Alison Jeppson Hyde's Comments

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At 5:14am on May 21, 2009, Bonnie said…: Hi Alison: You have given me some good choices. The more I see the Julia the more I think the yarn will work with this pattern. But combining the Michelle and the Constance is an intriging idea too. ( I have done both of these shawls and love the results. Oh decisions, decisions. Thanks though so much for your input and support. Bonnie

At 4:26pm on May 20, 2009, Alison Jeppson Hyde said…: Thank you! And yes, I think all three of those would work nicely. Or you could do a combination of them to mix things up if you want, like doing the Julia in the yoke, the Michelle in the body, and the Constance for a bottom edging.

That's a really fine laceweight, though, and you need a fair number of stitches for that one. Also, I would start at, say, row 2 on most of the patterns so that the neckline comes out wide enough in that finer yarn. Keep in mind the shawl will be narrower around than mine that were done in fingering weight. That doesn't mean it won't work; I did a Bigfoot in a baby alpaca/silk 875 yards/100g (so, still a thicker yarn than yours) and a friend who's about twice my weight loved it. On her, it was a shawlette that didn't quite meet in front, (I had used the cast-on count in the book), on me, it came to my waist and met in front just fine.

I just finished a shawl using two strands together of very fine laceweights. Together, they were the equivalent of fingering weight, and yet the effect was lighter and more ethereal.

At 3:30pm on May 20, 2009, Bonnie said…: Thanks Alison. Sorry I did not give you more info on the yarn. It is Mountain Colors" Winter Lace" "Crazy Woman" approx 100 gram skein, 7-8 st/inch. If you can find it, you will see that it has a very involved color pattern. Beautiful but many colors.

Are you saying that either the Constance or the Michelle will work with this multi color yarn. Or, should I really make the Julia to display the many colors rather than the lace pattern.

I know any shawl that I do from your book will be beautiful. I just love and adore this book and the patterns that you have created. Thank you so much for having written it. It is a treasured book in my knitting library. Bonnie

At 12:19pm on May 20, 2009, Alison Jeppson Hyde said…: Googling for Mountain Color, I'm finding 20 different yarns by them; I'm afraid have no idea which you have or what weight it might be. But one thing I can mention is that if the number of stitches of either of the sizes of Julia works for your gauge swatch and the size you want, you can swap out the 6+1 stitch pattern for any other you prefer--or 12+1. The Michelle shawl uses a 6+1, the body of the Constance a 12+1, or you could use any other you like.

One recommendation I would make is that the more involved the color pattern, the simpler the stitch pattern, because if it's the stitch pattern you're trying to really put out there on display, it won't show up so much against the distractions of a lively colorway.

Whatever you make, I'll bet it's going to be gorgeous. Have fun playing with that yarn!

At 5:47am on May 20, 2009, Bonnie said…: Hi Alison: I bought a skein of Mountain Color handpainted yarn (100 gram Skein) to make a shawl for my sister's birthday. The yarn is multi color and I wonder what pattern in your book you would suggest to show off the different colors of the yarn. I saw where you recommended the Julia, but I really wanted to do something more intricate than this one. Also, what would be a good size needle to use on this yarn. Thanks for your help. Bonnie

At 11:55am on April 10, 2009, KnitWhich? said…: Thanks, Alison. I will try that and see what happens. Thank you also for explaining the whys and wherefors,

At 7:30am on April 10, 2009, KnitWhich? said…: One question. I bought several cones of silk/cashmere (55/45) laceweight yarn. I am not sure if I need to scour them or not. How do yu determine if that is necessary? The person I bought it from wasn't sure, but didn't think it needed scouring because it was "soft and doesn't have a smell".

At 8:51am on November 26, 2008, sunshine115 said…: Thanks for your reply. I appreciate your help! As soon as all my Christmas knitting is finished, this is the next project for the needles. Thanks again!

At 4:24pm on November 24, 2008, Alison Jeppson Hyde said…: You would have enough for a Wanda's Flowers, though that's one of the narrower shawls; I'd say if you want a lot of length in that yardage, go for one of the smaller-stitch-count shawls but start at row 2 for a wider neckline; that'll help the finished shawl reach longer around. Do swatch first. I have a Constance shawl that I did in mohair on large needles, and it's quite a bit wider around than the one in the book. You've got worsted weight there, so upsizing the needles from what I used in the book, you could go with Wanda's, the smaller Julia, Constance, the smaller-stitch-count-version Water Turtles... But do start with that wider neck. Good luck!

Oh, and, I used 500 yards for the mohair-version Julia in the book: there were 1000 yards in the skein and I got two of them out of it. So I think your 660 yards will be okay, whichever pattern you choose.

