You gotta know when to hold em, know when to fold em

Hello FPS-ers!

Here we are at week two and it seems some of us have made progress, some of us have made decisions and some of us seem to have dropped off the face of the earth, or at least don't seem to have the FPS on their radar at all.

Here's where you can read about my own personal heartache :)

Now Polly is a dedicated knitter and completely committed to knitting an FPS! She's so dedicated in fact she flew all the way from England to New York to pick up her yarn! Just kidding, she's in NY visiting with family but she did order her yarn while there so she's hoping it arrives before her return to the UK!

Look at Valerie's stunning Basil Zephyr stole!

She's already past tier #5, must be her ingenious way of keeping track of her progress that makes her so productive!

Peggy was all set to begin when she discovered she had the wrong needles! Luckily her wonderful hubby took her to a new LYS where she found not only the right needles but some cool new sock yarn too! She started the shawl and has worked the border and the base triangles but she didn't have her camera! Don't ya know we love the pics, Peggy?

Go give Leslie a big hug! She's hurt her wrists and can't knit right now but hopefully some rest will get her right back in the game! Feel better soon Leslie!

After a few pretty amusing false starts, Kris is now the mistress of her knitting! Look at her lovely beginnings...

Keep up the good work Kris. I knew you could do it!

Melissa has sadly decided the FPS isn't for her. It's a smart knitter who recognizes when her knitting isn't making her happy! We'll miss our Melissa but she's agreed to stay on as our official cheerleader! YAY!

Melissa has discovered cobweb lace isn't her cup of tea. She's ditched her first go and has now set her sights on a truly scrumptious yarn that will make her knitting much more enjoyable. Good for you, grrlfriend!

Finally we hear from Rochelle and isn't she a tricky one? She's knitting her FPS from LINEN!

You are a brave and bold knitter, Rochelle, that linen can be quite fractious but I'm sure you'll tame it for a fabulous stole!

Sure seems like that sage-y, basil color is a popular one around here!

So there you have it for another week....the stoles all look wonderful, the companionship a real morale booster, especially when things aren't going *exactly* as planned!

Have a wonderful week and just keep knitting!

Hiya group-

This was a correspondance that took place between Melanie and myself tonight. She asked me to post it to see if anyone else was having the same difficulties and to prevent anyone that hasn't started yet from having them....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here ya go Melanie! I'm gonna go post this too so we can get additional feedback from the group!

HI Debbie, It's DEBI actually :)
First off I am so sorry that you had to frog your shawl. How heartbreaking! But, I think you will be happier in the long run. thanks for your support!! A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!
Second, I am having difficulty with the pattern. I bought mine individually from the Alpaca Yarn Co..and I think it has some errata. Did you check the alpaca site for errata, you might also send them an email if it's not posted!
For example, on the last row of the lower border it has an additional (K6;K2tog) twice. I know that is a mistake because that would require 16 extra stitches totalling 157 stitches..and there are only 141 stitches for the row.

So now, I am working on the bottom triangles. The first triangle has you start on a WS row. On the WS rows you slip 1 wyf, purl, purl 2 togs, and do the M1's. On the RS rows, you slip wyb, knit (or moss stitch.), and thats it.
Ok, so now I am on the 2nd triangle and this is what the pattern says to do.


Row 1 (RS) Sl1 wyb; m1 (2 sts for the 2nd triange; 20 sts are left for 1st triangle) turn.
Row 2: Sl1 wyf; p2tog (2 sts): turn. Ok as far as I can see your pattern is wrong! for the base triangles ALL odd rows should be on the WS and you start each triangle on the WS!!

Ok that part is clear..I am guessing that my m1's will now be on the right side rows, and now my decreases will be k2 tog instead of purl 2 tog..or are the decreases still on the WS of the work?? YES, the decreases (p2 tog) will all be on the WS

But then after these 2 rows of instructions, this is what the pattern says.

"Work as the first triangle starting with Row 3 until you have 21 sts on the needle and proceed to next triangle."

