Big. White. More beads.

The big white thing (with more beads) has really started to get to me – and I’m sure it’s starting to get to you… I have here photographed it in different place than I did all of last week to try and drive the excitement up, but no matter what I do, it is still big and white and I’d say it was unending, but I know it has to have an end.

onpianoshawl 2016-05-24

This thing has to be done by Meg’s wedding day, which is June the 20th. Yes, I know exactly how soon that is, and yes, I am freaking out. About a million important things have to happen between then and now, including important appointments, dinners, family commitments, training for the rally, working on the committee, keeping the house clean enough that the cat doesn’t get stuck to the floor (I am keeping the bar so low there) the Strung Along June Retreat, writing, somewhere in there I think I’d like to speak to Joe, remember Father’s Day and celebrate six family Birthdays and without fail, I have to finish this shawl.

I am just starting the border, which means that I have 46 rows to go.

onpianoshawldet 2016-05-24

The wedding is in 28 days, but the shawl needs to be done at least 3 days before the wedding for the purposes of blocking. and that means that I have 25 days. That should mean that as long as I do two rows a day, I’ll be just fine. Here’s the thing – two rows a day doesn’t sound like much – but the rows are really freaking long right now (and they’re only getting longer – I add four stitches every right side row, so more than 100 more are in the offing) and those rows are slow going, with all the beads and whatnot. Not only that, but with the beads and the chart and frankly, how white it all is, this isn’t exactly the sort of project I can do on the subway or as I’m walking down the street – not only am I really sure I can’t manage the beads on the go, I’m pretty sure that’s how you end up drunk and sobbing in a corner because there’s gum stuck to a wedding shawl or you snagged the thing on an escalator.  I have to sit still and knit, and it’s not my best thing. I’m better at knitting in restaurants, meetings and on buses. I knit a lot in a day, but it’s a bit here and a bit there and this shawl simply has more set-up and takedown than a sock. (By the way I am almost finished another pair of socks.)

This is all a rather fussy way of saying that I think two rows a day is going to be really hard, and maybe unrealistic, and… I’m freaking out a little. Two rows. I just need to knit two rows. Or Four. Four would be better.

I’m just going to go cancel my dentist appointment.

(PS. Spit Splice. That’s how I joined.  I pulled about 5cm of one ply of yarn out of each end of the two ply to reduce the bulk, and overlapped those two single plies. Then I applied a little “moisture” and then rubbed them together until they felted, and then gave it a little tug to be sure.  The join is imperceptible. Even I can’t find it now that I’m a few rows past. It worked really well. I didn’t just overlap because I hate the double-thick spot that always shows – especially in lace, and I didn’t do the Russian join because I felt like the yarn didn’t have appropriate ply twist for it, and it would have still been bulky. So there you have it, spit splice to the rescue.)

148 thoughts on “Big. White. More beads.

  1. The yarn I used got spit-spliced also, including the spot where the cat thought the yarn was a good toy.
    You’ll get there, but yeah, the last 30 or 40 rows seem to take forever. And the bind-off, too.

      • yup, me too. Some Rauma slowly becoming a sweater, mistaken for a chewing treat by the cat. Fortunately he left plenty of split behind, and it sticks to itself so much anyway that my lame spit splicing won’t matter.

      • After that, I didn’t knit lace around the cat. (I did stop taking Aeolian with me – the beads were a hassle while I was commuting.)

  2. You can do it. You have The Blog behind you. It’s for your daughter. When she wraps the shawl around her shoulders on her wedding day, it may be the last gift you will give her before she gets married. You really can do it.

  3. More knitting and less calculating how much there is to knit in 25 days, perhaps? Soothing music, water (to prevent a disaster), deep breathing, etc.

    On the plus side, it sounds like there will be plenty to write about for the blog other than the Big White Shawl.

    And, Mother of the Bride, don’t forget your hair appointment and making sure you have the M.O.B. accourtements in clothing and what other else you need to be presentable for the photos.

