Please recall from my “Epic Travel and Summer Knitting” post how much I enjoyed working on the pink lace shawl. What lovely yarn and WHAT an incredible pattern by Rebecca Osborn! In the beginning, I worked on it at 5am in the morning before the family awoke, so I could focus on the intricate stitches. July 25th I cast on and worked steadily until October. After a break to work on samples and Christmas gifts, I picked up the project again in December, finally finishing it at the end of January.
The pattern: “Tongues of Fire” was written by Rebecca in 2012 for her year long liturgical series. This pattern reflects images, feelings, and ideas surrounding Pentecost. The intrepid knitter begins at the very bottom point of the shawl, then is directed to begin the main body of the shawl with “Main Chart 1.” Rebecca has charts and written directions to lead the way, step by step. Eventually you knit charts 1-8 which give you the diamond shape you saw in my earlier post.
Here you can see the very top of the shawl with the detail of the dove from from chart 8. 
Next, charts 9-11 carefully directed me to knit each side of the diamond so as to create 2 “wings”. This gives it the final shape of a triangle shawl. By this time I could knit the thing in front of the TV with family in the same room.
I think it’s important to say, that before one attempts such a project, one must be comfortable with reading lace on your needles. Forget the Rescue Line. When you have 400 stitches of cobweb lace on your needles, you aren’t going to rip back, even with a Rescue Line. No way. You learn to read your lace and fix mistakes as you go. That’s the only way. I’ve got mistakes in this gorgeous piece of knitting, but only God can see them. I learned to fudge missed yarn overs and re-work K2tog several rows deep. As long as it was close, I let it be. Its the only way. Perfectionists, don’t attempt this pattern. If you doubt yourself or your skills on advanced knitting work, don’t attempt this pattern. But if you are ready to embrace a wonderful challenge and aren’t afraid to fudge things when necessary, “Tongues of Fire” will hold your attention! I can’t wait until this spring to wear it!