So..according to what I just did (see pattern above) row 3 should now be a RS row..but if I follow the first triange instructions row 3 looks like this: No, your pattern is wrong, ALL ODD ROWS WILL START ON THE WS!

Row 3:Sl1 wyf; m1; p2tog (3 sts) turn

and then row 4: Sl1 wyb; k2; turn

The above 2 rows are correct according to my pattern but again row 3 should be a WS row

See? my RS/WS rows are switched...and I am decreasing on the RS (and into the first triangle).

I am not sure what to do..I have done a smidgen of entrelac before, but this is a little "chewey" for me.

I am wondering if you or anyone else in the KAL has noticed this (has the single pattern) and know how to fix it? Or maybe could explain how to do it correctly? It's very odd, beacuse others are using the pattern from the Alpaca company yet I haven't heard of this error before. Vicki did note the discrepancy with the border like you so maybe some patterns have been corrected and some not?

Could you maybe post this? I would have but I cannot..=( I will after I send it back to you!

I am now worried that there will be more errata in my pattern. I have barely gotten started and have already found 2 mistakes. GRRRR!

Thanks! =)
Melanie

P.S. there is also a possibility that maybe the pattern is correct here..and I am a big dodo head..but I am quite confused no matter what! =) You're not the dodo, don't worry :)

Hope this helps!!! Debi

Any comments? Anyone else having any difficulties? Jump in ladies! Thx!!

Entrelac is getting hot!

Before going into the progress updates, just want to mention the latest issue of IK. There is a gorgeous entrelac knee socks pattern that you shouldn't miss. Will entrelac be a prominent trend in 2007?

A few more from the group have started the project and it seems that things are going pretty well. However, I did have a little bit of mishap during the weekend. I used the KnitPicks dpns as stitch holders for the idle stitches ... BIG MISTAKE! The needles are extremely slippery ... and I forgot to put the stopper back ... oops, several stitches slipped out and became unravelled. After some unsuccessful attempts to salvage the damage, I resolved to frog ... and you know how the rectangles and tiers are related to one another. I ended up having to frog 4 rectangles. But I still count myself lucky as I don't have to frog the whole thing! I have almost thrown the dpns into the trash bin ... now I am using bamboo dpns.

Alison hasn't made much progress on the stole ... but she's been busy finishing her second snowman vest (a wonderful fair isle project) and a tutorial on making polymar clay buttons on her blog. If you want to learn something new, go check out her post.

I was over-excited over the idea of vacation trips, others' vacation trips, that is ... hahaha ... Anita told me that she hasn't left for vacation yet! She has started and is trying to get the base triangles finished before leaving.

Anne M was frustrated when she switched out 2 of the rectangles and ended up having to frog. She was happy to report that everything has been fixed now.
She is also in love with the Zephyr she is using.

In Beth's own words, "all is going well, just like molasses". This is because she said that she was slow in seed stitch but she has finally got all the triangles done.

Colette is working really hard on another enormous lace project - the Unst Stole! So progress on FPS has slowed down a bit ... she is now on Tier 10. She has a plan ... to complete one tier a week among other knitting projects she is working on. Can you tell she is a multi-tasker?

Dawn has just completed her first tier and would have updates on her blog every other week. See if you can spot her FPS here:
Another multi-tasker!

Denise/CT just got home from a vacation in FL (Is everyone going on vacation here? *sigh*) So, her first priority right now is the laundry and groceries. Afterwards, she has a decision to make - a lace weight silk in a soft pink or a lace weight cashmere in a pale blue. Let us know if you have decided, Denise.

Dorothy enjoyed the knitting of a Debbie Bliss sweater so much that she had hardly worked on anything else.

Gail has found a way to keep track of her work: "make a photo copy of the layout diagram, take 4 different colors of highlighters or colored pencils. As you complete a square, color it in. The 4th color is the border triangles. This way I can see at a glance where I am and how far I've yet to go. It also makes it easier to see the diagonal set up of the different squares. I also colored in the diagrams below the chart of each leaf so I could see at a glance that green was fern, blue was birch and orange was lily of the valley." Sounds like a very useful tip ... and I am going to do that! :) Thanks for sharing, Gail!

