Done..the first section

I am so thrilled to be done the first section and moving on to the swarm. I really love this pattern and knitting it is a lot of fun. As this is my first shawl I am really looking forward to blocking it and wearing it for the first time.
I hope to have progress pictures of the swarm section for you on Tuesday. I made sure to insert a life line after I finished up and moved on. I am NOT going back for anything!
Hope your last long weekend is sweet as honey!

Top Design!

What a fabulous design! I do plan on knitting another one in Jaggerspun Zephyr. I loved knitting every stitch!

My finished measurement is 74” X 38”. I didn’t vigorously block it since my handspun had a few issues, i.e., some really thinner yarn in spots and didn’t want to take a chance it would pop. Overall, I am very happy with it and think my daughter will love it! Her birthday is in September. Hope to post a picture of her modeling it shortly thereafter.

Late Start for a New Bee

Hi. I won't be able to start Bee Fields for another month or two. Anyone else planning to start on this real late? I'm fairly new to lace, and I'm hoping that this KAL will still be buzzing so I can get some help. :-)

Sleeping Bees

I am excited to get started. Just trying to finish up with my kidsilk haze print o'the wave shawl before I buzz with the bees. My beautiful buckwheat honey arrived a few days ago and is waiting more patiently to join in than I am.

I've been Swarmed

I made it through the beehive section over the weekend, and had some problems starting up the swarm--see photos here. I ripped out seven rows (I'm not sure why I believed they looked fine up to that point), and am now just about where I was before ripping. It looks much better now. I did not put in a lifeline, but I know that I should.

Who out there is using a lifeline? Have you had to use it?

Starting my HoneyBee Stole

First of all, I'd like thank everyone for their wonderful comments on the Bee Fields Shawl I finished yesterday. It definitely was an accomplishment for me and I'm very proud of it.

I'd like to clarify though that I used a fingering weight and is why it came out so large.

I'm going to be using this lace weight from Blue Moon in the Red Clover Honey color for the Stole. No thoughts of over dyeing on this one!! And I'm going to put it on the needles as soon as I finish this post. HERE WE GO AGAIN!!

Honeybee Stole errata?

Is there errata connected with the Stole? Thanks all! ~Suzy

My Bee Fields is finished!

OK. I admit it. I'm amazed with myself! The pattern is so gorgeous but I'm pretty sure I'm going to overdye this in a color yet unknown. I'll have to experiment with the leftover yarn I have to see how this takes color on top of the green. If it wasn't such a yellow green I'd be happier.
It's also very large! Measures 82" by 46". I put it on thinking it would look better on an Amazon (I'm 5'3") but, it actually looks pretty good. I'm ok with the size.
I used a fingering weight of 220yards per 50gm and used about 5 1/2 skeins. So? about 1200+ yards and knit on Addi Lace #6
Now, to decide what I want to knit next! Maybe, I'll jump right in and do the Stole.

On The Edge :)

Yup ... I'm on the edge right now :) I've changed the shawl a little bit ... added two more rows of bee hives and now the bottom edge is getting the same treatment as the top edge of the shawl :) I'm about 1/4 done the edging! it's slow going but should be done this week :)

Carissa
Spirit Blooms

errata update as of 8/26/07

This from Anne Hanson:

BEE FIELDS
8/26/07

page 16, Hem Border, rows 5 and 11 have a small omission (correction in bold)

R5: k6, yo, k2tog, SM, [yo, k2tog, drop 4yo, CO4, (PU4 bars k1), yo, (PU4 bars k1), CO4, ssk, p2, p3tog, p4, yo, p1, yo, p6, SM, *k2tog, drop 4yo, CO4, (PU4 bars k1), yo, (PU4 bars k1), CO4, ssk, p2, p3tog, p4, yo, p1, yo, p6* repeat from * to next marker, SM, k2tog, drop 4yo, CO4, (PU4 bars k1), yo, (PU4 bars k1), CO4, ssk, yo, SM], k1, SM, repeat between brackets, k2, yo, k2tog, k4

R11: BO2, k1, yo, sl1 k2tog psso, yo, k2, yo, k2tog, SM, [yo, k3, k2tog, drop 4yo, CO4, (PU4 bars k1), yo, (PU4 bars k1), CO4, ssk, k1, (yo, k2tog) 7 times, k1, *k2tog, drop 4yo, CO4, (PU4 bars k1), yo, (PU4 bars k1), CO4, ssk, k1, (yo, k2tog) 7 times, k1* repeat from * to next marker, SM, k2tog, drop 4yo, CO4, (PU4 bars k1), yo, (PU4 bars k1), CO4, ssk, k3, yo, SM], k1, SM, repeat between brackets, k2, yo, k2tog, yo, sl1 k2tog psso, yo, k1, CO2

Waiting anxiously!

Hello everyone! I ordered my Bee Field's stole kit from Wooly Wonka, I chose the Buckwheat Honey colorway. I should receive it within 2-3 weeks, hopefully sooner!