  4. Almost 3 years ago, I made a white shawl out of reeled silk (somewhere between lace and fingering) with swarovski crystals for my friend for her wedding. A month before the wedding, my husband spilled an entire Diet Coke on it and it was, well, ruined. She therefore did NOT get it at the wedding shower–she got it the day of the wedding. I blocked the replacement in the hotel the day before the wedding. You can do this. But also do not let anyone with Coke anywhere near you.

  5. You totally can do this! Stay in the House (the icon I had to touch), stock up on audiobooks or podcasts and good coffee (put it in a spillproof cup), silence your phine for an hour or two and knit on! You have The Blog’s mojo behind you all the way.

  6. I don’t think I added beads to mine until the border, so you are already a rockstar in my book. It’s going to be beautiful, but IIRC the second to last row of beads is a bead almost every other stitch and it gets really crazy. I adore wearing and looking at beaded lace but actually doing it can be maddening. Good luck!

  7. Just have to say that I understand your pain–I’m currently sewing my wedding dress and I’m getting right down to the wire, too! 38 days to go; bodice and skirt are not attached, zipper is not installed…to say nothing of the 11 feet of lace trim to hand-sew to the @#$&!!! circle skirt. We’ll get there!! …I hope.

  8. Just think of it like the baby shawls but different.
    You at least know the exact date and time.

    Also the 1st is always the hardest,when the 3rd wedding comes along you will be a PRO at wedding shawls.

    • This one will become an heirloom to be handed down from sister to sister. She won’t have to do 3, well unless she wants to.

  9. If we could all help, you know that we would. A few stitches here, a few stitches there. Alas.
    Just keep picturing your beautiful daughter in that beautiful (beautiful, beautiful) shawl. You’ll get it done.

  10. I’m 1.5 skeins into a 4 skein shawl. It’s all stockinette in the round all the time. I just have to increase every other row. I can work on it everywhere but there is nothing to tell my blog about… 🙂 You can do it!! (but 4 rows a day for a while is a good idea…frontloading)

  11. I feel your pain–literally. I have a 5-alarm migraine today. I have faith that you will finish the shawl with your sanity intact.

  12. 3 rows a day, just enough insurance to not be crazy making. Because if there’s a retreat, there are a couple of long plane flight days and I’m guessing you’re not eager to bead on the plane. How long does it take you to knit a row now?

  13. My husband does this thing when I am working on projects like this and at my breaking point sobbing with the stress of unrelenting boarder rows. He puts his hands on my shoulders and looks into my eyes and says, “Edges are big.”

    I drop my head to his chest with a resigned sigh and repeat, “Edges are big.”

    Then I go back to my knitting and some how feel a little better.

  14. Just know that the one row near the end is going to take a day all its own. Seriously. I think it is row 43 if I’m looking at my chart and remembering right. You CAN do this and Meg will look wonderful in it, but make sure to do a few 3 or 4 row days so you have time for that one.

  15. [In Case You Don’t Finish…] I respectfully and lovingly suggest that Megan wear the fantastic shawl you wore on your wedding day? I still recall the utter awe I felt, reading the blog over those days.

  16. For a minute there I was thinking, wow, that sounds perfect for my upcoming research trip, where I will have 16 hours a day (minus a few for sleep) where I’ll need something to do and I’ll be trapped on a boat with literally no where I can go…Then I came to my senses and remembered I’ll be on a boat for 21 days and the idea of seed beeding in rolling open ocean conditions made me shudder a little…

  17. Not a pony, but still rather lovely.

    I also vote for trying to front-load the knitting and do as many 4 (or 6?) row days as you can for the sake of sanity later.
    re: talking to Joe. Have you considered training him to help with beads? he could load them for you…

    • Didn’t he help with that on a previous gift-shawl (I can’t remember whose)? Don’t let all that training go to waste!!!