Heather was very excited because she not just received everything she needed for the project (it's a birthday present from her husband, by the way. How sweet!), her swatch came out perfect and she was very happy with her choice of yarn. She is going to do garter stitch for the border. She is also planning to challenge herself by knitting through the charts instead of written instructions. Well, it's really not that difficult, Heather, and I'm sure you'll feel like so many others once you are used to it ... charts all the way!

Heidi has done some serious calculations before starting the project in order to get a size that's good for her. Instead of casting on 141 stitches, she did 96. This means fewer triangles and rectangles per tier ... would that translate into faster FO?

Janine couldn't resist the temptation of the stole anymore and started ... she has finished the seed stitch part and will be moving into the lace patterns. But for the moment, she has to put the stole down and come up with a hoodie for her 10-day old great nephew.

Janina is still waiting for her yarns. Her hands are not idle, though. She is working diligently on her introduction-to-lace project, the Swallowtail, and is half way through the bud lace pattern in the center of the shawl.

Katrina just got past the base triangles and started on the Birch lace. She had to frog the first attempt because she forgot to do the ssk at the end of the rows.

We're a week in already!

We've survived the first week! Just kidding....at least for most of us, the neverending seed stitch is past or to quote Meg "what a slog!" Hee!

So where are my girlz at?

Yours Truly has, like many of us, "slogged" thru the seed stitch and is about to start tier 1. Does it count as extra sloggy if you're knitting with ultra slippery pure silk? I think so! :)

Laura hasn't started yet but she does have a much bigger surprise - she's a new grandma!! Go congratulate Oma La!

Our Meg is quite the lace maven! Not only has she gotten thru the border and triangles in her gorgeous Merlot Misty Alpaca, she's simultaneously begun a beautiful wine colored lace Butterfly camisole. Of course it's summer in Meg's part of the world so the more lace, the better!

Another lover of the green, Melanie says her Inox circ and stunning Emerald yarn are making her a happy knitter!

I think Melissa is dreaming of spring, cause she's knitting a beautiful Rose before she walks down the Forest Path.

Three times is the charm for Melissa ! Look at this stunning first tier! And in her own handspun too!

Nancy's waiting for her yarn to arrive...I can't wait to see the silk/alpaca blend in teal she plans to use. So, no FPS for Nancy yet but if you want to see an amazing quilt and a "real" Forest Path, go pay her a visit!

Opal just finished a stunning Shaped Triangle and has a Hidcote on the needles but her FPS has yet to make it's debut.

Her FPS on hold for a bit, Rebekah is using her time to help a friend and fellow knitter out - go visit her blog and see how knitters can bring a man to tears!

Valerie must be a speed knitter! She designed and knit a cool pair of socks celebrating Mardi Gras and is beginning her first tier in her lovely green yarn! That's a lot of knitting in a week, girl!

Vicki is having some computer issues but has cast on and will keep in touch as much as she can!

Haven't heard a peep out of blogless Lotte, Miriam, or Roseanna. Come on girls, show us what ya got!

Don't forget to check and add to the comments here for info or questions and have fun visiting with your fellow FPS-ers!

Have a great week, knit lots and I'll see you next Thursday!!

What tier are you on? (ETA)

ETA:
Since Heather had problems logging into her Blogger account, she would like me to thank everyone who shared their experiences with her.
My reponse to Janina's question: I didn't do the rectangles on dpns ... I just put each set onto one dpn for the sake of taking the photo. I actually put ALL the idle stitches onto one stitch holder (made from a dpn) and then do the knitting on circulars. I know some people just used one circulars for holding the idle stitches as well as knitting at the same time. :)

Okay, we got loads of updates from you ladies this past week. But before reporting on that, I'd like to recruit some help for our newest member, Heather, "Do you think that casting on using a size bigger needle gives a loose enough cast on for this shawl? I haven't done lace before, so I started knitty's "Branching Out" and after 6 tries to cast on loosely, I gave up and used a size 8 needle to cast on and am knitting with a size 7. It seems that edge is plenty loose, but not sure about the FPS." Any thoughts to share?