This is my first try at lace knitting and I can't wait to get started!

I'm very happy to join this group!

Knitting vicariously.........

Yeah, I'm knitting on the throw for my brother's wedding, so I am checking in to the knit-along to get my fix of the bee. I'm only allowed to knit on the bee after finishing the goal # of rows that I've set for the night in order to finish on time. The trouble is, after I've knitted my goal on the throw I'm too tired for the bee..... The throw has to be done by next Thursday, so I will pop back in after Labor Day weekend. Lovely work you little worker bees......

back in a few...

I'll be away for a couple of days to take my son back to college. As the driver on road trips, I don't get any knitting done while actually on the road, but I hope to make some progress on the 'bee'. I'm working on the second repeat of the Bee Swarm section and am finding it very helpful to have markers for every 12-stitch repeat in addition to the markers at the center and the edges of the shawl!

Image that accompanies this post is from here.

Hi from Swizerland

Hello from Switzerland. I am Stellie. I have just started the BeeFields shawl which will be my second shawl. Not an easy one but I like challenge. I am knitting the Tupelo Gold of Wooly Wonka Fiber. I am glad to join you. Have a nice day.

sources for kits

I've added a category to the sidebar that gives the links for Wooly Wonka Fibers and The Knitting Hutch for knitters who prefer to order the pattern and yarn in kit form. And, as a bit of 'knitterly enabling'...The Knitting Hutch is hosting Lace in the Woods '08, a knitting retreat by the sea in Big Sur, California from June 23rd to the 27th. Anne Hanson will be there, teaching a new design.
My teaching year will end on June 26th, making it nigh on impossible for me even to dream of attending. :(

Waiting for my yarn....

I have ordered my yarn, it's Claudia Silk Lace in Honey -- yummylicious! The pattern and yarn are a kit from The Knitting Hutch, and should be arriving soon.

I plan on knitting the Stole, not the Shawl, but who knows, things like this are always fluid.

Happy Knitting, Suzy

I finally got to start my Honeybee. I've been very good at the stitch count, but I do get an extra stitch on Row 9 in the second column from the left. I have been taking care of this pest with a k2tog. How does everyone else take care of that random extra stitch?

More info on the blog.
-Lola

Another New-bee!

Hello everyone!

I am new here, and I have a couple of questions. I am a dyer, so I plan to dye yarn for the Honeybee Stole. I am debating, though, on using fingering weight or laceweight yarn.

I plan to use Knitpicks Bare for my base yarn. I prefer the look of fuller stitches, and this is once of my first (although not *the* first) lace projects I will be doing, although I have knit for some time.

What do you guys think? Since the called for yarn is close to a fingering weight, I am thinking of doing the smaller size stole in a fingering weight yarn, since this would be worn with a coat.

Ideas? Thoughts?

Thank you!

Sarah

Hello from Houston

This is the Bloom Colorway for the Bee Fields Shawl
This is the yarn for the 2nd Forest Canopy

Hi,
I'm Cheryl and I am a 100% service-connected disabled veteran, and so is my husband Michael we live in the Houston area of TX. Since I no longer work I need to keep busy with all this free time I now have. We share a beautiful home with Sir Angus Seton and Rita our two small dogs. After a 20+ yr. hiatus I picked up knitting again and I am having the greatest time making gifts for others and family. I have taken classes to learn how to do lace knitting (small scarf), cables and also socks I learned how to make them on my own!! I have many projects on many needles to keep me busy and when I get bored with one I can work on another. I am looking to learn how to spin and hope to start classes in the fall. Presently I have the following projects OTN: Spa Sox ~ D. Bliss Cashmerino; Mystery Stole 3 ~ Zephyr Lace yarn in Mahogany w/Czech Glass Beads in Red Rainbow color (pattern put on the shelf for now, 35 rows of MS# frogged and the Zephyr is now destined for the Honey Bee Stole), another Forest Canopy using 1-ply pure wool fingering yarn from Mirari Crafts an eBay store , from a new friend named Marie.

It is a beautiful yarn and the colorway is rich shades of violet, pink and golden yellow. I just finished a shrug for my daughter’s 28th birthday; I used 3 balls of D. Bliss Soho in #9 Red, which is a silk, rayon and cotton yarn, just finished Forest Canopy Shoulder shawl in Vintage Silk Maiden & Louisa Harding’s Grace. I have posted pictures of it on my blog. I also make one of a kind jewelry using sterling silver and semi-precious gemstone beads, and stick markers/row markers. I also make stitch markers using Sterling Silver and Swarovski Crystals and other types of beads. The yarn pictured is what I will use for the Bee Fields Shawl. It’s 100% Merino lace weight from Yarn Tree House and the colorway is Bloom. This colorway reminds me of rainbow sherbet colors lol. My DH is going to get the 2 different yarns for me for future projects and also both Bee Feilds & Honey Bee Stole patterns next week, as part of an early birthday present. Well I better get moving time for some herbal tea and knitting. I look forward to making some new friends in this group.

