Saturday, August 22, 2009

Grrrrrr and a contest

The stupid copier is working again. At least, for now it is.

Some plastic roller doohickey fell out of it, but it seems to be working without it.....

If it stops again, I'll just yank its xerographic module and put it in the other machine. Then that one should work.

At least the end is in sight.

Still no progress on finding the right lace stole with beads that I can actually understand and follow. I've got The Stupids again. I don't know why it should be so bad; I stopped taking Neurontin (for the cough, although it worked for that) because it made me feel so thick and slow. I haven't taken ambien since June; that should cut down on the stupid factor, I'd think. Evidentally working with these machines is what's doing it to me, since it didn't seem to be so pervasive during the summer.

I so want to knit a beautiful, elegant, beaded shawl/stole for Joan to wear on her Special Day (her daughter's wedding day). It's not something that's under my control. I have to do this for my own mental health even though it seems to be a total brain drain. Joan's wearing a lovely chiffony-fly-y sleeveless dress (the first or second weekend of November) with front and back v-necks. It's screaming for a light-weight, cobwebby-dewdrops sort of wrap, something that will give her a tiny illusion of warmth without covering the dress too much. Maybe I'm the only one who hears its screams, but it's driving me insane. It. Must. Be. Knit. I don't care if I have to pay for the pattern. I've already bought one (Pampas) that I can't for the life of me understand. So far I haven't been able to knit the two free ones I printed. Somewhere there has to be a beautiful, gossamer dewy stole that I can comprehend.

If anyone links me to a photo/pattern that fits my needs, and I pick it, I'll reward that person with something from my stash. I'm getting desperate here. I don't want to buy a book of patterns, but I don't mind buying a single pattern. I'd really prefer something rectangular, but I'll consider a shawl. Trillian, you're already in the pool.

Help!!!

17 comments:

Nancy @ the Jersey Shore said...

Hi Rita,
I found 2 that might work. The first is frost flowers:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/frost-flowers-beaded-shawl
and the next, the aeolian shawl:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/aeolian-shawl
Then again, you've probably seen these already. I hope you find sometime perfect!

Darcys Knotty Knitter said...

Here is an easy lace stole
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/-shaun-/easy-lace-stole
The above link has notes about adding a crochet beaded border to the pattern.Here is the pattern link:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/easy-lace-stole
Have you thought about buying from art yarns some already beaded yarn then knitting the pattern above? Hugs Darcy
darcysknottyknitter@gmail.com

vickie said...

here is one http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/japanese-feather-and-fan-shawl vbarton24 at gmail dot com good luck

rita said...

You guys are on the ball!!! I've put them all in my favorites on Ravelry and will study them tomorrow when I am more.....alert? Smarter? Something???

Thank you so much for helping me. I love to see what others come up with!

Keep looking!!!

kathy b said...

Well I am sort of cheating here. Thats me kathy cheating B!. Here is the link for Knitty's explanation of how to add beads to any knit pattern

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/FEATseducedbybeads.html

Now I'll go find a pattern without beads and you can put these two comments together as one. Be right back

kathy b said...

Here is a simple drop stitch shawl that would be so elegant in the correct color with some beads

http://www.cu-needleworks.com/Patterns/Shawls/Drop-stitch_shawl/drop-stitch_shawl.pdf

Debbie T said...

I love one done by naptimeknit on Ravelry. She calls it her Dewdrops, but the pattern name is Blue Jeans Lace Leaf Shawl. Also, my other favorite is done by Sallyg and it's called Barb's Flower Basket in which she added beads. It's gorgeous! I've heard both of these are very do-able. Looking forward to see which one you choose from all of your entries! :=)

Elaine said...

Hi Rita,

I bet you thought I fell off the face of the earth, but I've been lurking here on and off while you were in Florida. Life has been a bit overwhelming lately, but I got Mom moved to an assisted living (enormous job) and my daughter leaves for France next week with a job. Yesterday she finally found an apartment that she can sublet for a month. I had visions of her living in the airport!!! Also, last week she got her work visa. It's been very hectic.

Here's the shawl you should make and it's free at Elann. I think it's absolutely perfect: rectangular, with beads and all shimmery and light.

http://elann.com/ShowFreePattern.asp?Id=304024

rita said...

Elaine, I'm so glad to hear from you! You've had a lot on your plate this summer.