  18. I think this should be a Legacy Shawl. You know, the only wedding shawl you knit. If the other girls get married they each get to wear the shawl and hand it on to the next in line who is marrying. If your daughter marries and gives you a daughter in law, then they get to take cute pictures entwined in the shawl. There ya have it! I know you’ll never take my advice, but it’s free to give anyway.

  19. You can do it! I’ll be at the retreat to cheer you on – do bring it with you so we can see it in person. And just as an aside, June 20 was my late parents wedding day and they were married for 57 years.

  20. Of course you can do this! It’s for your daughter, after all! Don’t worry about the housework — the cat is too smart to get stuck to the floor. If you remember the bra, you’ll get the rest of the MOB stuff done, too. The shawl is guaranteed to get you talking to Joe, probably at 3 AM when you’re somewhat crazed (around row umpteen-zillion). And if the shawl is done but not blocked on the big day? SO WHAT??

  21. Stephanie, you can do this, even four rows a day if you must. Keep your chin up. And don’t fall on your bum when doing your bike rides.
    From Texas, we are rooting for you.

  22. You can totally do this! If it were me, I’d aim for four rows a day, at least to start. That way, you build in some extra time in case there’s a lost day and, once you’ve done a bunch of extra rows, a bit of a sense of relief from the stress.

  23. Oh yes – an assistant to front load the beads. Yes.

    And the shawl sparkles like moonlight on snow, just simply beautiful.

    The Blog is with you…every bead of the way. I love the words from above “Edges Are Big”.

    • Tina – you are an enabler and I LOVE you for it! I had never heard of the Fleegle Beader but as someone who likes to knit with beads I now MUST.HAVE.ONE.

      Thank you for sharing this wonderful advice!

    • That fleegle looks like a great tool! and it will even work with a bead spinner. Genius!! Gonna have to order that for sure. Thanks for the tip!

  24. My best unsolicited advice: if you are entertaining guests at your home during wedding weekend hire a house cleaner to come a couple days before; so worth the money. And save the Karmic Balancing Gifts for after the shawl is done, this beautiful shawl for your lovely daughter is more important right now.

    • I absolutely second Carolyn’s suggestion for a house cleaner, as well as a delay on the Karmic Giving.

      You WILL get it done, and Meg will look breathtaking in it!

  25. I had thought of knitting myself a lace shawl for my upcoming wedding (July 9, 2016), but I knew I’d never get it done in time, and would I really wear it if it is quite hot out? So, I nixed the idea altogether to save myself a headache – and maybe a few choice words along the way.

  26. If it were me, and I was running out of time, I would probably shorten it by a row or two. I’m sure it would never be noticeable. But I’m not the perfectionist you are. 😉

  27. persevere, my friend! But you’d think the daughter of a knitter would know the importance of giving adequate notice of an impending wedding date! 🙂 Maybe she’d like some heirloom wedding socks instead of a shawl? HAHA

  28. As someone who is on The. Last. Three. Endless. %&#@@%&*. Rows. (of a group project that was MY stupid idea in the first place 😛 ), may I offer my deepest sympathies.

    The Blog is with you, as we always are, and You Can Do This!! There have been some great suggestions offered — may one or more of them ease some of the pressure.

    My own suggestion is this: When The Shawl is finished and the wedding is over, give yourself a month to not-even-think-about-shawls. Then, get started on the NEXT ONE!! Commit to ‘X’ number of stitches per week/month — think of it as a [sanity] savings account. If Sam and Amanda can’t commit to a shade, make them in white with clear beads — they can always be tea/coffee/Coke-dyed later, if need be.

    Of course, this is not necessarily the approach I, myself, would take — being prone to procrastination and panic as I am 😀

  29. Delegate the rest of the stuff. You aren’t the only person in your family who can do laundry, wrap presents, clean house etc. Once in a lifetime events take precedence over daily crap, but I don’t need to tell you this.

  30. Oh Lordy! I just started sweating on your behalf. I’m sure you can do it! I couldn’t, but I’m sure you can.

  31. If it would help, I have a spreadsheet left over from when I made it to figure out exactly how many repeats I could get out of my ball of alpaca. I’d be happy to post it on Google Docs and email you the link if you’d like.

