After way too many rip outs ...

... the Rock Island challenge is over.  I did notice after blocking that I had a little jog in the decreases in the centre but I don't care!  It is barely noticeable anyway and there is no way I'm ripping out any part of this shawl again.  Done, done, done.  Never to be made again.

I'm not entirely sure why I found it so difficult but my theory is that the rows were very long and my attention span is very short.  This resulted in my mind veering off into a day dream mid row and forgetting my place but not realizing it.  I was generally 3 long rows past the problem when I saw that things weren't looking right.  After this happened 2 or maybe 3 times, I wrote out the pattern for each row, made myself count every repeat in the row so I concentrated fully.  It worked and I'm done, done, done!

In terms of the finished product, I would have to say that I prefer the Bridgewater shawl that I made last summer but Rock Island is pretty.  Light and airy.  It is perfect for summer.