Beth has just finished a gorgeous weaving project, which you should all go and check it out, and she is working on the border of the stole.

Anita did a Lily of the Valley swatch with her alpaca silk blend from Webs:
I think the nupps came out well. But Anita won't be able to start the project any time soon since she would be going on vacation and the coned yarn is not ideal for packing away.

Anne M just told me this morning that she decided to use Zephyr in creamy white, though she was strongly tempted to get the lettuce Suri Alpaca. She is now in the middle of the triangle rows and can't wait to get into the actual lace patterns (who isn't?).

Dawn felt the lighter lace yarn (2300yds per 150g) was a bit scary but I think she has been doing very well. She got past the triangles and did the first rectangle here:

Dorothy experienced the "got it" moment and is heading towards the end of the first tier:
That baby pink is just lovely! She is using the KnitPicks Options needles and, like the Classic Circulars, they are just the perfect tool for nupp knitting.

Janina finally decided on using Zephyr in vanilla instead of the Artisan Lace, which she would save for the Swallowtail Shawl from the Interweave Knits of Fall 2006. She is awaiting the yarn and some Bryspun circulars to arrive.

And now, you should all hop over to Janine's and admire her latest FO, the sexy shrug ... which I have been drooling over since I saw hers. She is going to use a luxurious merino/cashmere/viscose blend in a cool silver grey colour. I can't wait to see Janine knitting up this lovely yarn.

Heather is very excited about starting the project and she is going to use KnitPicks Shimmer in Maple Leaf colourway.

For me, I spent four days working solely on the stole ... with the most knitting done during the weekend. I am now done with the second tier:
Since I found the KnitPicks circulars to be my ideal needles, I put all the idle live stitches on a holder and did the major knitting with the circulars. I think I would alternate knitting the stole with the Sashiko Jacket ... 1 tier of the stole, then 50 rows of the jacket, something like that.

Nice work from everyone! And I can't wait to read Debi's updates on the other half of the group. For those of you who can't start right now, don't worry or feel bad ... there is no need to! It's a long time project and there is always time to catch up.

Looking towards the future....

I hope everyone is enjoying working on their Forest Path Stoles!

It's so nice to see the diversity of choices everyone has made for themselves yet it's more than cool to know that almost 50 (woot!) knitters from around the globe are working on the very same project at the very same time....the miracle of the Internet and proof of how small our world really is!

Yikes, all the Nyquil has me waxing poetic :)

Agnes and I have an announcement for the future. Because the FPS is a rather long term project we thought it would make things easier to posts updates with a schedule.

Starting next week, Agnes will post updates for her group every Tuesday and I will post updates for my group every Thursday.

This will enable each group to anticipate our updates and post to your blogs/and or contact your hostess accordingly. Plus there will be enough activity on this blog to keep everyone's interest without any pressure to meet "deadlines" of posting daily.

So I hope everyone has a great weekend full of even stitches and smooth needles! See ya next Tuesday!

PS - thanks for all the well - wishes, I plan on nothing but sleep, tea, chicken soup and Nyquil all weekend, with maybe a stitch or two thrown in!

Neither rain nor snow nor sickness.......

Could keep me from posting our FPS beginnings! Good thing is still have my sense of humor from my deathbed. :)

Ok enough hyperbole, let's get to the good stuff!

Valerie has chosen her yarn, swatched and finally the perfect needles have arrived but she’s busy designing a sock right now and she’s torn between sock design and FPS! Which will win?

Laura’s chosen her beautiful yarn but the needles on hand leave something to be desired so she's off to the LYS for new ones and will be starting soon.

Rebekah is super organized and ready to rock and roll! Look she’s even got a cute little container for her pretty gray yarn!

Peggy originally started in 2002 when the pattern came out but she wasn’t thrilled with her progress…..she’s frogged her first attempt and she’s ready to try again with a lot more experience under her belt!

