Ancient Runes O.W.L. Proposal

RavID: CraftyGryphon
House: Slytherin
Year: Third
OWL subject and option: Ancient Runes - Craft something using an intricately-charted design.

Hello Examiners! Here is my proposal:

Identify the pattern(s) you will be using (original designs encouraged).

I will be making Some Knitting Required's Pretty as a Peacock Shawl - "Knit from the neck down, the various lace patterns combine to look like the open fan of peacock's tail." The pattern is charted - over legal-sized pages - and they're crazy-dense at that! I believe the version of the pattern I have is correct, but I've obtained the related errata just in case.

The desired result:


Photograph of the yarn(s) and any unusual needles or materials involved.

I will be using Claudia's Handpainted Silk in the Ocean Depths colorway. I have 2 skeins, or 2,200 yards. The pattern calls for 3.5 mm (US 4) 32-inch circular needles, a 3.5 mm (US size E) crochet hook, and approximately 1,500 yards of a fingering/laceweight yarn. This pile of materials is deceptive in its simplicity - until you notice the charts (!!!) spread out under it all. There's a whole lot of chart happening here!



Two or three sentences describing the planned crafting sequence and analyzing any areas of potential difficulty or new skills needed.

Planned sequence: I will be reading through the pattern several (dozens?) of times to make sure I understand what's going on here. I will be following the pattern, exactly. (I have done this exactly once in my life before: my Charms O.W.L., so I know it's possible, just really, really hard.) There are a LOT of charts, and some are big - while others are frightening in their tiny-ness - and most say things like "repeat five times" or "repeat fifteen times". (I really think this counts as "intricately charted" - or "insanely charted", whichever you prefer.) I am *so* very not worried that this will be "6-8 weeks of work" - I'm just hoping I'm actually able to finish it in three months. (And even if I don't, I'll still be really close to done, so, yay, new shawl for spring!) Plus, I'm doing another OWL - which isn't really a consideration, as to the amount of work in this OWL, but does cut down on my "reasonably available crafting time. (You'll see that proposal later - or you already saw it, depending on when I post this.)

New skills: I have never in my life done a "crochet cast off". I can crochet, but more along the 'make a pretty free-form toy or similar object' path, not the 'follow this pattern and actually achieve the intended result' vein. The fact that I will be developing this new skill near the end of the Examination Period (when the pressure is on!) should be, um, interesting. As I mentioned above, I also have some trouble keeping to an actual pattern - I'm usually compelled to embellish, or change, or fix up, or what-have-you. I will be knitting this shawl Per The Pattern. Also? The big giant holes for the "eyes" on the peacock feathers are totally freaking me out. Purposely making big giant holes? Never thought I'd do it, but it looks like I'm going to learn how!

Photograph of your swatch.

There is an actual suggested swatch in the pattern. As the shawl is designed to be approximately 88" across the top and 43" deep, my gauge (20 stitches over 24 rows = 3.5 inches wide and 3 inches high) should put me right right in the ballpark of the official finished measurements after blocking.



I hope this Ancient Runes O.W.L. proposal is acceptable, as it's finally giving me the push to attempt the crazy-beautiful shawl pattern that I fell in love with and bought when I started knitting seriously (and finally think I'm up to finishing), with the crazy-beautiful yarn I got to make it. Please let me know if you need any further information.