Finished, full Pi

Warning:  spoiler photo after the jump.

     All clues are posted and a lot of people are already knitting the 4th clue.  This is my second shawl for 2011 and also my second design for that challenge.  I finished my prototype on 24/03.  My calculations were a bit off, I ended up using 1518.98 meters or 1715.625 yards of fingering weight yarn.  The shawl, blocked slightly (because I didn't have enough space) is 96in (243.84cm) in diameter, which is way too big, so I also released a smaller 4th clue.

     When I started this KAL, I had plans of posting every time I released a clue, wait a few days and then post pics of my progress, but in the middle of this project there was a house :D.  We closed on a house on the very day the last clue was posted, but I was busy working in the background so we could buy the house.  These things got in my way and I wasn't able to post as often as I'd planned (and wanted).

     The photo you see here is of when we first saw the house.  After the jump you'll see a photo of the finished shawl - because this is a knitting blog, after all.

More clues

     The second clue was posted on the 15th and the third was just posted.  Go grab them up.  Now, if you excuse me, I have some catching up to do:

Stitch markers - and other sanity saving devices

     When knitting the Birthday Pi, you might need stitch markers - 13 to be exact.  Why do you need 13 when there are only 12 repeats, you ask?  Well, it's because on certain rounds you'll move said stitch markers to the right - meaning you'll have to put a stitch marker before the one that is already in place.

     You can do that by knitting to the existing stitch marker, taking the marker out, putting the st just knit back on the left needle, replacing the marker, passing the st back to the right needle  OR placing the new marker on the new spot and taking the old marker out.

ETA: the second clue is up! download now

Here is our Birthday Pi - have a slice

     The first clue is up: download now.  I'd like to use this space to talk a bit about some technique options we have.
     As you know this is a circular knit.  There are many ways to start knitting in the round, some easier, some more complex.  Remember, it's your shawl and you can do it anyway you want - there is no wrong way.
    This is the cast on I use.  It's a bit tricky and maybe not for the faint of heart, but I like it very much and makes for an awesome, neat beginning.  You can do it with a crochet hook too and then transfer the stitches to the needles.
     There are other ways to start the shawl:  Emily Ocker's cast on is a popular one.  If you do a Google search, you'll find all kinds of tutorials and videos about circular cast on.
     If you tried your hand at a bunch of different cast on's and still can't get one you like, try this dirty trick.  Cast on the number of stitches you need using some waste yarn and knit back and forth for a few rows.  When you have a good length (1 inch or so), transfer your stitches to dpn's or circular needles and start knitting in the round.  When you're done with your shawl, cut the area you knit with waste yarn one or two rows before you changed to the proper yarn, thread some yarn through the loops in the first round of the shawl and then frog the stitches done in waste yarn.

     I prefer to knit using the magic loop method from the get go, some people prefer to start with dpn's and then change to circular needles, other people use two circulars...Do what works best for you.

     To avoid ladders I knit the first three or so stitches on the needles and pull on the yarn after knitting each one.  Don't worry too much about ladders - they tend to disappear after you block the shawl.

     One last tip I learned from the amazing MMario, when doing crossed stitches (1/1 cable), transfer the stitches to the right hand needle as if to k2tog, transfer them back to the left hand needle and knit one at a time through the back loop.

  

On swatches

     I released a document so you guys could knit a swatch for the Birthday pi, even though I don't believe in gauge when it comes to lace.  Why did I do it, you ask?  Well, since you guys will be blindly following me, I thought it would be a good idea for you to try your hand at it.  Doing a swatch also helps you decide if the yarn/needle combo works for you.

     Don't get me wrong, swatches are important - for a number of reasons, not only gauge.  When it comes to lace, gauge might not be so important, but a swatch is still recommended, as by knitting one you can figure out if you like the fabric you're getting.

     For most people, when we talk swatch and gauge what comes to mind is counting how many stitches/rows we have in a predetermined measurement - like this:

  That is all fine and dandy, but sometimes it's not that easy to count stitches/rows - think lace, novelty yarns, felted items...  How do you know if your gauge is right when you can't count?  Here is a little tip: count the stitches and rows before you knit.  Choose a number that will give you a good sized swatch (the bigger the swatch, the more accurate it will be) and it's easy to work with ( I personally like multiples of 10).  Knit your swatch and do whatever you have to do with it - block, felt...  After it's dry, measure the entire swatch.  Since you already know how many stitches and rows you knit, all you have to do to find the gauge is divide the length of your swatch by the number of stitches to get stitch gauge and height by number of rows knit to get row gauge.

P.S.

The first file for the Birthday Pi is up.

This is for a swatch.  Please try it out and let me know if you find any errors in it.

I recommend soaking your knitting for at least half an hour before blocking (I don't know why, but the blocking seems to hold better that way...).

You can find the file here.

How big is the pi(e)? or The "joys" of designing

     If you ask my FIL, the bigger the pie, the better. Lucky this isn't the case with the Birthday Pi. Last Thursday I managed to knit two swatches using different yarns. Below you'll find calculations done using those samples.
     This is how they look before blocking:
Fingering


Lace

   

Celebrating

     Next month (April) we'll be celebrating two years of the Mawelucky Love group over at Ravelry.  As a thank you to all the wonderful people I met over there I've created (well...am creating) a new design which will be done as a KAL.
     The Birthday Pi is my gift to all the amazing folks who took a chance on me and were adventurous enough to try my patterns.