I had to laugh when I read your note, because I guessed which shawl you meant, and I was right: Liquid Silver. It's perfect, it's light and airy and dewy, and I've messed it up three times already and threw it away! I really wanted to knit that one. I don't know why I'm having such a hard time with it.

Darcy, it's not the beads themselves I'm having trouble with, it's translating the pattern into stitches. I have a couple hanks of Tilli Thomas Rock Star that is gorgeous, but it's too expensive to knit anything big with it.

I must be missing some yo's or k2togs, or something. I keep ending up with the wrong number of stitches, even when I've used a lifeline. I'm guessing that my brain just cannot handle charts since I mess up every one I've ever tried, even the hearts on the (black)hearted socks, and I've knit those three or four times.

I'm still searching, so keep sending ideas! Enter as many times as you like!

Turtle said...

ugh! i had this all ready to post to you and some glitch locked up the pc, so... let's try this again! smile (oh i will pimp a link back to you as well)

a pretty one, rectangular (and free pattern) http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/frost-flowers-beaded-shawl

also pretty triangular:http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/10-beaded-shawl

Turtle said...

lol, i wasn't done yet!

sweet and shaped for shoulder draping: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/river-run-shawl-by-karen-joan-raz

my fav! i knit this during the kni along and it is lovely andperfect for a wedding shawl. It was my first lace shawl and i found it very easy to follow.
http://pinklemontwist.blogspot.com/2007/09/swan-lake.html

Elaine said...

OK - try 2. Here's another suggestion that can solve all your problems, and although it sounds like it would not be gorgeous, it is.

Pick a beautiful lace-weight yarn that you love. Knit a garter stitch on very large needles (like size 11 or something). Place beads wherever it feels right. Make it as big as you want.

A colleague of mine who is chart-challenged wanted what we used to call a stole for a wedding and we tried everything for her. I mean everything. She wanted to knit it herself (I offered to get her started or even just do it since she was getting homicidal and my office was right nearby) but SHE wanted to do it.

Finally I suggested this and it really came out looking beautiful. It's so lacy and pretty, you can't even tell that all it is is garder stitch with some beads wherever the hell you want them. :-)

rita said...

Elaine, that is wonderful! I'm starting to feel homicidal myself, or shawlicidal, maybe. I hadn't even though of doing that. I may end up that way yet.

Last night I knit 8 entire rows--a whole pattern repeat--and stupidly thought that I didn't need a lifeline, although I obviously do and I know it. So I messed up the next row. I think that I may have backed out okay (how I hate "unknitting" those decreases!) and may have another shot at it tonight.

Thank you for the excellent suggestions! I'll check them all out when I have a chance. Both copiers are working (well, struggling) and I've got my hands full!

Keep 'em coming, if you've got more, I'll take 'em! I think I'll eventually put together a notebook of pretty beaded shawls so that maybe next time I want to do one it won't be such a mess.

I should have just tried Shipwreck in silver.....I'd be heartbroken if I couldn't do it, though.....

Elaine said...

Look, you're knitting under pressure and that is never a good situation, so go with simplicity - that is my advice. It will not look simple to everyone else.

We brought the shawl over to the LYS to see whether she could find a yarn to use to put a ruffle on it - she is a ruffle junkie although I have to pick up the stitches for her. Everyone there ooohed and aaahed about the shawl and even asked about what the lacy stitch was. Duh garter. And that is a tough group there, although it may be because whenever I come in by myself it is to hit the cheapo basket (which the owner tries to hide if she sees me coming :-) )

rita said...

I'm always knitting under pressure! I really need to get some doggie sweaters finished for the UYR. Make that "started". They'll start selling next month.

I've always got an excuse as to why I don't want to work on those little sweaters!

Anonymous said...

The first pattern does not have beads, but honestly, it doesn't need them at all.

http://www.knitpicks.com/patterns/Rona_Lace_Shawl_Pattern__D50471221.html

The next is a link to a book that may be what you are looking for.

http://www.knitpicks.com/Knit+with+Beads+Stunning+Shawls+Wraps_BD31091.html

Good luck in your search!

rita said...

Hi, Cher! Those are two stunning shawls. I agree, the first doesn't need beads. Unfortunately, this time of year my brain goes away and The Stupids come to live and I can't do even the simplest pattern. There's no reason that I couldn't be able to do any of the patterns you guys have suggested except that I get stupid when the days get shorter.

I thought of looking at Knit Picks patterns but the thought evaporated too quickly to act on it. Thanks for pointing me in their direction!

I'm so glad that you stopped in and hope you'll come back again!