Zimmermania

So I sent an email to join Zimmermania a couple of days ago. I'm still waiting to here back but I'm hopeful. It's an Elizabeth Zimmerman KAL. I've been wanting to try the Pi Are Square Shawl for some time ever since Kelle told me that it's impossible. Can't be true I think but I was waist deep in a couple of other things including that last thing I just finished - tee, hee.
so I get a whiff of this Knit Along and I say to myself, "Here's my chance!"

I've never done any designing before but I figure no problem, right? So I get out any of my books that have some lace patterns in them. I have the first three Barbara Walker Books, Heirloom Knitting and the two Kunzel books. I start perusing.

I need something with a repeat that will fit into the first level of this shawl. I think it's 32 stitches. Ahhhhh! I find one that will work and work that in. I do the second row of increases. Now I have to find something that will work into 64 stitches but I don't really have 64 because I've been increasing along the sides all along so I can go up to 90 stitches. I found one. The first lace pattern is huge and has very badly misshapen the top but I knit on with my next choice except now I've lost my way somehow and my side increases are no longer lining up.

On top of that I've chosen this alpaca I bought a couple of years ago when I went to Knitfest in Toledo. It was from an aplaca farm and isn't commercially available so I said why not. I have 4 skeins in varied sizes and in 3 different colors so I was going to grade the colors from light to dark. I'm not loving it.

If I do that then the two triangular portions (the Square part) will change colors in a different way than the back Pi part.

Back to the drawing board. I think I'll be picking a different yarn and swatching some of the lace patterns that I think will work and maybe I'll do a little math. I HATE to rip.

So let me just say that so far so good with knowing what EZ was talking about in her "pattern" but so far so bad with my crazy, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants design method.

Give me a break. I'm new.