  32. Spit splice is always my favorite join. When a non-knitter recently asked me how new balls of yarn spit splice was the only join I even mentioned.

    You can do it! We all believe in you!

  33. You can SO TOTALLY DO THIS–I mean, you can ride your bike all the way to Montreal, for peet’s sake! You’ve got this–it’s so not an everyday project, and not your sort of everyday project, but: that is entirely appropriate, don’t you think? =)

    • And show us as many functionally identical pictures as you have to to get through…we’ll totally suck that up and keep cheering!

  34. I’m perfectly willing to forgo blog posts until after the wedding, or the shawl is done, if that saves you time. I know you will always share the fun bits with us later. You can do it!

    • Ooo…no blog posts? That suggestion made me flinch. Does that make me a selfish person???

      How about this in the way of delegation: posts written by guest writers–Rally team-members, Ken, Rams, Presbytera, your dauthers, hey, Alex, and we SO would love to hear from Joe!!! Pictures would be awesome–biking, shots of you actually knitting which we never get to see, whatever–we are willing to be very easy to please! =)

  35. Does it help to know that: a) I enjoyed and learned from your P.S.; and b) the shawl looks gorgeous, is in no way boring, and is frankly inspirational to me as I slog my way through a much less impressive undertaking?

  36. Hang in there, Harlot! You can do it, even though the clock (the icon I had to touch) is ticking. We have faith in you and your amazing talents. Make use of the people around you. You don’t have to do it all.

    • ….. or you’re working with superwash wool? SW wool is treated so it doesn’t felt, ever.

  37. There’s the near certainty that if you didn’t have the Shawl to make you frantic you would be crazed about A Dress and Appropriate Foundation Garment, and trying to second-guess the secretive, headstrong bridal couple. This is the cup runneth half over perspective. Bless you all!

  38. You can do this! Just like a marathon or bike rally, take it one mile/row at a time, but do remember to leave a day or two for the bind off (the one time I approve the use of a crochet hook..). Your daughter will appreciate all your efforts for this lovely piece of artwork. In the meantime, drink only white wine… Good luck!

  39. Oh man do I feel you. I knit Aeolian for my wedding as my something blue (http://www.ravelry.com/projects/bumblefee/aeolian-shawl)
    I think I finished it with just enough time to block it and after some pretty intensive knitting in the last week, at which point it became known as the shawl of doom.
    While I was blocking it I noticed that the yarn had snapped in one stitch. This was when I curled up in a ball on the floor and cried. After my tantrum I managed to tie the ends together and salvage it!
    Good luck!

  40. I do remember you’re not into delegation, but I’m going to suggest it AGAIN…hire a housekeeper, cater dinners, and celebrate all the birthdays together at a nearby restaurant. Save your energy for what matters most and save your sanity!

    • Wohoo–now you’re talkin’!! A totally all-inclusive, get-out-of-jail-free card that lets you apply ANY solution that gets the job done even if “we have NEVER done it that way!” and may never again!!

      (Or…might be so fun that new family traditions will date back to ‘remember that summer when it was so crazy and I had No time?!?’)

  41. Now is the time to call in the “friend brigade” and anyone you have ever done a kind deed for. House keeping, laundry, errands, gift shopping, gift wrapping, party set up and clean up, meal prep, phone calls, etc. can all be done by friends without it being a burden to anyone. You can direct (while you knit of course). Choose one friend to coordinate, give her a list of phone numbers and email addresses, and a list of tasks to be done, and ask her to rally the troops. Many hands make light work but only two can work on the shawl.

  42. You. Can. Do. It.

    Go Steph go! I love your honesty, no matter how much you will love seeing Megan wrapped in the shawl on her wedding day, knitting said shawl can still be a pain in the (insert your own word of choice!).

    Just remember keep your coffee a healthy distance away from the big white beaded object at all times.

