238

I counted a side yesterday while I was on a purl row.  238 stitches.  Per side.  I have two more increasing rounds on this lace repeat so by the time I reach the end of the repeat, there will be over a thousand stitches per round.  I am telling you this so you get an idea of the size of this thing.  I am telling myself so that I do not despair when it take a gozillion years to finish a purl round.

The stitch rounds go relatively fast.  Or feel as if they do.  There is always something to count or something to do so it is easy to keep your mind occupied, but the long rows of purl are just long.  And I like purling'

That is actually what I meant to speak of this morning.  My purling and how it helps me work this shawl faster than people who purl 'properly'.  When I purl, I have always wrapped my purl backwards, which results in the new stitch on the needle being mounted with the back leg of the stitch as the leading stitch.  , It is speedy to work with the same simple movement you make when you form a standard knit stitch.  In some parts of the world , this is the way everyone knits.   

If you want to get technical,  what I do could be considered eastern combined knitting.  Those lovely twisted stitches of Austria's Styrian knitting is perfect for mys tyle of knitting.  Forming the crossed stitches, is the simplest most natural thing in the world.  Knitting garter stitch in the round?  The most natural thing in the world.  

If you wrap your stitch in the opposite direction on the purl rows, your knit stiches present with the back leg of the stitch leading.  When you knit them, you knit through that leading leg, is, through the open back loop.  No twisted bases, just lovely easy garter stitch in the round.  Knitting this way does mean there are a few things you need to learn about decreases and how stitches will lean  but understanding how this style of knitting can help you allows you to be far more adventourous.  

Back to shawl knitting.  There are two rows of pattern and two rows of purl left to work in this very delicate grey.  Three colours down and two to go.  There is only Shaela and Shetland black to go.  I can see the end of it all.  It is time to start thinking of what kind of edging to use.  

I had an idea at the start about the edging but I am not so sure now.  I am going to go through my books again and find the perfect thing to finish of this epic shawl.