Gwaihir Shawl

A pattern that I test-knitted has just been published: Gwaihir by Lindsay Scarey.  My Ravelry project is here.

I wanted to test-knit this shawl because I love bulky lace.  Also, the shawl is designed to look like the eagle from Lord of the Rings, and I am a big fan of those movies.  This shawl kept us company while we were watching the Olympics last winter.  It is the perfect thing to wrap up in when I'm at home relaxing.

I made two changes to my version of the shawl.  I added a slip-stitch edge (because I love slip-stitch edges).  I also made the shawl smaller by finishing early (skipping chart C).  I did the two repeats of chart B, but on the second repeat I made the triangles of purl stitches look like those at the end of chart C so my smaller shawl would have the same finished look as the larger version.  I then proceeded with the garter border and bind-off as written in the pattern.

One thing to note: the designer wrote this intending for the charts to be read from right to left on both right and wrong sides.  If you will be reading the charts from left to right on the wrong sides, then all you need to do is go to the key and switch the P2TogTbl and the P2Tog.  That will ensure your finished result matches the chart.

If you are new to garter tabs, then my pictures should help.

 I thoroughly enjoyed the process, and this is something I would definitely make again.  Lindsay was great to work with, and I really enjoyed thinking through her pattern and giving input.  This experience has inspired me to become a tech editor.  I will be posting more about that soon.