  43. I’ve knit this shawl a few years ago, and it is still one my favorites… From silk. And then one fall I got it caught in a door handle (the European type) and then pulled it, because I didn’t know… so there was a big nasty tear in it. I cried and put it away for MONTHS… then with a friend we sat down, took out the broken stitches from two side, picked them up on tiny sock needles and reknit then finally grafted the whole thing… I can see where two of the stitches went ashtray, but otherwise its is still fine, and all the more dear to me… I remember the last few rows were VERY long, many hundreds of stitches, but if you just concentrate and cancel a few appt, you can do it. And now I am thinking, maybe I need another aeolian in some other color than the golden beige silk…

  44. I can’t even tell you how much I sympathise with you at the moment, my brother is getting married on 18th of June and I still have 28 inches of blanket to knit as a wedding present which means 8 – 10 rows a day (10 would be better) so…. yeah lets just give up on sleeping now 🙂

  45. I’m arguing with myself…should I leave a comment? If I do that means poor Steph will have to use valuable knitting time away from that gorgeous shawl to read it. But if I don’t tell her I have confidence in her abilities to finish it in time, how will she have faith in herself to go on? But I’m only one person in the whole blogosphere so it won’t matter, right? But…but…but…knit on oh Queen of the Sticks! I know you can do it!!!

  46. I thought with the spinning wheel in the background that you had decided to take a spinning break. That’s ok – I can see you have no time for that. Four rows a day whenever possible really is better. You don’t really have 25 (24) days to work on it, with all of that air travel and the retreat.

    That said, the shawl is beautiful, and I can see differences in the pattern, and that makes it interesting, so please post however many (or few) photos of it as helps to keep you sane.

    Regarding the wedding, and the blog: Delegate!!!

    There will be people in your life who really want to help, and who may not think to pester you with “how can I help, no seriously, give me something to do.” I’m sure you can get one of the girls or someone from knit night or Joe to preload beads for you, and the karmic balancing gifts should be a great thing to delegate. (I’d love to see a post from each person on Team Knit, and Ken might be able to do several. 🙂 )

    And thank you for admitting that you don’t really like to sit still and knit at a desk with good lighting, either, and prefer to work on projects while on the go. That tells me that (a) I’m not strange for preferring that myself, and (b) that I will someday get good enough at knitting to work on some of the amazing things you’ve made, without requiring a podcast to keep me sitting in one place. 🙂

    Thanks! And wishing you only the best things happening from here until the end of the bike ride.

  47. Love seeing pictures of the progress. The very thought of how it will look on your daughter makes me teary already. Love the spit splice-just an extra bit of her mother’s love wrapped around her on her wedding day!
    Your cat, like my too, must be quite skilled at not getting stuck to the floor while major knitting is in progress! So don’t worry about that.

  48. I think a blog post, essay or even a book on how to persevere to the end when the knitting project is too boring or overwhelming or frustrating would be a best seller ! We would all have fewer UGO’s ! Megan will be a beautiful bride wrapped in that gorgeous shawl.

  49. It looks so beautiful and I just know you’re going to get it done with plenty of time to spare. I have every faith in you. What a wonderful gift from a mother to a daughter for her wedding! You’re amazing!

  50. Megan has excellent taste in dates. June 20th is the perfect day for big important things. (It’s my birthday) Congratulations to her, and best wishes to you on finishing the shawl. The deadline is all the drama it needs, and I’m sure you’ll get it done and it’ll be gorgeous.

  51. You’re a much stronger woman than I….best of luck on the shawl and congratulations to you and your family!

  52. So, so pretty. And the fern lace motif in there–ferns go back to the dawn of time. They have survived and endured and continued with their gracious airy leaves no matter what has been thrown at them over all these millennia. Nothing can change their patient quiet beauty. Ferns rock.

  53. You are going to do it! You have absolutely incredible skill, experience, and planning abilities that always amaze me! Not to mention the love being worked into each stitch.

