So How Is The Mystery Knit-along Going?

I finished the first “clue” which is basically the beginning of the shawl pattern in the MKAL.  I’m working with the yellow yarn, which show a different coloring all my photos.  The second photo down is closest to the real color.

I am proud of my self for getting through Clue 1 and finishing.

Now I have begun Clue 2 and it’s a different story.

My inexperience is beginning to show and slow me down. I’ve already made a bunch of mistakes, and asked a question in the forum. I’ll continue to knit, but I have a feeling my Clue 2 is not going to be so pretty.

I still consider this to be good experience for me. The only way to gain knitting experience is to knit! Stepping out of my comfort zone is needed to gain expertise. We learn from our mistakes.

The designer (Kirsten Kapur) of this shawl knit-along made it clear this was intended for experienced knitters. I can only blame myself if I am unable to finish.  It has been fun, and I will continue until it’s obvious that my shawl will turn out a mess. Or, maybe I will be surprised and it won’t look so bad.

Clue #2 Started

After some trouble with the cdd (center double decrease) stitch, I began to move along on clue #2. Many fast knitters finished right away, but it will probably take me another week at least to get this part done. I have made bunches of mistakes, but I managed to get past them and move on.

The photo below is very close to the actual color of the yarn. It’s called “cumin” and is a Miss Babs yarn made of Merino wool and Tussah silk. In my head, I call the color “baby potty”, but I do like it.  I have 2 more sections (40 rows each) before I finish this clue.

In the meantime, I continue to finish up the Spindrift Shawl. That one is turning out nicely.  I’m adding the lavender picot bind off.

Nearly There For Clue #3

I’m part way through the last repeat for Clue #3. This has been a long one, but after one complete run through, the knitting got easier.

Two things have helped me greatly while doing Clue 2:

Add stitch markers at each 10 stitch repeat.
And mark off the 10 count repeat on my pattern print out. I simply added a little dot at the place where the next 10 stitches began. By doing these two things the pattern is broken up enough for me to catch a mistake sooner.

Thanks to the little freebies Miss Babs includes (cute stitch markers) I had them to use to mark my stitches.

And speaking of Miss Babs (one of my favorite yarn places to shop online), some of the knitters who have gone on to work Clue #3, which is available now, have been worried about running out of Color A yarn. Yesterday I read in the forum that the Miss Babs company has offered to send 20 extra yards of yarn to those who run out. In addition, if you need more yarn than that, they will give 20% off the purchase of an entire skein!

Miss Babs has beautiful yarn, gives away cool freebies with a purchase, and now is offering this! So many reasons to buy from them. I won’t know for a few days if I will run out of yarn, and hopefully not. My plan was to simply use another color, but I may ask for that 20 yards. I’d better get knitting.

I did run out of my Cumin yarn… see what happened next.