At 12:50pm on November 24, 2008, sunshine115 said…: Alison,
After getting your book, I think the hardest decision is going to be which shawl to knit first-- they are all lovely! I do have a question that I hope you can help me with. While it was still avalible, I bought 6 balls of "Ambrosia" from KnitPicks (and am very sad that it is not still an item they carry) It is 80% Baby Alpaca, 20% Cashmere, 50 grams/110 yds per ball (6 stitches per inch on #3-5 needles) I have knit several lace scarves and square shawls, so I am comfortable with my knitting skills and reaading charts, but am completely 'unlearned' when it comes to figuring out subsitiutions for yarn amounts and weights. I would really like to use my little stash to make one of the shawls from "Wrapped In Comfort", could you give me some Ideas which shawl I would have enough yarn for? I usually have to use one needle size up to get the correct guage when knitting, I am short so it doesn't need to be very long (24" would go from neck to past my elbow) but am a plus size , so it would need to be wide. I would not mind having a lacy, open shawl as long as I have enough yarn to finish it! Thanks for your help! and your book-I love the patterns and the stories that go along with each one.
Ivy

At 10:39am on August 26, 2008, Alison Jeppson Hyde said…: Glad to help. Anytime.

At 7:37am on August 26, 2008, Bonnie said…: A big thank you Alison.

At 1:06pm on August 25, 2008, Alison Jeppson Hyde said…: The Constance and the faster-version (ie smaller stitch count) Julia done in fingering weight and going down to a needle size 9, those would both work, and the length of course is whatever you'd like it to be.

At 9:45am on August 25, 2008, Bonnie said…: Hi Alison: I have a very special nine year old little girl who saw me working on Julia's shawl and loved it. She asked if I would make her one. I would love to do a shawl for her but do not have any ideas for making the Julia smaller. Can I use the pattern in your book by just decreasing the number of repeats? Or, is there a pattern in wrapped in comfort that can be used to make a shawl for a young girl. Any suggestions would really be helpful. Thanks Bonnie

At 11:35am on August 20, 2008, Alison Jeppson Hyde said…: Thank you! Getting people to try lace was one of the great ambitions of mine in writing that book--thank you so much! Enjoy!

At 10:17am on August 20, 2008, Bonnie said…: Thank you Alison: your comments have helped me a lot. You will now have me humming a waltz as I come to the last repeat . Can't wait to get more experience with knitting lace and making more sense of what I am doing. I never thought that knitting lace would be so much fun. I do not think I would have had the courage to tackle lace , if it were not for your book. thank you for your support and encougagement. Bonnie

At 2:04pm on August 14, 2008, Alison Jeppson Hyde said…: Often, a lace pattern will be symmetrical across the repeat, but the last stitch will also be the first stitch of the next group as you're going across. I find myself humming a waltz as I type this, my brain putting it into musical terms: ONE two three, ONE two three. You need that ONE at the end, too, to make it visually symmetrical and complete.

So: you don't want to end the row with, say, a yarnover, or whatever; you need that stitch that would be the first stitch of the next repeat if there were a next repeat. You need what makes that last group symmetrical like the rest. Thus a pattern will say however many stitches+1 or +2 or whatever, and yes, it does need those ending stitches. The more lace you do, the more sense that will make with experience.

Re the POM, I'm not sure which row you're referring to, but it doesn't matter; it's not slip a stitch and then k2tog, it's simply k2tog totally in place of the sl1-k2tog-psso at the end. Don't worry about how it looks on the needles; you're not doing anything wrong. As soon as you add water to lace when you're done, it magically transforms into its true self with the yarn relaxing and settling into place. It will look wonderful.

At 7:01am on August 14, 2008, Bonnie said…: Hi Alison: I have been knitting Julia's shawl and Peace of
Mind Shawl simultateously. I love the Julia but find POM more challenging and a good trade when the Julia gets too repetitive. Anyway my question for you is, when a pattern says 6 + 1 sts, does that mean that there is only "one " edge that has the added stitch? Also why is that extra stitch needed in lace patterns?
The pattern for POM, the final end 16 stitches, is that a slip stitch, and a knit tog.? My edge on this side seems to be going slightly inward and I do not want to rip my work out, having done 4 repeats. Any ideas what I am doing wrong. ( I know this is asking a lot since you cannot see it) Thanks for any help you may have. Bonnie

At 9:36am on July 25, 2008, Bonnie said…: Hi Alison. I started the actually shawl last night after having practiced the pattern for a couple of hours the night before. I kept loosing my place, dropping stitches, having more stiches than needed, etc.. Anyway, last night the pattern just seemed to click in my head and so I took the plunge and started the actual shawl. So far I have been doing o.k. Have gotten to r. 15. I always give a sigh of relief when I come to the last stitch and every little stitch has worked out according to your pattern .I have had to use stitch markers though, so I can keep track of my work. Your book is absolutely fantastic, beautiful patterns, but most important very clear instruction , especially for someone like me who is a beginner with knitting lace. thanks for the encouragement.