    I do recall that in the last few days before your own wedding you had a guest blogger. Now I am all for you taking time off if you want to; no blogging is required at times like this. However, I think that might bother you. (We would not grouse and feel abandoned…promise!) It’s a thought.

  54. I’m sure you can finish up before our birthday! Do you have a spot that you can just leave it set-up and ready to knit (chart, beads, etc.) so that you can just sit down to knit and don’t have to get out/put away all the time?

  55. Oh my, you really, really do have a full plate for this next month! The shawl is lovely though, and not boring at all to look at, from my perspective if not yours, lol! Wishing you God speed with all you have going on, and do take time to relax and make lasting memories in your mind of all the activities surrounding the wedding! It’s so easy to get stressed and then when it’s all over, not remember who said what and what all happened because you were engulfed in a torrent of activity and preparation. Take deep breaths and savor the joy 🙂

  56. You can do this! It will be hard, taxing, wear on your nerves, but you can do this! Sending many wishes for speedy and accurate knitting from Raleigh, NC!

  57. June 20 is a wonderful date for a wedding! My grandparents were married June 20, 1916, and were married 56 years. When my husband and I decided on a June wedding in 1981, I knew it had to be the 20th. Meg’s wedding day will be our 35th anniversary, and the 100th anniversary of my grandparents’ wedding day. Wishing Megan and Alex many decades of happiness together.

  58. Have you ever had a repetitive strain injury from all the knitting you do? Ever had to stop for a while and not knit? What do you do? I’d love to see a blog about it.

  59. June 20th? This June 20th?!!!

    Wow, I know you (& she) can do it, but that is going to be crazy. Take deep breaths whenever you can, and accept whatever help you can. Then blog all about it, **after the event**! We will be here waiting for you.

  60. Not boring at all. On the contrary, I am in awe at how much it is growing in between posts. I enjoy watching your projects advance.

    Don’t not post because you think you don’t have enough material for a post; we would gladly sit with you and watch paint dry.

  61. Deep breaths. You’ve got this. Set the goal at 3 or 4 rows a day, so you aren’t totally hosed if you get behind. (But know your secret goal is 2). I’ll send you all my wedding shawl mojo. I finished mine a day before my planned elopement. Lace weight dries fast, so if you have to cut blocking time short…

  62. You are still making more progress than me lately – ripped out two almost completed sweaters because they were going to look terrible on me. So there is that. 🙂 PS – I use Purell for the “moisture”. Not as icky.

  63. Get yourself a good book on tape and just sit and knit. You have a deadline, and the house can take care of itself for a bit. (confession, I just did this to finish a project, but it was garter stitch with a bit of counting, so I got to cheat and watch television). Good luck and best wishes to the lovely couple!!

  64. You can do it!! Wishing Meg and Alex all the best on their wedding day. I was married almost 46 years ago on the same date and on Mount Tamalpais in CA.

  65. Your newer Cheerleader hear.

    You have this in the bag. No problem. Your gonna magically find the time, (as usual) and the shawl is going to be done and blocked and on the bride. You might be a little frazzled but no worse for wear. We love you and know you can do this.

    That being said, I think sometimes you create a little drama for us. Not saying that is what is happening now of course but we do love the reading that gets the pulse pounding.

    Much love from Washington state, the dry corner, and if you need a cheerleader in the future, I am here.

  66. If it was quick, it wouldn’t be an heirloom. As for everything else (except for speaking to Joe), it all goes on the back burner. This is your darling daughter’s wedding for wool’s sake! And anyone that doesn’t understand doesn’t deserve to be in your company. So you may need to trade off a training sweep…or POSTPONE the dentist appt…we know you function best at full throttle and in panicked countdown, so no more blog till that heirloom is blocked and drying-my heart can’t take it!
    PS-encouraging words, Joe. And no direct eye contact.

  67. Stephanie the shawl is and will be absolutely stunning and a visual offering of the love you have for your girls. Don’t let it become a chore. Right now it is the most important thing, and a thing only you can do. The rest of the stuff can be handed off, shelved, whatever. Everyone will understand. Enjoy 🙂

  68. Once it’s done, are you going to sit the rest of the girls down and tell them they’d damn well better give more notice than Megan?

