Knitting: 1, School: 0

That's not really fair. School's gotten a major chunk of my downtime, it's just much harder to show my productivity in schoolwork than in knitting. I still have two papers to write, though....

Druella Black

Pattern: Emily Dickinson by Keiran Foley
Yarn: Madelinetosh Prairie in Cloak
Needles: US 5
Project Page

I do not know how to begin to tell you about this shawl. I had a very specific vision of how it would look and it looks exactly that way. I was very skeptical right up until the end because the yarn is a bit heavier than lace weight and the shawl looked so small in my lap when I bound-off. As usual, the magic of blocking really was magical and...well...look!

It looks and feels absolutely amazing. I simply cannot believe how beautiful this simple shawl is. It is literally garter stitch with beads. The most difficult part was the cast-on. It is recommended that you cast on 545 stitches in the backward-loop method. I struggled with the first row so much that I'm sure my head was smoking from frustration. I don't recommend the backward-loop cast-on for this.

I do recommend the pattern. It uses less than 300 yards of lace and it is the perfect pattern for anyone who wants to try using beads in their knitting for the first time. There are a few charts, but they are really simple to read for anyone who wants that sort of experience too. Honestly, for as awesome as this shawl looks, you would be shocked to see how simple and easy the pattern is.

I bought the beads for Wavering Heart and I have an entire unopened bag left, plus some. I might make another of these shawls or I might find another small beaded shawl pattern to make with what's leftover. Do you have any beaded shawl patterns to recommend for about 500 yds of lace weight?

For more FO Friday posts, go to Tami's Amis!