Leslie has her yarn and has gotten gauge to perfection but she’s not really happy with her needles. She feels she’ll be happier with bamboo but she does love her yarn! Show us what that pretty Lettuce alpaca looks like grrlfriend!

Linda’s using some stunning pink alpaca called Rosebud, perfect for February, the month of love!

Poor contaminated Kris She’s swatched with her gorgeous autumn colored yarn but her little girl is sick which makes seed stitch on tiny needles next to impossible! Feel better soon AG, and stay healthy Kris!

Melissa got an early start but realized that she doesn’t have enough yarn. She's planning on a smaller shawl to accommodate the yarn she has and will make a shawl that will be more wearable for her!

Melissa had a bit of a hairy start but she's calm and collected once again! We know you can do it Melissa!

A great beginning ladies, I can't wait to see everyone's progress shots!

Let's get started! (New info added)

ETA: Ann is trying to finish a hand quilting project (WOW!) right now, so she won't be able to start right away. She is going to use Zephyr in white.

Gail started the project 5 months ago and now has 5 more tiers to go. She is using basil green Zephyr in cone, so the project is limited to be a home project. I think she has been doing something we are all going to do: "This pattern is so beautiful and I just drool whenever I spread out my progress and look at the stole thus far."

So it seems Zephyr is the one most favourite yarn among us. I think it would just be spectacular when we put the photos of our stoles, all in various colours, together! So, Happy knitting and wonderful weekend, everyone. :)

After such long waiting, the KAL finally and officially started. I started after midnight last night ... well, kind of ... as a gesture, you know. I casted on and knitted 3 rows of seed stitch border and decided that it was time to go to bed. But I know that some of you have made much more progress than me already.

Alison is using an alpaca silk blend from Webs in forest green. She started the project back in July 2006 and it soon became an UFO. To prepare for the KAL, she dug the project out and here it is:
It is lovely, Alison ... keep the needles working!

Anita is also using an alpaca silk blend from Webs but in creamy white.

Barbara is going to use Zephyr either in jade green or aegean blue ... both are gorgeous colours.

Carine joined the KAL for moral support while she is already on Tier 5 of the stole ... I think we can all give her some cheers on this. She is using KnitPicks Alpaca Clouds in a creamy white colour.

Colette has been impatient and started already (we can all understand that, Colette!) and is now on Tier 7! Wow! Impressive progress:
She is using Zephyr in jade and KnitPicks Options needles. She found the sharp points of the needles make the nupps a breeze ... that's good news to me.

Dallas is still in the process of deciding on the yarn ... a process she told me she enjoyed ... good for you, Dallas.

Dawn has made a swatch using a heavy lace in blue from Colourmart UK:
But then she bought another cone of thinner lace from the same seller in a lighter blue ... which one is she going to use?

Dorothy is using Zephyr in Ladyslipper, a pretty pink/rose color. Actually she started a day before and is now on the base triangles. For those of you who are not sure if you understand the pattern, here is what Dorothy has to say, "I'm on the base triangles and it's
making perfect sense. Just have to follow the directions!"

Heidi is using a 50/50 silk/merino blend called Solsilke in natural colour, but she is considering to dye the yarn into purple or burgundy.

Janette will be using Zephyr in white. She has also kindly given me a good tip in knitting with black lace - keeping a white towel on the lap to provide contrast! What an intelligent trick ... thanks, Janette.

Janina is waiting for a back order of Artisan Lace by Margaret Stowe (lovely!) before she can start.


Julia is using Briggs & Little 1 ply wool in washed white.


Katrina is going to use KnitPicks Alpaca Clouds in peppermint pink for her second stole.

Finally, our other hostess, Debi, is feeling a little bit under the weather today and she may not be able to start. Let's all wish her a quick recovery!

People Search

2 more days and we can start! It really took me enormous self-control not to start before Feb 1! My KnitPicks dpns have arrived ... the points are sharp but they are really heavy! I am wondering if I should use bamboo needles instead.

As Debi has stated in the last post, the members are being split into 2 groups for the convenience of managing. Among those who are in my group, a number of you don't have a blog and I would like to have at least a way of contacting you. So, the following ladies, if you read this, please send me a message giving me your contacting email address:

Ann
Dallas
Gail
Janina

Thank you very much.

