Peacock feathers

A few years ago I went to the Madrona Fiber Arts Festival, where I found a gorgeous hand-crafted, made in the USA, mohair & baby alpaca, teal lace weight yarn.

I visited it for 3 days straight - I work just a few blocks from the venue - before shelling out the $45 to take that precious skein home with me.

Then I poured over patterns on Ravelry.com for months.  I knew what I was looking for: a lace shawl that featured peacock feathers as its motif.

Nope.

Nope.

Nope.

But getting closer.  The same designer had this one, the Peacock Feathers Stole.  A good friend gifted me with the pattern after I hesitated over the cost ($12 at the time!!).

I got to work and loved the pattern.  It was interesting and gorgeous and easy (relatively) to work.

Then I hit row 215.  Row 217 would. not. line. up.  Frustrated, I pulled it out and tried again.  Then again.  Then I put it in timeout for a few months.  Tried again.  And again.  Another year (or more) of timeout passed due to Christmas presents, hosting an exchange student, mothering a toddler, and my tendency to taking a break from knitting during the summer months.

My cousin is getting married on 12/31 and I want to wear the stole to her wedding.  Yesterday was my birthday.  With a solid day to myself and a free coffee from Starbucks, I packed up the naughty stole and staked out a spot at a Starbucks that's halfway to my favorite yarn store.  That way I was close to some expert help if needed.

Or maybe Yellow House would sell the yarn on consignment if I got really fed up.

It took me over three hours to try to figure out the mistakes, rip back to my lifeline, and then carefully knit back through to The Really Awful Row: #217.  I counted, double-counted, and made sure I'd done things correctly.

Last night it seemed that I had finally gotten it right.  Tonight, provided I can get some time of absolute silence, I'll take the project out of purgatory and attempt row 219.

Because I'm a one-at-a-time knitter, my following project, for which I already have the pattern, yarn, and antique buttons, will be this.  It looks easy in comparison.

But this morning a friend - the same one who gifted me with the above pattern - sent me a link to this.

Darn yarn enablers.