I have been working on the Shawl Society II project called Wishmaker.  It’s an easy knit, all garter stitch and eyelet rows.  I hit 90% last night, not bad for a weeks worth of stitching.  I am hoping to have it blocking by this weekend.  It’ll be a cozy warm shawl, its made from baby alpaca in its natural colors.

 

 

 

I was looking at the five shawls in this series of six on Ravelry.  Starting with the Fairy Hill shawl there are almost 900 people who made it into a project on their pages.  The next one, Sprite’s Fen has 479.  From there the next three, Vila wrap, Rune and Wishmaker have 300, 225, and 140 projects respectively.  It is interesting to me how the participation has dropped.  The cost for all six patterns, that are released monthly, is about 15 dollars paid up front.  I understand why the drop out happens, I’ve been in enough quilting swaps and BOMs to know it happens.  People loose interest, they don’t like the pattern as much, they don’t have the right yarns, life happens.  I think that part of the attraction and challenge of a KAL or series of patterns, for me, is not giving up.  I’m usually not the first one done, I’m not competitive like that, it’s more of a feeling of satisfaction that I finish. Having said all that, I’m enjoying the monthly surprise pattern and the fact that I’ll have 5 new shawls for this fall and winter.  The first one, Fairy Hill, I gave to my friend for her birthday in June.

I started the Tapered Cowl yesterday, it’s my new mindless knitting project.  216 stitches around, 18 rows stockinet, decrease round,  repeat.  I also ordered wrap kit called Gard, from Knit Purl in Portland.  I really should finish the left sleeve on my Strale pullover.  Maybe next week, as I have about three weeks until the next and final Shawl Society II pattern is released.

Linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times for the Knitting report.  It’s a day late this week, as she is at a knitting retreat, I thought today was Thursday when I got up 🙂