This is my secret of the stole stole. The link takes you back to all the posts on this. I had some trouble and then got behind. 
Last night, after running errands all day - Costco, Post Office, Fabric Store x 2 - I got some time to sit down with the lace. I was actually able to work on it with JB in the house.
I got Hint 4 finished up -but I'm still maintaining my 3 hints behind status. It was after 10 pm when I finished and the shawl is getting rather large at this point, so I threw it on the back of the loveseat and took it's photo.
I took another picture today - just because the light was better. This photo is a just a few rows into hint 5. I plan on sitting down with it for an hour and then heading into the studio. I'm hoping to finish the Asian Inspired dress today.
I am, however, really enjoying working on the lace and once I get started it may be hard to put it down. But really - I'm setting the timer for an hour!
Saturday, I finished Hint/Clue (which is it really?) 3 on the Secret of the Stole III. I am enjoying working on this. For some reason lace really takes a commitment from me. The tv can be on and the dogs can be in the house - but do not let JB be sitting in the same room rattling off lumber sizes and pricing while I'm trying to count how many stitches I need to knit between the YO, Slip 2, K2Tog, PSSO, YO! OMG. I did not have to do any ripping, but I did have to put the lace in my lap and give him "the look!"
I am wondering - how hard do I need to block this to get the motifs to stand out? You can see I have it stretched and pinned pretty tight in this second photo. Granted it's dry and the lace will have more give when it's wet, but really - pulled until I feel like the wool will break?
The dogs and I spent the first half of the day in the living room. I was busy knitting the first clue on the Secret of the Stole, catching up on old episodes of Army Wives and they were busy snoring!
With a few breaks for coffee and food - I got all 64 rows done! I'm pretty sure there isn't this much completed on my Malibrigo Lace that I started last year.
However, the really nice part about this lace pattern is that the alternating rows are just purled back - with the exception of a garter border. That meant I could autopilot through those rows.
I decided to use the bronze lined clear beads. They add sparkle, but because of the color of the lining the blend in with the creamy latte color of the cashwool. I had thought I might go down a needle size and cast on with US3s but didn't like it, so I ripped and started over on the US 4s.
If you came by just for the beaded lace sample - just scroll on down - it's there. However, if you stay you'll have to listen to me babble for awhile.
First up - this beat up cigar tin I got from my Grandmother. For as long as I've know, it has held her tiny crochet hooks. I have all of those. And yes, at the end that is someone's teeth marks - I don't know who's, but it just adds to the character. The hooks inside this beat up tin were also my Grandmother's tiny steel crochet hooks. In her day she made lovely lace angels and snowflakes. I have enough of the tiny starched beauty to decorate a small tree.
Next, can I just say that I love the way a hank of yarn looks once it all nicely wound up into a cake? This is the creamy latte cashwool that is being used for my SotSiii stole. It's almost like knitting with air. It's so tiny and fine.
The beads that I decided to use are size 6 seed beads. They are clear with a bronze liner. I had 3 options for use on this project and after knitting all 3 into the swatch, I think the bronze lined beads looks best. Of course the real sample will make an appearance at Knit Night for an up close and in person opinion from my friends.
Here's the close up of the bronze beads in the swatch. Me likely. I actually washed this swatch and blocked it on our bed - that way I had a white background for the lace to stand out on. 
This stole also has beads that added with a crochet hook as you are knitting. I have never knit with beads and the one "real" lace project I have going on - is the one project I absolutely have to concentrate on, so it's very slow going.
Thanks to my friend Golden Tracks, I joined the Ravelry Group as well as the Yahoo Group and I got an email when the group started. About a week ago we got the swatch chart and the supply list. I started looking for lace weight online and ended up ordering Baruffa Cashwool from Little Knits. The first yarn into my cart was this pretty light lime-yellow as I thought it would look great with the lining for my red wool coat. I'm glad a threw another color into my cart, because now that's it here - it's not limey enough to work with my red coat, but will look fabulous on The Princess.
My second color choice was creamy latte. This is going to be what my stole is knit from. I love this very pretty soft brown lace yarn. I also have beads, but haven't photographed them. The plan is to knit my swatch today while the house is quiet. It's just me and the dogs for awhile.
The way this works is one a week beginning August 15th, you get a 'clue.' It's that week's knitting graph. I believe I read that this stole has 9 clues. There is a theme to the stole which will be revealed at the end, if you haven't guessed it already. We don't have any vacation plans - so I'm hoping for enough quiet Sunday mornings to keep up.
If you are interested in joining this knit-a-long, often referred to as SotSiii - click on the yahoo link. You need to get "approval" to join and the sign-up are limited.
Be back later with a beaded swatch.