Less than a week to go....

Hi fellow FPS-er!!

The moment of truth is fast approaching and there's a flurry of activity among us!
Some are making final decisions about what yarn to use (me included!) some are asking the age old questions....metal or bamboo? What needle size gives the nicest fabric and shows off the lace to it's best advantage?

Lots of swatching is going on and lots of itchy fingers are eager to get started....in fact some have already given in!!

To make things easier once we get started Agnes and I have decided to split up the participants into two groups.

Agnes' Group:

2trees Agnes Alison Anita Ann Barbara Beth Bonni LHWB Knits Carine Colette Dallas Dawn Denise/CT Dorothy Gail Heidi Janette Janina Janine Julia Kathy Katrina Kimberly

Debi's Group:

Debi Kris Laura Leah Leslie Linda Lotte Louann Meg Melanie Melissa Melissa Miriam Morgen Nancy Opal Peggy Polly Rebekah Rochelle Roseanna Valerie Vicki

These groups are to make posting of pictures and progress reports easier so if you have any updates and/or pics, just email them to your group leader and we will post/link for you!

We have 46 participants scattered across the US as well as in Europe and Austraila! It's so exciting that knitting is knitting no matter where you do it and it's something we can all share across miles and oceans!

Let the final countdown begin and don't forget to visit your fellow FPS-ers and say hello!

Are you ready?

Has the pattern arrived? Got the errata marked on the magazine? Decided on the right needles? Wound the yarn into cake? Cleared up some of the WIPs? So, you are all set?

I am working furiously on one WIP ... the husband's sweater ... so that I can start the KAL with one less project piling in the basket.

If you are going to swatch, it would be best to swatch the Lily of the Valley pattern to try out the wonderful tips Debi gave us on nupps, just to see which one you like most. To add to those, you can read this from Amelia:

"My method for working the nupps was as follows: K into front, back, front, back of stitch. Return all 4 sts to L needle. K 2 tog twice. Lift the first of these sts over the second and off R needle. Nupp complete. The attentive among you may note that this creates a four- rather than five-stitch nupp, but this is easy to work and not, I believe, to the detriment of the appearance."

Last but not least, I present to you Katrina with her first Forest Path Stole on her wedding day:
Yes, you read it right. This is her first and she has actually joined us to make a second one! That's how much she loves this pattern.

Nupps...the bane of the Laceknitter's existance :)

Howdy fellow FPS-ers!

Is everyone excited about our rapidly approaching Feb. 1 start date? I know I am!!

I know I've referred to the lace patterns used in the FPS as "easy lace" and they really are in but there is one little detail that can bring even a seasoned laceknitter to her knees.....

THE NUPP!!!!

The nupp is that little bobble that is traditional in shetland and estonian lace knitting patterns and is how the "flowers" of the Lily of the Valley pattern are formed.

Nupps, altho beautiful, can be a major headache for the laceknitter to execute!

I've knit a nupp or 100 in my time and here are my tips for nupps that won't make your eyes bleed or tear the hair from your head!

1 - Make the nupp stitches very LOOSE !! This makes for a better looking nupp

2 - The way the pattern has you make the nupp (k1 tbl, yo, k1 tbl, yo, k1 tbl in the same stitch) makes the stitch so tight it's impossible to get your needle into them when you have to purl all five of them all together on the return row. This is because the yo's have no "base" and just tighten up on the needle! My solution is to substitute k1, p1, k1, p1, k1 in the same stitch. The purls give the nupp some stability and I find it much easier to purl 5 together on the next row - and it looks just a beautiful as "traditional" nupps with no major anguish or eye bleeding involved!

3 - Another option is to knit the nupp as written (k1 tbl, yo, k1 tbl, yo, k1 tbl) but instead of the p5tog on the next row you slip 4 stitches, K1 and pass the 4 over. this works well but I find it a bit sloppy looking.....your mileage may vary!

I hope these pointers are helpful.