Have a nice evening all,
Cheryl (or my friends call me CW)

http://ladywatkins.blogspot.com

no excuse ...

my lovely Addi Lace needles came today, and i wound the buckwheat honey yesterday, so now i can make a start at last. watch this space! ;)

errata update

Anne Hanson posted a new pattern correction yesterday, 8/20/2007. Click on this link to take you there directly or use the link for errata listed in the sidebar.

Introduction and a Question

Just wanted to thank you for inviting me to join you in this KAL. Knitting has been part of my life for a very long time. Lace knitting has become an obsession in the past two years. There isn't a lot of opportunity to wear sweaters here in Central Florida, but sometimes a light wrap is perfect. I have finished the first section and I'm about to start the swarm. I understand you knit the 24 row section twice and then 4 more rows. How do you get to the 54 rows total the instructions say are in this section? What am I missing? I just want to say that the photos everyone have posted are just beautiful.

Susan G

Bee Fields - wonderful knitting fun

I am just loving the knitting of this pattern. I have managed to get the setup section and 42 rows of the Beehive chart completed, even with my sister, 4 month old niece and my sister's dog visiting for a week. I did have a problem when I tried grafting the beginning stitches - I ended up with a very noticeable ridge in that area. Oh well, I managed to unpick the grafting and am working on figuring it out on a swatch before I try it again on the shawl. Here is an updated photo of my shawl in progress.

Annmarie, thank you for setting up this kal and for inviting me to join! My yarn, Wooly Wonka in Tupelo Gold, arrived so I'm set to go. But! I am still a tentative lace knitter, so I'm working on Eunny's Print O' the Wave to limber up my needles. I also appreciate reading all of the tips and tricks here. Thanks to all for sharing their know-how as they knit this beautiful shawl!

Busy Bee....

I also participated in MS3 but was so anxious to start Bee Fields. When the final clue was posted on Friday, I wound my skeins in to balls.



I am using handspun kid mohair/merino – I think the color is perfect for this pattern! Last November, my daughter requested a lime green shawl – her favorite color. The fiber was custom-dyed by Susan’s Spinning Bunny and I started spinning it immediately but hadn’t picked a pattern to knit. And then I saw...Bee Fields. The perfect pattern for the yarn!




Here is my progress to date....hope to get in lots of knitting today!

Annmarie, thank you for organizing this knitalong. I love seeing other shawls in progress and the completed ones! They are all stunning!

I will not be ordering the “Honeybee Stole” pattern UNTIL “Bee Fields” is blocking – the stress is just too much ; )

just flown in ...

... and i'm buzzing with excitement! but must hold off till this evening, as today phd takes precedence :(

still - something wonderful to look forward to, n'est pas? :)

Thank you for the invitation!

I am a newbie lace knitter and loving it although challenged at times ;p). Working on my first lace project Merino Wool Socks from Favorite Socks. Learned some important lessons since I couldn't possibly have made worse decisions! For your first project: 1) Don't choose a dark yarn! Hard to see! I chose Lorna's Laces in Black Watch. 2) Don't have a learn a new cast-on method if possible. I had never done long tail cast-on before. Learned knitted cast -on from my grandmother. 3) If you don't already know how to read charts this will be a challenge! 4) Size 1 needles are not optimal for first time out. Well as Dilbert says Bwah ha ha ha - had to tink the dang thing 20 times before I got to the heel! Looking forward to knitting the shawl Very much. It is so beautiful I want to touch it asap.

Introductions!

Hi everyone! I'm Ashley, and I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of my kit for the Honeybee Stole. I'm making it for my mother, a former beekeeper, and I'm having a lot of trouble keeping it a secret. I've never tried knitting lace before, so I'm a little nervous. I've enjoyed reading everyone's comments, and I love seeing your finished work!

Just Starting

With the completion of Swan Lake (a.k.a. Mystery Stole 3) I can now dive whole-heartedly into Bee Fields. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw its picture and am happily knitting away, even though my husband keeps asking how many shawls I really need!

I am totally in love with the yarn (Wooly Wonka Tupelo Gold), which is extremely soft, and the color changes are much more subtle in the knit fabric than they were in the unwound skein.

My biggest problem so far is the "winglets" in the beehive section. They look really loose and sloppy, and I can't figure out how to tighten them up... unless I am just supposed to assume that they will fix themselves when the shawl is blocked. Here is a closeup:



I struggled getting started because of some confusion over counting the BO2 as the first Knit stitch, but once I got that in my head, it has been pretty smooth sailing.

If any of you have tips for potential pitfalls, I would love to read about them!

The Shawl, She is Done!

With many thanks to all with regard to the loosest bind off, I chose the K2tog, slip back to the left hand needle, K2tog, repeat, repeat, repeat...it took a lot less time than it did to unpick the umpteen gazillion stitches in the bad bindoff.

