FO: Kleio

Did you know that Harry Potter Knit and Crochet House Cup has opened sorting for Fall 2013?  I am so excited!  I really hope I get sorted into a house this term.  Last term was the first time I knew about sorting in time to sign up and as a total newbie I was asked to play as a NQFY (Not Quite First Year) to improve my chances of being sorted this term.  I turned in at least one (sometimes two or three) projects per term, so my odds of sorting are better than some.  Maybe I actually shouldn't be telling you about this.  That way I improve my chances for less competition.

July was a killer month for me and I just barely squeaked by with a finished project to turn in at end of term.  I knit Kleio by Romi Hill from her second 7 Small Shawl booklet.  This was also my Camp Loopy 2 project, knit with Dragonfly Fibers Dijini Sock in Octopus' Garden (green) and Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in Molly Ringwald (pink).  And boy did this take way longer than anticipated.

It is not that this shawl is necessarily hard.  Romi lays everything out for you quite clearly in the pattern.  It's just that it requires that one uses one's brain.  I made it through the first Latvian braid only to completely screw up the lace panel beyond recognition.  I ended up spending a nail-biting evening ripping back to the braid without losing stitches because the thought of trying to drop down into the braid and knit back up was enough to give me anxiety.  The second time through I used stitch markers for the pattern repeats and that really saved me.  If only I had thought of that the first time around.  Or had at least used a lifeline.

You may notice that this shawl is not blocked to its full potential.  This is because I don't own any blocking wires.  Until now this has never been a huge problem.  I just soak the shawl and pin it down on a towel, placing my straight pins where I want the shawl to pull out into points.  But because the applied edging is such a detailed trim, that does not really work.  Until I get my hands on some (I'm hoping to get some of the Inspinknity wires), it will be more of a long scarf.  Hopefully this cooler weather continues so I can get some wear out of it soon.

To see more finished objects, most likely finished to their full potential, check out the gang over at Tami's Amis!