Deco-Egyptian FO
It’s done! It’s done! The Cleopatra Wrap is done!
Pattern: Cleopatra Wrap from Sensual Knits, pattern by Miriam Felton
Yarn: Sundara Silk Lace, “Copper over Bamboo” (from the first Seasons Club)
Time Elapsed: Almost 4 months, but during most of that time the stole was sitting with just 7 rows done. Early pregnancy brain strikes. This is a fairly quick lace project, definitely under a month of actual knitting.
Notes/Modifications: The only way I really deviated from the pattern was that the Sundara is about 300 yards short of the recommended bamboo yarn. I still got a sizeable stole, about 20 inches x 73 inches, but I definitely could have blocked it wider if I hadn’t run out of yarn. I couldn’t think of a project better suited to this luscious stuff, though.
The stole is gossamer-light, the color is subtle and beautiful. I think words and pictures fail to adequately describe the finished product–you have to feel it. This stuff is toddler-steal-worthy.
He was very upset when I explained to him that the stole needed a bath, and he had to take it off.
The pattern is a nice one, even if it stretches on a little bit in the middle. The construction, which I’ve written about before, is totally groovy. You begin with a border, put the stitches on a spare needle, cast on the other border, and knit until you’re done. Then graft the two pieces together. On the one hand, it does get all of the most fun knitting out of the way first, which might contribute to the sloggy feeling of the middle. On the other hand, you waste no yarn. I think I had all of 2g left. And the borders match!
I think there’s the slightest of errors in the pattern–when you’re knitting the first border, the instructions say to complete the first chart, thus ending with a WS row. You end on a RS row coming from the other direction, and this means two pure knit rows together between the last WS row worked on the first piece and the graft row itself. Especially given the placement of the graft, this isn’t really noticeable, but I think it would look better if both pieces had ended on a RS row.
Obviously, this minor mistake (which I didn’t really think about until the piece was blocked) isn’t enough to hamper my enjoyment of the stole, which I love to pieces. And I finished it just in time for the first installment of the next round of Seasons Club, which just happens to start with more silk lace.
(It’s damn hard, I’ve found, to take decent self-portraits when hugely pregnant, but there are many more shots including more detail in flickr and the FO gallery here.)
38 Comments so far
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It’s breathtaking!!
That’s a great picture! You are glowing.
Cleo is stunning! It shows off that yarn so well!
that is beautiful!!! I agree with Jillian - you are glowing!
beautiful! the color is gorgeous on you!
it’s so beautiful! i love it!
It’s gorgeous! And so are you and your little boy.
Wow, that is just completely gorgeous!
Decent self-portraits? Are you kidding? You are like the poster-model for pregnancy — it’s gorgeous!
And onto the shawl — breathtaking. Sundara is a total genius for color.
it’s gorgeous! the color looks fantastic and really sets off your skin and hair.
What a beautiful color on you! Wow! You look wonderful!
Its absolutely gorgeous.
OK. It’s amazing. I love the color which is perfect with your coloring!
How gorgeous! You and the shawl!
beautiful!
You look fantastic!
The stole is gorgeous, the yarn looks so touchable! I really hope to knit this. And your son, aw - what a cutie! And I think you have a great picture there of yourself!
It is absolutely gorgeous. I love the color. It`s perfect for you. Hmm, I am getting some Sundara Lace next month. I might already have a pattern for it.
Love it!
And how do you look so wonderful with a little guy and one on the way??
Ok, how many times a day do people tell you that you look like a Pre-Raphaelite goddess? Just wondering…
The stole is unreal, such a great use of the Sundara!
Gorgeous!
Wow, absolutely gorgeous … beautiful matching of yarn to pattern!
Wow, that is so gorgeous. :)
Gorgeous, and you know the lace ain’t bad either! j/k, the lace stole looks beautiful. Now I’m thinking of ripping something I started, also by Mim, but doing this instead. I have plenty of yardage, which sounds like it would work well for this design.
This is beautiful!! He looks so cute and you look gorgeous!
OH I think the last picture is rather cute, with the wrap on your belly. The wrap is beautiful. I signed up for the Seasons club this year, I’m pretty excited.
Wow, it’s a beautiful stole - the colour is breathtaking. So are the two models!! You both look gorgeous.
oh my gosh! it is gorgeous!!
and you, my friend, look absolutely stunning!
and your little guy….adorable!!
The stole is gorgeous! And you are too!!!
That is one beautiful wrap — design, yarn, color, everything. Nice that you got it all done and blocked in time for your move. Hope everything goes smoothly. And, as everyone else has said, you look mahvelous!
Very pretty. I love it.
The stole is stunning and you look beautiful. Pregnancy agrees with you.
I’d say you look pretty radiant. The shawl’s nice, too :)
So beautiful (you and the shawl)! I think that is a fabulous choice of yarn/pattern.
Gorgeous work! The color is flattering to your hair and skin. The little guy looks extra cute draped in it. I love the look he’s giving the camera–so coy :)
It’s beautiful!!
Beautiful! I love the color and it is perfect on you. You look lovely!
Fantastic, Amy! The color is amazing and looks wonderful on you. You look radiant.
Very pretty, and you look beautiful in it.
OMG. Beautiful.