My big summer project, under the watchful eyes of Ted and Marilyn, will be this, Sharon Miller's Wedding Ring Shawl.
No, I don't anticipate getting married. No, I don't know anybody who is getting married. No, I have no practical use for the item, once finished. Shut up.
Anyhow, I'm a good boy and I like swatching, so I swatched. When you purchase the (gorgeous) Wedding Ring Shawl pattern, Sharon sends along a card with samples of recommended yarns and little swatch chart, so you can try them out and see which you'd prefer to use.
Here we have Fiber A, a two-ply merino, worked on US size 1 needles.
And here we have Fiber B, DMC crochet cotton, worked on same.
I think I've decided to go with the merino.
Of course, maybe the cotton will look better after blocking.
The most entertaining swatch photos ever! I love your arrid wit.
ReplyDeleteYou give me hope to one day try my hand at something more complex. note to self: cotton--nope!!
ReplyDeletethanks for the laugh.
You got what you were looking for...I laughed out loud. The Go Fug Yourself girls would be proud of that scroll- down.
ReplyDelete*giggles* That's humorous. About how I feel about DMC. I decided to go with the gossamer silk in white. I'm starting on this as soon as my new markers (made specially for this project) get in. **bounces around like a fool** I can't wait for them to get here. I look forward to reading your progress and hopefully learning lots by reading what you have to say. :-) I can't wait to see how it comes out - you do such gorgeous work.
ReplyDeleteSweetie, the operative word on that snarl of dental floss's label is "crochet." Steel hooks. Pain. Periodic fear of creating kitsch that's not remotely kool. Stunningly gorgeous dustrag. Realisation that cat fur is the new macassar oil.
ReplyDeleteNext.
Somebody is going to lay themselves down at your feet and beg for that thing when you're done if you do it in merino. Yes, I said *when* you're done. Pom poms at the ready, dude :-)
(I wonder if my husband would consider it flirtatious of me to ask you to slip a shawl through my wedding ring...)
Um, yeah, the Merino looks better. And you know, you can't really block cotton anyway!
ReplyDeleteThey do say blocking works miracles! But I think you're better off with the merino anyway. Thanks for the laugh.
ReplyDeleteOuch for your ending up in knots with the cotton.
ReplyDeleteBigger ouch over the totally predictable equating of crochet with ugly and antimacassar.
And the oh-so banal use of "kitsch".
Send me the bad CROCHET cotton.
It'll be happy with me.
Oh, I needed that today.
ReplyDeleteGo with the wool. Definitely. I wouldn't mind getting married again (to the same guy...too much trouble to retrain a new one)if it means getting my hands on that shawl-to-be!
ReplyDeleteOMG! You're TOO MUCH!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the laugh!!!!!!
Blocking cotton requires starch.
ReplyDeleteI'm contemplating doing a 64 by 78 inch table cloth in cotton for my dining room. I have children, but by the time I finish, I probably won't have to worry about them spilling anything on it.
I dunno. Contemplating....
LaurieM
Yes, I just went and checked out the pattern, thinking it might be something lovely for my lifelong best friend who is getting married in a few months.
ReplyDeleteAnd then I saw the pattern and almost choked.
So gorgeous. So crazy making. Can't wait to watch, and maybe I'll tackle it in 2010 when they re-release the pattern and I've got more knitting time than my 20 minutes daily on the train...
That's -- i.e., your experience with cotton -- what happened to me when I started the Princess in silk. Is the Merino, Sharon's "Gossamer Merino"? That's what I've settled for, and I love it.
ReplyDeleteJean
I have been toying with the idea of working my way towards making a Wedding Ring Shawl.The idea of creating a lace shawl so fine it can be passed through a wedding ring excites me for some reason.(I must have a fever). I wish you the best of luck, all though I am sure you don't need it!
ReplyDeleteLMAO - good luck with that shawl. It's totally gorgeous. That's one of those things that will be passed down through your family or your sister's, and treasured for generations.
ReplyDeleteThe second photo looks pretty much how my shawl is looking.
ReplyDeletePractical use? Who cares about practical?
I think I'll just keep my mouth shut today and sit quietly in the corner.
ReplyDeleteThere is something that I would like Dolores' opinion on, but I will ask at another time.
Tim
The shawl is beautiful. The swatches - too funny!
ReplyDeleteum, yep. Good choice on the merino.
ReplyDeleteI have that pattern.... I'm still waiting to cast on.
ReplyDeleteBut - you made me laugh out loud with the 'swatches'!
I'm knitting a Marianne Kinzel in #30 DMC. That is not so bad (nor nearly as fine as the #100 that Miller sends along). When I finally take leave of my senses and start this shawl (probably during the third or fourth trip of this bandwagon), I'll probably stick with wool of some sort. As lovely as the cotton is, wool is much more forgiving.
ReplyDeleteFranklin I finally listened to your podcast this morning. It was my very ever, and I was delighted. You did a wonderful job. I found you through a friends blog and you are now on my daily must read list. I will be checking back with anticipation to see your shawl. It will be magnificant.
ReplyDeleteThey do say blocking can cure a lot of ills, but I have to question whether even blocking can fix the "swatch."
ReplyDeleteMy mom is a big fan of those patterns, and has had quite a bit of email to-and-fro with the designer, so if you have questions, or want someone to feel your pain, let me know, and I'll put you in touch with my mom.
Good luck to you!
very first ever. geez I can't even type a post correctly.
ReplyDeleteHmm. Yes. I'd go Merino. ;)
ReplyDeleteso... tomorrow we'll have pics of the DMC cotton blocked?
ReplyDeleteany interest in making it out of jaeggerspun wool/silk blend? lovely stuff to work with!
omg. SO funny.
ReplyDeleteI needed that. Thanks!
~bonnie
Your pictures made me laugh out loud. I've just started playing around with trying to knit lace and my attempts have come out looking a lot like picture 2!
ReplyDeleteBy the way... really enjoyed your podcast!
That was awesome and so funny......did you actually unravel the cotton or did you throw it in the thrash can?
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the wedding shawl picture, always handy to have one around,just in case you get asked ( in marriage that is!)
So, Franklin, help me understand this. You're saying you found the cotton difficult to work with?
ReplyDeleteKnitting a shawl with cotton thread: Get to row 12 (3,743 stitches) only to realise you are sawing through your own fingers with cheesewire. For the love of Dolores, use wool.
ReplyDeleteLMAO!!! I bought the pattern too and am leaning a bit towards one of the silks.
ReplyDeleteI'm so behind in my blog reading.
ReplyDeleteI never even gave the cotton a second thought. I swatched in the Gossamer Merino and that was the end of it.
My cotton sample looks very much like yours, except that Cleo chewed it a bit.
LOL! Fiber B. LOL!
ReplyDeleteLee Ann said...
. . . cat fur is the new macassar oil. . . .
Damn! That is so true!
I'm knitting lace these days as well. I have not taken your advice about frogging the blue Pi shawl. I just did not dislike it enough to wreck it. It will be a history of how my knitting evolved over the 20+ years of its creation. I'm making up an edging and nearly done.
Then on to the Orenburg book. Lace in a rectangle has got to be more comprehensible than lace in a circle.
Carol
i thought i'd just google "wedding rings shawl blogs" to see if anyone in blog land had made it...and i came across this post.
ReplyDeletei know you posted this back in march - but i am sitting cracking up with laughter. thank you for making my sunday evening so much funnier!
The chap is absolutely just, and there is no question.
ReplyDeleteobat wasir ampuh cara menyembuhkan wasir obat herbal wasir cara mengobati ambeien obat herbal wasir obat ambeien ampuh
ReplyDelete