Clue 11: USA part I

And we arrive to the USA finally! The next two clues will add some size to the shawl and frame the edge. I really wanted to go with the idea of the bridges, and the stars and stripes, and throw in some reference to the natives, even though in Verne's book they are just a cliche. I put it all in the blender, and out came the clue. A bridge with stripes of stars and arrowheads!

The 2x2 gathered stitches that form the star portions can put some tension on the fabric, because they are not as elastic as the openwork. The arrowheads do compensate for it, but still, in a square, a tight ring about the middle can cause an unsightly puckering of the center portion. Thus, my recommendation to swatch a little. I found it necessary to swap needles when knitting my silk triangle, which has a much less elastic fabric, but for loose knitters, a good merino lace may take a more aggressive blocking due to the elasticity of the wool.

Star Stitch Pictorial
Though I tried to add a picture to the clue itself, here is a little pictorial on how to do the 2x2 stitch (I promise to learn to post videos soon!)

 

Fig 1: K2tog as usual

Fig 2: do not drop the stitches just worked from the needles

Fig 3: insert right needle through the back loop of the stitches just worked

Fig 4: k2tog-tbl

Fig 5:  The stitch will appear a bit nubby, the pattern won’t reveal itself until you work a few rows .

Fig 5: a swatch that did not make the cut, showing the 2x2 stitch well blocked

This clue should be easily accomplished in about 3 weeks, so I will announce a release date for clue 12 very soon... as soon as my August schedule is out. There is a little trip at the end of the month and I don't want to shoot myself on the foot by scheduling the clue out the day I am supposed to be elsewhere! to compensate, clue 12 will be somewhere between longer and much longer! The big surprise is that clue 12 will give you the very American option to supersize it!!!

Elly Beading Contest
Just in case you are not lurking the list, I want to make sure you read the hilarious Shakespearean verses that Susan (ttegnirps) dedicated to the Eternal Dilemma: To Bead, or not to Bead

To bead, or not to bead – that is the question:
Whether ‘tis nobler in the shawl to suffer the
Dropped stitch and heartache of outrageous nupps
Or to take hook against a sea of beads,
And by crochet, knit them. To bead, to guess
No more – and by guess to say we choose
The heartache and the thousand natural shocks
That shawls are heir to. ‘Tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished.

I am sure the ghost of Hamlet's father will be haunting her dreams forever. Probably laughing.

Deserttyrtle beaded the center of the scarabs, and thinks about the rib

Lynne4444 frothy pink lace was beaded from the WS

MandyzMoon beaded the decreases

Martik has more spare beading but beaded the edge

ttgenirps, our resident Bard, went for the twisted rib

A quick review of the entries, just to remind everybody how hard it is going to be to decide. No matter which one I decide for, I will place a link to this page in the pattern so all of you relentless customizers can choose from this smorgasbord of beading styles.
I have not made my mind up completely up yet either, but I will announce the winner by next weekend. It seems like I foolishly placed the deadline smack in the middle of a really busy stretch at work with almost no days off on sight, so I want to give myself a chance to chew on this and work on my time off (ha! what is that?) on refining the pattern and the chart so we can get it released soon.

And speaking of releases...
It looks like a pattern that has lain in waiting for a little bit is due to be released this week!!! I can't tell you just yet... but I will announce soon... and it is... SOCKS!!! and there will be a coupon! yay!