shot out to my test knitters.




This shoulder wrap features a twist at front and an unblocked lace pattern to evoke the look of moss on the side of the Ents in Fangorn Forest. The yarn is Alchemy's Silken Straw in Forest Waltz.

It is not too late to subscribe to the Two Towers Series. This gets you benefits such as a reduced price, wonderfully warm & witty (HAH!) missives from yours truly, automatic pattern updates, and a surprise pattern somewhere down the line (SHHHH!!!)

Sign up is on the left hand sidebar - scroll down a bit...

I also have one other new pattern in development that has nothing to do with the Lord of the Rings.




This is the Three Angels Shawl: my first dedicated pattern. It is a fundraiser for the Three Angels Children's Home in Haiti, which includes a school and a hospital. The shawl is knit with Crystal Palace's Mini-Mochi and will be edged with a lace border in alpaca that looks like angel wings.

Here is a shot of the shawl stretched out a bit to show the stitch pattern better.

These spring days are abundant indeed. Even as new life springs from the earth and our pulses quicken with the scent of fresh possibilities, we move into the summer months with hope in our hearts and joy in our own backyards.

Code Problems

I think the reason many of you downloading from the blog have had difficulties with the codes may be that you are only able to use one code a day on E-junkie. The problems seem to be focused on those who are trying to download more than one clue at a time.

Let me know...

In Dreams Clue 5 Errata

Written Directions for Row 173 should end with:

;rep from * 3 times

NOT

; rep from * 3 times, ending row with ssk, instead of sk2p (see notes)

Chart is correct.

Thanks for the catch, Elyss!

In Dreams Mystery Shawl

I have now provided two alternate endings to the In Dreams shawl, for those who run short of yarn. Both options shorten the points of the final leaves, rounding them gently to coordinate with the rounded motifs earlier in the design.

Bead count will decrease with the decrease in rows.

The pdf file contains both charts & written directions for alternate patterning that subtracts either 4 or 6 rows from the finished shawl. I have also included revised directions for the outer edging.

These directions are available as a free download both here and on Ravelry. They will also be emailed to every member of the KAL today.

My sincere apologies & thanks for your patience.

I am also updating clue 7 with a new chart, fixing the two errata discovered over the weekend. Written directions remain the same, so you can just print the new chart if you like.

In Dreams Clue 7 errata

Clue 7

Chart 9, row 236, last st: should be Inc 3

Final row of chart shows 4 blanks spaces over YOs in previous rows. All non beaded stitches (those over the YOs) should be kfb.

Written directions are correct

In Dreams Clue 5 Errata

Row 169 & 170 (written directions) should read:

Row 169 (RS): k1, *(k2tog, yo) 4 times, k2, k2tog, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k2, k2tog, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, (cdd, yo, k2tog, k3, ssk, yo) twice, cdd, yo, ssk, k4, yo, ssk, k2, yo, ssk, k4, yo, ssk, k2, (yo, ssk) 4 times, k1; rep from * 3 times

Row 170 (WS): *(p1, p1b) 4 times, p22, pfb, p5, pfb, p1, pfb, p5, pfb, p22, (p1b, p1) 3 times, p1b; rep from * 3 times. p1

Chart is correct

When I made prior correction to these rows, I was unknowingly working from a corrupted source doc.

In Dreams Clue 6 errata

In Dreams Clue 6

chart 8, row 194, column 13 should be purled.

chart 7, row 219: 1st st should be k2tog

written directions are correct

In Dreams Clue 5 Errata

Row 170 (WS):*(p1, p1b) 4 times, p23, pfb, p5, pfb, p1, pfb, p5, pfb, p23, (p1b, p1) 3 times, p1b; rep from * 3 times. p1

Chart is correct

In Dreams Clue 5 Errata

In Dreams Clue 5

Row 169 (written directions) should read as follows:

Row 169 (RS): k1, *(k2tog, yo) 4 times, k2, k2tog, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k2, k2tog, yo, k6 yo, (cdd, yo, k2tog, k3, ssk, yo) twice, cdd, yo, k6, yo, ssk, k2, yo, ssk, k4, yo, ssk, k2, (yo, ssk) 4 times, k1; rep from * 3 times

Chart is correct

In Dreams Clue 3 Errata

Orange line on chart should be row 104, not 102. Written directions are correct.