Sorry for the dark picture - it's a gloomy morning here in nyc.

I'll probably block it tomorrow - more interested in starting the stole, and doing the winglets the "other" way - and once I have enough of them done, I'll take comparison pix of the two to show the differences.

And she is off...

Howdy: I got my package from Wooly Wonka Fibers today! Wooohoo!! I have been watching how beautiful everyones shawl is and am very excited to join in. What a great way to start the weekend.

wrapping up the beehive section

I should be finished with the Beehive section in just a bit and can start the Swarm section. I'm finding my knitting time being curtailed by the need to start preparing for my return to teaching in a couple of weeks. There's a whole lot of reading I should be doing right now...

Bind off Booboo

I was so excited to reach the bind off row, and thought that I bound off loosely enough, but obviously not!

So, I'm spending the better part of the morning c a r e f u l l y unbinding... I'm now asking you all for your own best and LOOSEST cast off suggestions.

Thanks!

tallying the old poll and cranking up a new one

The votes are in on the fiber poll and the results show a majority of knitters (39) are using the Tupelo Gold yarn with an almost equal number of knitters using either the Buckwheat Honey (25) or the Oregon Red Clover Honey (13).

Eighteen knitters bought a different yarn specifically for this project, and an admirable 9 among us are exercising commendable self-restraint and knitting the 'bee' with yarn from their stash! Well done there!

At the close of the poll, there were 9 knitters among us who were undecided at the time they voted.

And now, there's a new poll!

Through the Swarm!

I'm done the swarm!! and still loving this shawl :) definitely bored of knitting the swarm though *lol*

Carissa
Spirit Blooms

New-bee

I just joined the KAL, although I've been working on my bee fields shawl for a couple of weeks. I'm using Addi lace turbos size 5 with Schaefer Andrea (silk) in the Jeanette Rankin colorway, which I'm hoping will look like fields of wildflowers, but not too busy.

I knit the setup section at least 6 times, and yesterday I spent about 3 hours achieving my all time daily low of negative-9 rows in the beehive section. I even found a mistake in my lifeline row! At this rate, I will be the longest-lived KAL participant here.

Keep posting all your wonderful photos, and I will try to do the same when I get far enough to pull out the camera.

new pattern errata

Anne just posted a new correction yesterday (8/15) for the Bee Fields Shawl. The correction is for the written directions not the chart.

Beehives Ahoy!

I'm making good progress on the beehive section of the Bee Fields Shawl, and I wish that I could work on it all of the time. I seriously want to cast on the Honeybee Stole immediately, and I may or may not have picked up some yarn during lunch to swatch with.

I'd like to make a solid Killer Bee black stole, and I'd like something about the same weight as the Wooly Wonka kit I'm using for the shawl. The yarn I am going to swatch with may be too heavy, and it might have more halo that I'd like. Does anyone have suggestions for me?

Sorry to see it fly away

Just a quick picture of the finished shawl:
Today I gave it to a dear friend if mine who has been very dear to me during my ongoing illness. She is a knitter but hasn't tackled lace yet so I'm hoping that this will inspire her. I loved knitting this shawl and love the finished garment.

Yarn: Jaggerspun Super Fine Merino in Marigold
97 grams used, about 1200 yards
Pattern size: tall
Size unblocked 32X72, Size blocked 36X80
Started (and restarted): 7/29/07
Finished:8/13/07

a swarm is predicted ...

... sometime soon! am buzzing with the news that my buckwheat honey is winging its way across the pond as we speak - can't wait. i get so envious looking at all your lovely yarns and work! but soon it'll be my chance to make my home a hive of industry!

btw, on the subject of wires. i have been using mine, bought from Heirloom Knitting, for ages now, and love them. especially for a big project, such as the Wedding Ring Shawl, i find them so much easier, because they get all the points even without faffing. just thread them through, pin in a few places, and it's done.

two tips, however. make sure each time that they are absolutely spotless, if you don't want to have to wash your work and start over again :( . and if you need more than one on a side, which you usually will, overlap them by 2 or three points to stop getting bends where they join. i had to get two sets to do a big project.

happy knitting, all you busy bees. off to the Lake District for a few days R&R, so of course it is raining already, and we haven't even left London yet. still am not going to let it spoil my fun. and it's a five and a half hour drive, so lots of lovely knitting! ;)

The beginnings of my Bee Shawl

I've finished the third repeat of the beehive section and am plugging along. Some Addi Lace needles are making this easier!


I think I like the underside better, right now.


It's exciting to see some finished Bees popping up here!

Yarn Call

The yarn for my Honeybee Stole arrived today:
Blue Moon Fiber Arts Oregon Red Clover Honey laceweight yarn.



There's a few projects that I need to work on / finish before I begin the stole. But, having this luscious yarn might speed me up!

Coming soon?!