Now we have over 40 participants, how about sharing where's everyone's at - who's swatching, who's chosen their yarn, what needles is everyone using, any tips y'all would like to share?

One last note, has everyone heard Addi is coming out with a pointier version specifically for laceknitters? Thoughts anyone? Beuller? :)

Here are the files

Hello ladies (so far all of us here are ladies. But of course, if there are gentlemen interested in joining, you are most welcome ... just give Debi or I an email.), as Debi mentioned in the last post, I did obtain some files relating to the FPS pattern, thanks to Kimberly who knitted the stole in 13 weeks (that sounds fast to me ... anyone dare to break her record?) to wear at her daughter's wedding. Perhaps having an actual occasion you want to wear the stole may motivate you more, don't you think? I may have a wedding to attend in August ... Anyway, I have uploaded the files to a sharing site and here are the links:

Birch Leaves
Fern
Right side triangle
FPS Tiers Spreadsheet

Just click on the various links and you'll be taken to the pages where you can download the files. When I downloaded the files from Kimberly's email, Yahoo! checked them for viruses and they are clean. If you are worried, you can check the files you download from the site using your own anti-virus software.

Kimberly has also kindly shared her experiences of knitting the project:
"This is a very long shawl when completed. My friend was contemplating making it shorter as she is several inches shorter than me. In the end she made it the same length as mine. If you want the length shorter don't knit as many tiers.
After I completed the border and started working the 'blocks' I found it difficult to have all those stitches on the long needle after the first couple of tiers. I put each completed block on a stitch holder and worked each pattern with a double pointed needle, leaving the other stitches on holders until I needed to work it.
As for the cast on make sure it is VERY LOOSE. This comes into play when you block the shawl. My friend's cast on was not as loose as her bind off and it made it a little difficult to get the shape even when I blocked it. Once I had knitted the beginning border, I stretched the cast on edge to see if it became larger than my knitting. I tried several cast on's - long tail, back loop, etc and settled on what I call a knitted cast on."

She also gave us tips about blocking the stole, but I think I'll leave that for later ... after all, we haven't even started, right?

Have you visited the blogs of other fellow Stole-Alongers? I put all the feeds to their blogs under a folder "FPS" in my Bloglines. This way I would be able to read any new posts they put up. Melissa has been practicing with entrelac ... go and see the lovely entrelac piece she made. Valerie received her yarn and after swatching, discovered that she didn't like the seed stitch and is considering doing garter stitch for the border. Any thought for her? Also, a couple of you have actually started ... but I am not going to tell you who! hahaha ...

Way too quiet in here!!

Come on fellow FPS-ers, let's hear some noise!!

How is everyone doing?

Has everyone chosen their yarn yet? Done any swatching? Got any pics?

Practiced some entrelac? :::evil grin:::

I have a question for the group......charts or words? Do you mostly prefer charts to the written out instructions?

Agnes has obtained a copy of the written instructions which she will soon post but personally I feel this is pretty easy, straightforward lace and perfect for those knitters who swear "I can't read charts"!

I took a 15+ year knitting hiatus between the late 80's and when I returned to the fold in 2002. Prior to my return I had never knit from a chart....even complicated Arans had the pattern written out line by line.

I was VERY resistant to using charts - you know, everyone hates change :)
But once I stopped being so stubborn and took the plunge, I've never looked back! I now find charts so user friendly and uncomplicated, especiallly since you can "see" the pattern - a built in failsafe for the dreaded "lace knitting screw up"! You can even use colored pencils to color code the symbols so you have even more visuals...

So what say you, my knitting comrades....charts or words, that is the question!

Afraid of Entrelac?

I can't believe it! I mean what started out to be a little cozy group has grown into one with 26 members! Not that little anymore, but still cozy, I assure you, nonetheless.

I am aware that some of you are feeling a little bit intimidated by the idea of entrelac knitting, which is going to be one of the major techniques involved in this project. If you are a reader of Debi's blog, you'd know she made 2 very beautiful entrelac projects last year. But for me, I am a 98% entrelac virgin ... I got my 2% experience from a false start on the Forest Path Stole using a wrong yarn and got to one-third of the first tier! ;) So, I can testify to what Debi told you about entrelac in her latest post ... it does look harder than it actually is!