My testers may not be using gradience or didn't catch it because of the size of the chart. That being said, it really doesn't matter one way or the other , apart from the disagreement between written & chart.

The math I did based on Unique Sheep's website to determine skein changeover placement, came out at row 103, which is a right side row. As all changes are on wrong side rows, I had a choice between 102 or 104, so both are fine.

I forgot to change on mine until row 108 & decided it wasn't worth frogging back. Shawl looks beautiful & I had more than enough yarn to complete each section.

NO ONE NEEDS TO CHANGE OR FROG ANYTHING!

I have however corrected the chart, and if you wish you may download the new version.

In Dreams Clue 2 Errata

Written directions Row 93, should read:

k2tog, yo, k1, (yo, ssk) 8 times, yo, sk2p, yo, (k2 tog, yo) 8 times,k1, yo, sk2p; rep from 3 times,ending last rep w/ ssk (see chart notes)

Chart is correct

In Dreams Clue 1 Errata

In Dreams Clue 1:

Stitch notes for yarn overs should read:

On the yarnovers between repeats in rows 17, 21, 25 & 29 (marked in blue), I worked one yo rather than two btw reps 1 & 2, 2 & 3, and 3 & 4. Then on the return rows (18,22,26,30) I purled & knit into each of those single stitches. This results in a smaller opening than doing a double yarnover. On the outer edges of the main body (before rep1 & after rep 4) just purl as noted.

Notations at end of rows to see notes should be on rows 17, 21, 25, & 29

Chart is correct

Chart 2

Row 16, column 18 should be a beaded purl stitch.

Written directions should read as follows:
Row 16 (WS): “p1b, p1, p1b, p13, p1b, p1, p1b; rep from * 3 times

If anyone wants to download another copy with these changes , use the same code & do so

I Love to Tell the Story

"In the tale, in the telling, we are all one blood. Take the tale in your teeth, then, and bite till the blood runs, hoping it's not poison; and we will all come to the end together, and even to the beginning: living, as we do, in the middle."

Ursula K. LeGuin

When I was young, my mother read Uncle Wiggly stories to me. He was an old gentleman rabbit with many friends & great adventures. And each story ended with something like this:

"And now boys & girls, if you are good, tomorrow we will hear the story of Uncle Wiggly and the "whatever...".

Inevitably, this left me wanting, "Just one more, Mommy. Please?" The writer knew how to whet the appetite of young children and keep them coming back for more.

A little later in my life, the Indiana Jones movies came out and revisited the format of the serial movies of old with their cliff hangers and potboilers. You always wanted to know what happened next.

Today, we eagerly await the next installment of the Harry Potter series, or the Hunger Games, or Twilight. Before that it was Star Wars.

Or my favorite: Lord of the Rings.

There is something in us that loves a good yarn, that keeps us turning the next page, reading well past our bedtimes, lining up for midnight shows at the cinema. We chafe at the bit, we drool over spoilers, we want - no - NEED to know how it turns out.

Why?

Maybe because our lives are such a mystery to us. We don't know what comes next. We plan, we ponder, but ultimately God laughs. Our lives are not our own. Call it fate if you aren't religious.

All I know is on most of the momentous days of my life, I didn't see them coming.

I will admit to falling prey to several exciting narratives recently. I have been burning the midnight oil most nights, working on my designs.

While I knit I have been watching Dexter on DVD. What has impressed me most is how well crafted the plot lines are. Nothing is wasted. Every episode ends with a little cliff hanger of its own and each season finale neatly gathers in all the little loose ends & ties them up in one thrilling package. That is very good writing.

After I have toddled off to bed, I have unwound from the day's stimulating work with a murder mystery: "What the Night Knows" by Dean Koontz. It too is a page turner, with a surprise around every new development. When you are reading till 2:00 in the morning, you know it's good.

But the narrative that has totally held me in thrall this month is the evolving design of In Dreams ( the mystery shawl that kicks off with the first clue on Friday)

I decided months ago that I wanted the design for this piece to feature large motifs, rather than repeating small ones. I wanted it to unfold, rather than repeat. I wanted the increases to flow from within the pattern rather than adding one stitch at the end of each row.

