Above is my progress on the 22 Leaves shawl. From here on out I have to pay even closer attention to detail as it’s nothing but leaves from here on out.
While I really like the look of the finished shawl, and I’m enjoying the result, I would not recommend this pattern to a beginning lace knitter. So far I haven’t found any mistakes at all. I don’t think I will find any either – the charts are correct. My issues with the pattern have more to do with logical layout and user friendliness.
If you are a knitter you know that every country, and even within the same country, you will find different symbols for the same stitches. It’s only a little annoying because once you start knitting a pattern you quickly remember what symbol means what. But in this day and age you would think there would be more work towards standardization. One reason I think Japanese patterns are works of art in themselves is because they are so beautifully consistent. Charts always use the same symbols and everything, and I mean everything, is charted. I have a couple of Japanese knitting books, all in Japanese, but I can still figure them out and make the patterns because everything is charted. Not just the stitch patterns, but the entire sweater! Fabulous.
This 22 Leaves pattern uses some symbols I haven’t seen anywhere else. It’s not a problem, it’s just that I don’t understand why.
I had to read the pattern several times to understand where to start the instructions. It starts out talking about 22 Leaves and all of a sudden it begins instructions, including charts, for a larger version, and then at the end you find the charts for the 22 leaf version. Not user friendly! She should have given all the information for one size in the first section, and then put the alternate larger version at the end.
But I’m just nitpicking.
Maybe it’s just how I feel right at this moment. I think today is the last day for poor old Bas the Cat. He’s been laying under a bush in the back garden all day. He went there after he peed in his own bed this morning. Neither action is normal. Not at all. More news tomorrow.