But to further help you with the technique, here are some useful links which would help giving you the idea how to approach:

Entrelac Handout - there are instructions as well as some further useful links at the end

Entrelac at a different angle

The Yarnpath - Robbyn has pictures accompanying her instructions, which should be very helpful

Freckles & Purls - who doesn't love a free pattern? Allison has a free entrelac scarf pattern in PDF format on her blog ... just look for free pattern on the sidebar

So, if you have the time, you can try the technique out making a scarf over the weekend ... nice!

Forest Path Stole Stats

Hi everyone! I hope y'all are getting excited as February 1 draws nearer!

For those of you that are waiting for your patterns to arrive or have an interest in joining but are still a bit on the fence, I thought I would post the stats. This way our participants can be looking for yarn in their stashes or LYS while waiting on the pattern!

According to IK:

Finished size: about 30 inches wide and 85 inches long after blocking

Yarn: 2625 yards of laceweight yarn - a smaller 71 inch long stole can be made with 1750 yards of laceweight yarn

Needles: Size 3 (3.25 mm) 24 inch circular needle and a set of size 3 (3.25 mm) DPNs (you will be using the DPNs to do most of the knitting on this stole as you will use 2 DPNs to knit each "block")

Gauge: 19 sts and 24 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in seed stitch, blocked (but for me, the one of the nicest thing about knitting stoles/shawls is who really cares about gauge? hee!)

Notions: stitch markers, stitch holders, blunt tipped embroidery needle, blocking wires or nylon cord for blocking

So there you have the particulars everyone, hope this helps!

I have swatched too!

I finally wound my ginormous hank of yarn this weekend! It took me 90 minutes with a ballwinder and swift...whew!! But it was all worth it cause I love my swatch sooo much!! Here it is...


The color on my monitor is a little bright but the varigation is exactly what I wanted for my FPS! I'm so happy!!

I used #3 (3.25 mm) DPNs. I swatched with both a Crystal Palace Bamboo and a Bryspun and I like them both equally. I'll make a final decision closer to Feb. 1.

I washed and blocked my swatch and I'm thrilled with the fabric and how open the lace is.

I can't wait to get started!!

Has anyone else been swatching yet?

Another beauty to aspire to...

Here's another example of a gorgeous FPS and an adorable kitty for you Agnes!

Thanks for sharing Darilyn! :)

I have swatched!

Hello fellow KAL-ers! So far we have 11 of us here ... what a cozy little group! But I think a few more would come later. As Debi said, this is a casual group ... so just relax and have fun.

For those of you who are still undecided, just take a look at Krys' and Karen's finished stoles and you would hardly resist the urge to make one for yourself ... or someone else!

Since I don't have to wind my yarn (I am using JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk on cone), I can start swatching right away:

When it comes to swatching, I am not the most patient person in the world. Here I just did enough of each lace pattern for me to see if the yarn and the needles (KnitPicks Classic Circular US3) work well together and if the lace would open enough. I think it is good enough. I am happy because the KnitPicks circulars are really awesome for lace knitting.

I think that's about it for now from me. Once again, welcome ... and remember to subscribe to the blog through Bloglines (there is a button on the sidebar).

Come in, get comfy!

Welcome everyone! It's so nice to see that y'all share the insanity passion that is the Forest Path Stole! I hope we get more participants but no matter what I think we're gonna have some fun!

If anyone has "how to" links they would like to share, you can post em in the comments or email them to either Agnes or myself.

Has anyone been aswatchin' yet? If you have your yarn picked out and want to share, again leave a link in the comments or an email to Agnes or myself and we'll post pics for you!

I haven't swatched yet but as soon as I gird myself to the task of winding my ginormous hank, I will...hopefully this weekend!

This is a pretty casual KAL so please feel free to add anything you'd like to share or see...help Agnes and I make this KAL the best EVER! :)

So, would it kill ya to comment? Hee!