Thanks for the invite! I've been checking BMFA's site everyday for my shipping date, & today I got my answer! I'm so excited to start this project. The last time I attempted something in pure lace weight was at the very end of my first pregnancy. It was ripped & still serves as a sad reminder. I'm not the kind of girl that can knit lace while dealing with a fussy newborn. I couldn't even deal with brushing my teeth when Gus came along. I've learned that I'm okay with lace patterns when done on heavier yarn, but I want dainty & pretty! So I'm jumping back into bed with lace weight at the mid-point of the second pregnancy! See I can learn from my mistakes, just start sooner. I'm planning on using everyone here as encouragement, so thank you in advance.

Now just one more project to finish up...

Bee pics!

Used the camera and ta da! Photos of the finished bee.

Knitting Notions Wildflower lace merino, size 5 lace addis.

blocking wires

Do you use blocking wires? I've been using rust-proof T-pins for a long time, but I think I'd like to invest in wires, as well. Opinions are sought. :)

Still in the Swarm :)

I'm still loving this shawl to bits! I do have quite a few projects on the go ... as usual ... though. So it's not getting as much attention as I'd like.

I've added more to the swarm though!

Happy Knitting!
Carissa
Spirit Blooms

Slow Progress

This "Bee Fields" is knit from Fearless Fibers cashmere laceweight, in the "Contentment" colorway. It was started about two weeks ago, but my knitting time is quite limited. : -) There's a more detailed photo on Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/ellinlyn . I'm still mastering my digital camera, so I'm afraid that the focus is not quite what it should be.

Yesterday I managed about 20 rows while watching television, after making two enlarged copies of the chart, and highlighting the odd-numbered rows on one chart and the even-numbered rows on the other. The charts went into a sheet protector, so that I can flip it over to see the right-side or wrong-side chart. The specific row location is marked with a Post-It.

Off the needles and on the wires

choosing your yarn

For what it's worth, I did a little research on different 'laceweight' yarns. Interestingly, the term true laceweight doesn't seem to have a standard. When I googled the term, I got tons of hits, especially from spinners talking about spinning a 'true laceweight'. There didn't seem to be a consistent or standard ratio of length to weight.
The Yarn Standards weight table doesn't even give a standard for laceweight. The table stops at 'light' which is described as sock, fingering or baby weight.
The Wooly Wonka laceweight, at 1,200 yards and 6 ounces, weighs in at 200 yards per ounce. The Blue Moon Fiber Arts' Laci, the one I'm using for the Bee Fields, comes in an 8 oz. skein and has approximately 1,750 yards, or about 219 yards per ounce. Not a huge difference, but significant if you're running short and are approaching the end of your knitting!
Jaggerspun Zephyr Wool-Silk laceweight has 315 yards per ounce as does Superfine Merino. Suri Alpaca has a whopping 496 yards per ounce.
Correction to post: Anne's Wing 'o the Moth shawl was knitted using K1C2 Douceur et Soie which, like Rowan's Kidsilk Haze, has about 260 yards per ounce (227 meters/25 grams is the put-up for Kidsilk Haze). Thanks to eagle-eyed Mary for noticing my mistake!
It becomes pretty obvious that there's a lot of wiggle room when you call a yarn 'laceweight'. Now, I don't think anyone is going to want to knit a design like Bee Fields with a worsted weight wool, but it seems to me that if you have enough yardage (not weight) of a lighter weight yarn that you like, well then, knit on! :)

needled by needles ...

hi everyone, while i'm waiting impatiently for my yarn, i have been mulling over the vexed question of needles. i need some new ones, and am not sure which way to go. i have been using the addi turbo, which i find almost perfect, but sometimes feel the points are not quite sharp enough. i do like bamboo, but so far any circular ones i have used have had a tendency to cause the stitches to stick over the join - argh! when knitting anything straight, i like to use long ones because i stick the right one under my arm and crack along like anything.

i've been reading a lot about knitpicks. does any one have experience of these? what are they like? does that switching points thing really work?

and finally, is anything acceptable on aircraft these days? in the 'olden days' ie, before everyone got understandably hairy about flying, i used to get away with bamboo, but when i flew in July Ryanair turned their nose up even at those. (altho i had heard the general ban had been lifted). please help me out here, because i am cobbling along with all sorts of bits and bobs, not wanting to part with my hard-earned in vain! happy knitting to all - hope your shawls/stoles are just buzzing along ;)

finished bee fields...

... but don't have a digital camera to take a photo. After blocking (with the new blocking wires, which make it just so much easier), it ended up being much longer than the pattern specified. I'm very happy with it...it's gorgeous. If I do say so myself.

Bee fields on my horizon........

