Last we heard I had ripped back a long neglected WIP, Rock Island, purchased as a kit in April ’11 and restarted it in some Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace.  Somehow the change from Lorna’s Laces Helen’s Lace to the alpaca just made it click for me.  I don’t know why.  Well it didn’t exactly click.  The edging took me a while to memorize… maybe 25 points or so… and I had to rip back 5 points thrice.  Not exactly 5 points since I put in a lifeline every 5th point and somewhere along the 5th I would have to go back.  This is the first time I have ever used a lifeline much less had to use it repeatedly.  Anyway yesterday I finally finished the edging and picked up my YOs for body of shawl.  I believe there is a mistake in the pick up bit since it says to pick up 142 sts, 4 in next two YOs, mark next picked up YO as center stitch ……. you should have 145 sts on each side of marked stitch.  Now my maths tell me that 142 +4 =146 and yes I ended up with one extra stitch after doing all the pick ups.  ARGH.  Worse it tells you you will have picked up 7 stitches out of center 4 and that is correct given how they have you pick up so whatever.  I corrected this on first decrease row by slipping 2 as if to knit, k2tog, psso.

Today while the adorable grandson napped I worked on my triangle and just now finished my first row of the Rock Island lace chart.   YaY everything is correct number wise although, for some reason, when I counted, and recounted, and ummm recounted again I kept getting one stitch less than called for which had me ready to pull my hair out for maybe not centering my center stitch properly or something {although I had counted after first decrease row to check 0.o}  Sigh.  And my knitting still looks like a frothy blob.  Love it.

Rock Island just past first lace row. And yarn photo for stash in Ravelry ;-/

yarny days and knitterly evenings