Progress!. and lifelines.

I have found the needles, and cast on for the Swallowtail!  

so far, I'm not finding it too difficult... I have made a few mistakes, but i'm the kind of knitter who, unless the mistake is tragic, or, un-repairable, i just go on.  However, I am instituting the use of lifelines for the first time!  Previous shawls made by me have always failed, mostly because I screwed up at some point, usually at a good point in the movie, and was unable to salvage it.  and, because ripping out lace is really impossible, I'm using a lifeline now! 

Using a lifeline is easy!  here's a quick tutorial.

1.  I usually install the lifeline at the end of a lace repeat, so that it's easy to remember where i was.  Thread some smooth, thin waste yarn onto a tapestry needle and bring it through all the stitches. 

 2.  Once the yarn is through all the stitches, you have your lifeline.  Knit the next repeat fear free, and once you have finished, your lifeline will be a few rows up, like this:

 If you find that you've made a mistake, you can pull your knitting out, back to the lifeline, and then you will have a row of live stitches on the yarn ready to be put back on the needles.  

I usually move my lifeline up at the end of each repeat, after a purl row.  It only takes a minute or two to do this, and if you need it, you'll save yourself hours of grief, and possibly save your shawl too! 

My shawl and me will be at the Sheep tomorrow for the first meeting of the Summer Knitting Club... will we see you there?