WOW. I knew that I was insane when I decided to turn a modification of a lace stitch into its own, totally unique lace stitch, and moreso when I decided to turn it into a full-length shawl with 3 shapes. Then I decided that instead of pattern testing, I'd knit 2 more prototypes (self-testing) and then start an MKAL, Corinthian Order, after ironing out as many issues as possible. And now, it's over, and there are 4 downloads to choose from: a master file with all the shape options, and a file each for the stole/rectangular, triangular, and crescent options. I would highly recommend those new to shawls to download the master file so you have all the options before you. But, if you already KNOW which shape you want to knit, you should know that each download is indeed prefaced with basic pattern information (materials, gauge, options), introduction to shawl shaping, and introduction to shawl chart setup, and each download is also ended with some lace blocking instructions and a link to lace blocking instructions with pictures.
I have learned so much from hosting this. I have done pattern testing before, twice, and I have taken part in MKALs. Sometimes I would get irritated when a designer put out several updates of a pattern in the same week or even day, but I knew and acknowledged that it was necessary because of the nature of MKALs, of which I usually lag a week behind or have been tested in some places. But I've never had to be on beck and call for a pattern I've designed, or realized just HOW MUCH slips through your self-testing process when you need to help 5 people with the same question/issue, or with 5 different questions/issues.
Now, I would share my finished pattern, but I have not taken good photos of my 2 finished prototypes, and the final project, which is the exact one in the final published pattern, has guiltily been abandoned halfway through the final clue because of all the design mods it went through! Speaking of design mods, I once again have to beg forgiveness and also extra thank the crescent shape knitters, as that is the only shape I did not test fully, and it showed. I made so many silly, stupid mistakes on those charts, yet people caught them and reported them within a couple days of each clue release, and no one cursed my name nor the ground I tread on, as far as I know.