Well, here I am. I'm excited to be here and thanks to Annmarie for hosting this fun.... I have begun already and I'm on the second repeat on the Beehive section. I'm using Jade Sapphire Mongolian 2-ply cashmere in "Burnished Gold" #48. I'm using size 6 Lantern Moon rosewood circulars. I'm loving it and really neglecting many other pressing projects for "the bee." Um, like my brother's wedding throw for September 2nd...... But I have a year to present that one, right? Plus, isn't it too hot here- (95 degrees) for afghan-type knitting? No air-conditioning here with UI prices. So many knitter justifications.....
Oh, does anyone know about the whole errata thing? I saw that if you emailed Knitspot, they would send you an errata. I'm wondering if this is incorporated into a new "corrected" version of the pattern or if it's just a list of mistakes that I need to "pop" into the pattern when need be. Anyone know about this?And now my photoshoot......

Choosing Yarn

Thank you for inviting me to join the KAL. I've been thinking about Anne's patterns for a while, and I just bought Bee Fields and Wing of the Moth.

I do have a lot of stash yarn that I'd like to use for shawls (you can see some of them on my blog, primetimeknitter.typepad.com), and even though I loved the kit yarn and the recommended yarns, I decided to use some I had on hand:



A problem I have though is that this yarn has no yardage on its bands (it is so old that this wasn't a requirement when I bought it). But I can't find the yardage on the kit yarn either. If you're using the kit yarn, could you tell me about how many yards per ounce or 50g there are?

I'm finishing two sweater WIPs, and I won't actually cast on for Bee Fields until one of them is done--within two weeks, I hope.

Bee Field KAL button

hi, i wonder if anyone could help me out by telling me how to get the Bee Field KAL button on to my blog, please. i'm a bit technically challenged! ;)

Received My Yarn

Hi everyone. I have finally received my Bee Fields Kit and wow. I love the color even more in real life and the feel is just wonderful. I have already cast on and have finished the set up section and am moving on. I am loving the pattern so much. I will try to get a progress photo and post it later, but until then here is a photo of the wonderful yarn.

New to the Group

Hi!

I'm Carla in Md. Thanks, Annmarie for letting me join in the fun. I got my shawl kit from WW about 10 days ago but haven't started knitting it yet as I do want to finish my MS3 first. I am so in love with the yarn tough, I chose Buckwheat Honey and it is just as I hoped it would be. I wonder if MS3 will notice if I just wind one of the skeins. I'm not casting on mind you, I can be faitfull to one lace project. I'm just winding...

Size matters but so does proportion

I know there was a little discussion about the tall versus petite size choice for the shawl. I'm planning on gifting my shawl to a friend who is about 5'3" and thought that the petite size would be just fine. However, as I approach the point of starting that edging, I'm bothered by the proportions of the shawls sections.



The Bee in Field section just looks skimpy so I'm going to knit the 18 rows of the tall pattern and hope that my using size 4 needles will help keep this from being too large once I gently block it.

Of course I'm enjoying this knitting so much that I'm glad to have delayed the end a bit.

Buzzzzing along

I keep switching off between the Honeybee Stole and MS3 with the result that neither is growing fast. Here's where I am today -- this color is hard to photograph! I am using the Tupelo Honey from WoolyWonka and an Inox Express 4.5mm(size 7).

New to the Field :)

I started my Bee Fields Shawl about a week and a bit ago ... and just now found the group! and had to join you all :) I bought the kit in the green colorway and am just loving it!

For the bee hive section, I added 2 more rows of bee hives ... and I just got into the swarm yesterday ... everything is living up perfectly :) hopefully there isn't too much tweaking in the next section and the number of stitches is just fine :) Here's a quick and dirty picture so far!

ADDED: The yarn I'm using is Tupelo Honey from WoolyWonky :) on 3.5mm needles :)

Happy Knitting!!!
Carissa
~*~ Spirit Blooms ~*~

Winglets - a different take

Hi - I've done the winglets thusly:

- I'm doing the chart (not the written instructions) and the bound off sts stay on my needle and then I do the 8 sts for the edging ... on the way back I just kick that last st off. I don't count that winglet st as the first st. Sorry I can't take a better picture of them, but hopefully you'll get my drift...

just a reminder...

Be sure to check Anne's errata page every now and then. The link to this is in the sidebar under Other Useful Links. Anne has added 3 corrections just since the beginning of August.

Also, it's been pointed out here by jenifleur that the instructions can be a bit confusing when making the little "winglets" at the edges.

In order to create the "winglet" you cast on 2 stitches at the end of a row (using the backward loop method) and then promptly bind them off at the beginning of the next row. Once you've bound off these two stitches, you actually have already done the k1 stitch that follows in the instructions.

If you do another k1, your stitch count will be off. So...once you have bound off those 2 stitches and have your little "winglet", go right to the p3 (on wrong side rows) or yo, sl1, k2tog, psso (on right side rows).

I don't mean to be 'beating a dead horse' here, but not everyone goes back and reads all the posts since the beginning when they join a knitalong, so I thought it bore repeating here. And, all this being said, I'd also like to encourage all of us not to sit in frustration and isolation whether it's a question about the knitting or about posting to the blog.