I am now moving into the final section of design elements and it has been a great challenge. If I increase too much in one area the shawl begins to ruffle or forms a point rather than a semicircle. If I increase too little, the stitches pull.

Putting all the pieces of the story together has been a greatly stimulating endeavor to me. I cannot wait to get back to it each day. There have been many changes and false starts. But I have learned so much and enjoyed the process so tremendously. It has been a page turner.

I only hope you enjoy knitting it as much as I have enjoyed designing it.

The downside of this fascination, is the languishing of Argonath & Mithril. And my lack of responsiveness the past 3 weeks. I have been on retreat these past few weeks as I worked my brain around and around the unique problems of this design, looking always to making her the very best I have to offer.

Crafting a well coordinated pattern is much like telling a story. All of the pieces must fit together neatly and arrive together at the end. Each element must contribute to the enjoyment of the whole experience and the well honed beauty of the finished product.

Today, with clue 4 completed, I have forced myself to put In Dreams down and use the day to set up the database for In Dreams clue dispersal (Hurry up, Friday!) and catch up on my huge backlog of correspondence, here on the blog, in my home email account, and on Ravelry.

After those housekeeping tasks are completed, I will devote my time to the completion of Argonath (finally!) and get the pattern out into your in-boxes by week's end.

In Dreams is calling to me. Soon, it says...soon... but not yet...

sigh...

In Dreams Update!

"He felt that his whole life was some kind of dream and he sometimes wondered whose it was and whether they were enjoying it."

-Douglas Adams

!!ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT!!

In Dreams Mystery Shawl will be a full sized, half round shawl, inspired by Galadriel's crown from Lord of the Rings. Shawl is constructed in one piece, from center top out, with increases within the pattern, rather than on certain rows (like a Pi Shawl) or along the edges (like a triangular)

In Dreams will take 1260 yards of laceweight, and require an intermediate level of skill; no expertise required, just patience. Written & charted directions. Wrong side rows are, with a few exceptions, purled.

I am doing mine in Unique Sheep Eos in Abalone Gradience. I will include directions for working with the gradience (ie: when to change colors) The border is knit into last rows of the shawl, rather than knit around ( as Evenstar was) so no need to save your last skein for the border.

There will be optional beading on the wrong side of the entire shawl, so get your beads now. You wil be using them on the first clue. Bead count is 5000 - size 8/0 seed beads - this estimate includes extra so you have wiggle (or jeez, did I just dump those on the floor?) room. BEADING IS OPTIONAL.

If you decide to omit the beads, a plain purl stitch can be substituted.The shawl will be perfectly lovely whatever you decide.

You will also need a 32 inch size 3 US circular needles (or to obtain gauge), approx. 10 stitch markers (if you use them) and a small crochet hook for beading

Sign ups run through Friday February 4th.

Cost is $9, $1 of which is donated to Doctors Without Borders for relief in Haiti. You can sign up here on Rav or on the sidebar of my blog

I have released a swatch to be used for both determining gauge & practicing your lace knitting skills. Swatch directions are available here and on Rav. as a free pattern download.

First clue will come out on February 4th at 6:00 PM EST.

Subsequent clues will come out every other Friday through May7th, for a total of seven clues. This year, clues will be distributed as direct downloads, both here and in the Ravelry pattern store. You will receive download codes in emails from AWeber, my email provider.

If you keep up, by Memorial Day you will have a stunning shawl, perfect for any and all summer events. The entire pattern will be available for purchase in June.

In Dreams

When the cold of Winter comes
Starless night will cover day
In the veiling of the sun
We will walk in bitter rain

But in dreams
I still hear your name
And in dreams
We will meet again

When the seas and mountains fall
And we come, to end of days
In the dark I hear a call
Calling me there
I will go there
And back again

Sign ups open today for the In Dreams Mystery Shawl KAL from Sunflower Designs. Button over there on the sidebar or on Ravelry...

As last year, $1 from each purchase goes directly to Knitters without Borders.I was going to wait until January, but the need for aid in Haiti is so pressing, with the Cholera epidemic, that I am hoping, with YOUR help, to send a nice fat donation to Knitters without Borders for Christmas.

