In November, I started working on a shawl cardigan design in a fingering weight linen yarn.  I have about six inches or so completed and I am pleased with the design so far.

But, that timer is telling how long it takes to knit a front and back row and it has over 400 pairs of those rows– so 60-70 hours of knitting at my speed.  And not mindless knitting, but four different lacy stripes of knitting that change every few stitches.  I am not the fastest knitter, but I’m not the slowest either.  It is an eight row repeat, but many stitches wide.

So, my quandaries.  Do I love the results enough to devote this amount of time to the project?  If I love the results enough, will I be able to find test knitters who feel the same, or buyers of the eventual pattern?  Are the results worth the work, or could there be other options?

Since I find myself avoiding this project for others in my queue, I suspect that my subconscious is saying no to those questions.

It’s those other options that are on my mind today.  One option is to continue to use this fingering weight yarn and simplify the striped pattern.  Of the four lace stripes, one is the border (not shown) and my inspiration for the project, so it needs to stay.  The other three stripes could be reduced to two and probably it would be an easier knit with a less complicated repeat. Increasing the size of the purled area between the stripes by even one stitch would further simplify the pattern.

Another option might be to pick a different, heavier yarn and work at a larger scale.  I was excited about the drape of the linen, but perhaps a linen/cotton blend in a sport or DK weight could work well, too.

It might be time to do some more swatching….