If I can't answer someone's question, no doubt many others can. :)

Bee jewelry by Caitlin Hyde

And Now I See How to Post

Thanks, Annmarie, for the instructions on including photos. You made me realize that there were different screens for Posts and Comments. After that, it only took a minute or two to figure out that Signing In might be required in order to actually Post! :-D

Just Joined

Hi. I'm Lynda from Hobart, OK. I started knitting my shawl about a week ago. I ran into some trouble with the edging early on and had to rip back about 30 rows, but I'm back on track now. I joined the Flickr group and added pics there. You can also see my progress here.

I'm glad to be a part of the knit along. I'm looking forward to seeing all of your shawls and stoles. So far, I have found the pattern very intuitive and easy to memorize.

including photos in your posts

Above the space where you write your message is a task bar that lets you customize your post a bit. The second icon from the right is the one that lets you include an image within your post. When you click that icon, a new box pops up that lets you browse to find the picture you want to include.

Let's say that you have your photos saved in a folder on your desktop. You would click the Browse button, select Desktop and then click on the name of the folder, and then the name of the photo you want to appear in your post.

Select the type of file you want the picture to be. I usually select Picture (jpg) for photographs.

Choose the layout and size you want for the picture within the body of your post. And then click Upload. Your picture will appear in a new window and you click Done.

Voila! The picture appears in the message box. You can drag it up or down, but not left or right. If you have chosen, for instance, for the picture to appear in the center, you can't then drag it to the left or to the right.

If you change your mind, just click on the picture and hit the delete button on your keyboard.

After I include a picture, I always click Preview at the top right t0 make sure that I like the way it looks within the text. If I do, I then click Hide Preview and choose Publish Post.

I hope this helps. :)

photos

I'd like to share a photo of the shawl but I have no idea how to do so, being technologically behind the times...pretty much all I know is that it involves a digital camera...can someone share easy directions on how I can post a photograph? thanks.

Kit arrived

My big ole hank of Tupelo Gold + pattern arrived yesterday! I am casting on today, and very excited to join the knitalong!

a little eye candy and a poll update

With so many people signing on to the knitalong, I've extended the closing date on our little poll by a week. So if you haven't voted yet, be sure to make your fiber voice heard (even if it's to tell me to get off your back!).

And the eye candy? Shawl stick pins by Romi. :)

Finally On the List!!!!

I am so happy to finally get on the KAL for the Bee Fields! I had originally planned on doing the triangular shawl and will still probably do it - I ordered the kit in Buckwheat but I love the stole as well and may actually make that one first. Which one would be the easier of the two for a novice lace and intermediate level knitter overall? I tend to get to knit very early in the morning along with my first cup of coffee and as such the caffiene has not always kicked in making even simple things a challenge at times :) I may wait for the WW yarn or have on hand some Mini Maiden in a moss color that is beautiful as well as a more varigated green and purple which I know is not "beeish" but would make for very different looks for the 2 patterns.

OT a bit: Has anyone else had trouble winding Blue Sky Alpaca Silk? I hand wound the first ball which was very sloww going, then said to myself, don't be lazy get the swift and ball winder and this was an alsolute disaster! I have such a mess and I was very careful to put the skein on untwisted. That skein is still there. I have done some spinning and skeining myself in the past and know what to look for, but this was all catty-wampus in the skein. The next skein I used the swift and my nostepinne and still had to unwrap/untwist sections; it took an hour this am of good knitting time. I think I will take the remaining skeins back to the store and let them wind them at lunch tomorrow and move on. It is beautiful fiber though and is making a nice Kiri.

just doing a little bee dance ...

... until my kit comes. i've ordered the buckwheat honey, because it's such a lovely colour. i can't believe how much fun this is -i love reading all the posts, it's so good to be with all of you :) have a fantaz-z-z-z-tic day ...

Another Bee Fan Chimes In

Hello everyone and thank you for inviting me to join in. I fell in love with the shawl as I followed along on Anne's blog. I preordered the kit in the Tupelo colorway and then when I learned about the rectangular version, I made myself wait to start. And start I did, though not much to show so far.

just a little buzzzz from Norway...

Thanks for letting me join! I love bees-even have a course in beekeeping and was starting with a few cubes of my own...and discovered I was allergic...
So this is a great chance to get some of those little ones back in my life-LOL! But I can't decide whether to make the shawl or the stole...and still haven't found any yarn!
Good luck, all of you, it will be great to follow your(our) progress.
Marit in Norway

So anxious!!

Okay now I am NOT complaining about BMFA because I love them and their yarn is ALWAYS worth the wait.

But.

I WANNA START MY STOLE!!!

LOL I ordered on the 26th and it still isn't here. I am DYING here!!

:)

Flickr Group

I have just started a Bee Fields/Honey Bee Flickr group so we can browse through all of the bee photos!
I would love to have you all join!
Flickr Group

AnnMarie has kindly put up a permanent link on the side bar under other useful links.

