Keeping up the Momentum (aka Trying not to Flag!)

From the comments left on my last post, I gather some of you were under the impression that, because I'd finished the centre of the shawl, I was on the home straight. Wrong, unfortunately. I knew that this was the case because I'd used less than a quarter of the yarn that I know I need to knit up before I'm done.

Anyway, I've now finished two of the broad borders of which there are four with mitred corners. These are sewn around the centre portion and then there is an edging to knit all in one piece (metres and metres of it) which will be sewn on to the outside of the broad border. All that knitting still to do and ALL THAT SEWING!

To give you an idea of how the shawl is shaping up, I roughly pinned the pieces together that I've already knitted but, if you want to see how the finished shawl will look (hopefully!) check out the photo in my post of 26th January entitled "Christening Shawl" here. It's the pattern in the photo at the top.

Centre & two pieces of broad border roughly pinned together

The little bit of knitting on the needle in the photo is the start of the outer edging. I started this to give me a break from the pieces of broad border which are very intricate (being 68 different pattern rows on a lot of stitches)! On the other hand, the edging is a 24 row repeat going on for an eternity but on only 16 to 29 stitches (depending on which row is being worked) and, Oh Bliss, 4mm needles! I know it's only 0.75mm thicker than the needles that the rest of the shawl is worked on but it doesn't half seem to make a big difference. The centre of the shawl which was only an eight row repeat now seems a cinch compared to the rest of it.

DH has been so impressed with the amount of knitting involved in this project that he has offered to calculate the number of stitches I will have knitted if I ever reach the end! Well, that's accountants for you!!

I've been working on this shawl almost every evening and much of the weekend, too. The question now is will I finish in time to collect a virtual medal? I'll give it a good shot even though my shoulder is now aching and the closest I can get to physiotherapy is DH manipulating it as if he's kneading dough. It's not as if it's a real medal after all! But, anyway, I'd still like one and I hope the rest of you will make it, too! Right, back to the grindstone . . . . .