  69. June 20th! A great date…my husband and I were married on that date 35 years ago. Best wishes! (with the Big White too)

  70. This is so exciting! I’m glad I found your blog. I’ve never been on the edge of my seat after reading, but I am now also counting down the days for you and cannot wait to see these final photos! How beautiful it looks already. I also do better when I write out the to do list in my brain. Once I get it out of my head I can focus on the task at hand. Best of luck on this treasure! I’m sure you will have just the right number of allnighters in you come close to the wedding day 😉 and then of course you can sleep for a year, or so you tell yourself, but until then…

  71. Have we ever seen your cat? I thought the only animal in your life was the fleece stealing squirrel.

    • Millie the cat is a lovely mostly black with a bit of white long-haired beauty. There are a couple of pictures of her on the Blog.

  72. You can do it! I made all of my bridesmaids socks for their gift, and the morning of the rehearsal dinner, I was still half a sock short. I made my now-husband drive everywhere, and I knit like a maniac. I didn’t get to block them, but the socks were delivered on time that night.

  73. Don’t forget a dress for yourself! The mother of the bride matters, too. Maybe ask your mom to do some scouting for you?

  74. I looked up the shawl on Knitty and noticed that the designer mentioned “the slow patience of lace knitting”.

    I think you have a challenge ahead.

  75. The shawl is just beautiful! Have you ever tried using Superfloss to add beads? It works similarly to a crochet hook, but you can pre-string a whole big lot of beads, and they’ll all just sit there nicely and behave themselves while awaiting their turn.

    https://youtu.be/g792Zecn8-k

    If you can’t get Superfloss there, I’d mail some to you. In fact, my brother is here visiting from Cambridge, ON, and will be driving home tomorrow. I could send some with him and he could mail it to you from there.

  76. Spit, splice is my favorite join. I use it constantly with pure fibers and it NEVER fails me! I hand spin more now than ever and it is reliable, fast and secure! Splice away Steph!

    bjr

  77. Oh my gosh, I opened your blog and wondered how the heck my shawl made it to your blog…..I am working on a similar project for my daughter’s wedding in August. I am so tired of beading. I bead each row then go back to knit it. Seems to go quicker that way. I am using a beading needle, (Beadle) which enables me to load a ton of beads. Only 30 mor rows to go and I can bind off

  78. Split and splice – you’d have to join wool this way with such fine knitting as you are doing! I must stop being a lazy “knot and knit” wool joiner! What a wonderful shawl you are creating! Saying how you could take it with you to knit had images of disaster flashing through my mind: someone spilling tomato soup on the shawl in a restaurant, a dog snatching at it in a park, it getting caught in a taxi door and dragging on the road…! Oh no! Persevere , you’re doing great!

  79. I’ve read this blog outloud to my daughter for at least 8 years. As a part of The Blog we talk about the posts and laughed and cried. My husband just tuned in and said, ” this wedding, when is it, how do we know these people again, do we have to go to Toronto?”
    It’s good that he tunes in to our household every once in a while.

  80. If you can ride a bike to Montreal each year, you can knit this shawl. To second some of the wonderful advice from upstream, consider delegating things like laundry to other people, don’t forget to take care of yourself, and knit more than 2 rows per day if possible.

    You can do it!

  81. Stephanie, you can do it! Listen to instrumental music or a book you’ve listened to previously (harry potter is my go-to for multi-tasking) or a movie you’ve seen so often you don’t need to actually watch. Make an appointment for it every day maybe. It will be fine! So happy for you and your family!

  82. Okay, you did prepare us for the blog being an unending series of comments about big, white, and beading. I have nothing but the utmost sympathy. But the whole time I was reading the post my mind was paying no attention whatsoever and just clapping it’s hands and saying “OOoopretty sparkley” over and over.
    Sorry about that. I have very little control.

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