New Bee

Ok so with all of the wonderful advice from you ladies, I decided to rip the bee and cast on again!
So here is my progress so farLook...waste yarn...that's a good sign! I have finished the set up section and am ready to go. Now only if I had a few more hours in the day!

deciding whether to knit the petite or tall version

I emailed Anne about this question and here is what she replied:

"the model for the bee fields triangle, kris, is about 5 ft 4 or 5 inches. and i am 5 ft 6, modeling the rectangle stole. what i noticed about the rectangle is that the one made in merino was perfect at the tall size and did not stretch, but vanessa's, made with zephyr, blocked out the same length but seems to stretch a lot when i put it on. she also knits loose
so the answer to your question sort of depends on the materials and tension, too! drapey yarns with not much spring will "grow" as will a loosely knit piece.
springy yarns and a tight tension will produce a piece that keeps its original size.
hope that helps!
anne"

As a point of reference, the photo showing Anne wearing the black Honeybee Stole in my earlier post is the one Vanessa knitted using Zephyr. This is a photo of the Honeybee that Anne knitted with the Wooly Wonka Buckwheat Honey yarn which is merino.

I guess the long and short of it (oh, no, not a pun! Well, at least it's not bee-related - or is that 'beelated'?) is that you have to think about how loosely or tightly you knit and what the characteristics are of the fiber you're using. Taking all that into consideration, as well as your height and how much garment you want wrapped around you or extending down your back, it's knitter's choice.

Photo courtesy of Anne Hanson

thanks for the tutorial, AnnMarie!

Now that I figured this out, with your help, I'll post pix as I progress... this is the first part of the Bees in the Field Section 1. It's very "mindless" which is great because I needed it today!
I did have to tink a couple of rows back but now I hope I'm full speed ahead, since I want desperately to finish it so I can start on the Stole!

newbie doobie doobie do ...!

hi, i'm a newbie, so new i haven't even ORDERED my kit, let alone received it or started knitting it ;(. but when i saw this blog and the lovely shawl, i just knew i had to be part of it. so a big hello to you all and i'm looking forward to keeping you all company ;)

honeybee stole

Arriving at the same time, my Buckwheat Honey yarn from Wooly Wonka and Anne's Honeybee Stole pattern! Here's a photo of the stole from Anne's website

Photo courtesy of Anne Hanson

Now I can have my two yarns and knit them, too. :)

interrupting your knitting...

...to ask a favor.

Anne Hanson has been very supportive of this knitalong, giving permission to use photographs from her website and to link to all errata and any tutorials that she writes on her blog, giving us a shout-out on her blog, and designing a link to purchase the pattern (which I'm still figuring out how to put on the sidebar!).

The internet's a big place and not everyone who navigates it is familiar with all the protocols. I'm asking everyone to make sure to refer any requests for a copy of the pattern to Anne's website.

Thanks for listening, and now to go order the stole pattern. :)

Honey Bee Stole

It here! Anne has the stole version on her website. I don't know which one I want to work on first!

Carol

petite vs. tall?

Am about halfway through "bee in fields," and I'm coming up to the part where I have to decide...tall or petite? I'm leaning towards petite, as there's pretty much no way that 5'4 could be construed as tall, but am still wondering...what size shawl is in the pattern photos? How are other people deciding this?

Surviving the Swarm

It was a little tricky but I think I've gotten the hang of the Bee Swarm section:


And they look even more like Bees than I thought they would. The detail in this pattern is amazing!

some thoughts on the laceweight...

After I finished winding the Oregon Red Clover Honey laceweight, I had some thoughts about working with this very fine yarn. Unlike the Wooly Wonka yarns, that Anne Hanson describes as heavier than some laceweights, the ORCH is very fragile. Because there's so much yardage in the skein, it winds into a substantial ball! Even though I wound it very carefully from the swift onto the ballwinder, I'm concerned about the tangles that might crop up if I feed the yarn from the inside of the ball. So I think I'll be working with this beauty from the outside of the ball. Anyone else have thoughts on this?

Hello

Thank you for the invitation, Annmarie! I'm still waiting for my kit but I'm sure it will arrive soon. I do have my needles...so I'll bee ready to go when it gets here. *g* This is my first KAL, so I'm glad it is a relaxed one!

USPS as 'the decider'

With neither of the two yarns I'd ordered - Wooly Wonka's Buckwheat Honey and Blue Moon Fiber Arts' Oregon Red Clover Honey - in hand, I made the 'undecision' to let the post office decide. First yarn in my mailbox would be destined for the shawl and the lollygagging second one to arrive would become the rectangular stole. And, folks, we have a yarn that actually crossed the finish line and made it to my mailbox this evening....

Yes, it's to 'bee' the Oregon Red Clover Honey! I'll be putting this beauty on the swift just as soon as I sign off here and hope I have some lace to show you tomorrow! :)