Sign ups will run through Friday February 4th. Cost is $9. First clue will come out that day. Subsequent clues will come out every other Friday throughout February and March.

The In Dreams Mystery KAL concludes our journey through the Fellowship of the Ring and serves as a bridge into the themes & incredible art of the Two Towers. The shawl will be triangular this time, so a bit of an easier knit than Evenstar, if only in sheer volume of stitches. The design is a secret of course, but I can tell you it will be based on the design of Galadriel’s crown.

Shawl will take 1200 yards of laceweight, and require an advanced intermediate level of skill; no expertise required, just patience. Written & charted directions.

I am doing mine in Unique Sheep Eos in Gradience color Abalone. Yummy stuff!

This time around, clues will be distributed through my download provider & also through Ravelry for those who wish to download them there. More specific information, along with a swatch will be forthcoming in January, as we get further into our adventure...

Until (in dreams) we meet again...

Perseverence

"Men perish because they cannot join the beginning with the end."

-Alcmaeon

We are coming to the end of the 0ne year and the beginning of the next, so the above quote seems particularly apt this time of year.

I was actually looking for a quote on persistence.

I have spent the last two days immersed in Herbert Niebling's wonderful designs, along with those of other German lace doily & tablecloth knitters. Yes, I know most of them are not available in English, but they are charted and they are such masterpieces, I wanted to learn from them.

With the aid of an on line translator and a lot of patience, I am swatching and learning oh so much. the charts look nothing like the final piece. They are complex, visually exciting, and intimidating.

When I saw this motif in a set of curtains, I knew I had to adapt it for Mithril.

This is the yarn I am using for my model: Filature Di Crosa Giolello: a lovely laceweight mohair with a gold filament. You can also get it in silver if you prefer.

Originally repeated as an edging, I split it in half and subdivided it. By flipping it diagonally, I designed a really special closure panel for the vest. Beading will be concentrated in this area.

I added to the lace openwork to curve upward into a neckline & added a placket that curves around the front and top. This might seem easy, but figuring out where to add the stitches to achieve this result took twelve hours & three different swatches in some stash yarn I had. (I didn't want to waste any more of the real yarn in experimenting)


You can really see the diagonal nature of the motif in this yarn. The diagonal line will continue in stockinette for the front opening & round its way to the back.

Now that this part is done, I am moving on to designing a complementary design for the back, either at the hem or yoke (haven't decided yet- weigh in through the comments if you have an opinion)

This is the final design for the Fellowship of the Ring Series. Even as I am finishing this final design, I am firmly ensconced in initial design work for the next leg of our journey.

The Two Towers

Mystery KAL
In Dreams
triangular shawl based on Galadriel's Crown
in Unique Sheep Gradience


$9

(one dollar of each purchase goes to Knitters Without Borders)

February 2011 - Sign ups open December 15th

Series
$45
Coming April 2011 - Sign ups open March 1st

eight patterns, cost $56, if purchased separately

Helm's Deep (shoulder warmer in Rowan Lima)
Emyn Muil ( cabled lace kerchief in MadelineTosh Lace)



Ringwraith (lace stole in Blue Moon Geisha)



Tree Beard (lace smoke ring in Filatura's Giollelo)
Balrog (mosaic cowl in String Theory Caper Sock)



Rohan (fair isle cape in Knit Picks Pallete)



Eowyn (twisted stitch. lace up gauntlets in Woolen Rabbit sock )



Elven Woods (lace ruana in Unique Sheep Gradience)

Sign ups for the Mystery Shawl KAL open on December 15th. And though sign ups for the series won't open until March 1st, I am offering through Christmas, at the request of some of my knitters...

Sunflower Designs gift certificate
good for the entire Two Towers series
$52
includes In Dreams Mystery KAL

Purchasers will receive a gift certificate in the form of a pdf, which can be printed out for wrapping & placing under the tree.

So, those of you who wish to put an entire year's worth of happy knitting on your Christmas list, can now do so. Button is on the sidebar, and I will try to get something up on RAV in the next few days.

And now I had better skedaddle; time's a wastin' & I need to get Mithril & In Dreams out to my test knitters.

Later gators...