All About Shawls

Hey! It’s Friday. What? Were you expecting something?

Remember a few weeks ago how I decided to rip out a shawl I had been making for months? I’m still ripping it out. Holy crap is it a pain. I’m trying to wind back 3 strands not always of the same color without making a knot (and I’m quite talented at making knots when I frog). I think I only have a 3rd left. Then I will be knitting that again. Only prettier.

A few weeks ago, I was trying to figure out what shawl to make and posted a poll. People actually voted! I know, I’m as shocked as you. 16 people voted and the results are:

• Silver Leaves Shawlette (6 votes)
• EZ 100th Anniversary Camping Half-Cirlce (5 votes)
• Cotton Baram Boo Kudzu Shawlette (4 votes)
• Maluka (1 vote)

Poor, poor Maluka.

So. The question now becomes, do I listen to the voters and go with the Silver Leaves Shawlette or do I ignore the majority and go with a different one? Don’t be sad, but I’m going rebel! That’s right, a rebel without a clue! See how free and alive I am by ignoring what you all said?

Well, okay, not quite. The more I looked at them, the more two of the shawls just really connected. Of course, they were the least voted on shawls. I like to think that it’s because I’m an individual and dance to the beat of a different drummer. More like,  Zumba to the beat of a different drummer. A very horrible and crazy drummer.

I’m going to make the Cotton Baram Boo Kudzu Shawlette (4 votes) first. One of the photos on the Ravelry page just resonated with me; and since,  I have always wanted to try to make something with beads but haven’t done it yet, I thought now was the time.

Is this not beautiful?

As of right now, I’m going to make it with the gray yarn I bought at Rhinebeck.

X, Mommy! The yarn looks like the letter X!

The color may be too dark for the design, so I still need to swatch it out to make sure it’s the right yarn for the job. Otherwise, I have a bazillion other skeins. One may work. Maybe one of my greens. We’ll see.

I also really, really like poor, unloved Maluka (1 vote). It’s just simple and clean and I love the 3 lace stitches in the edging. It will most likely be made with leftover yarn from Knitpicks. Assuming I have enough left.

I’ve used at least one skein from this picture.

So, I’m sorry voters that I’m completely and utterly ignoring your responses. Just pretend that it’s backwards day and that I’m actually making the winners but saying I’m going to make the losers. I really do love all 4 shawls so I suspect the other two will be made sooner than later.

And special thanks to Tryslora and Yarnkettle for leaving comments. Hearing your perspectives really helped. Tryslora gets gluten- and carb-free cookies and Yarnkettle gets cookies that taste good!

Ribbit

We interrupt our regularly scheduled FO Friday to give you, Froggy Friday!!!!

Do you see Kermit the Frog yelling “YAY!!!,” too?

Years and years ago, the Sister gave me a beautiful shawl kit.

All those colors!

The shawl was made by stranding 3, uh, strands of yarn together and slowly switching each out with the next color up. As you continue to do that, you get this soft, beautiful color change from dark into light. I LOVED the color concept, but kind of hated the pattern. (sorry, sister!) So the kit remained in my bin for a while. Yes, I didn’t have to make the shawl in the kit, but I was afraid of veering because of the color feature. What if it didn’t work in most patterns?

Then, while cataloging my yarn, I realized that I didn’t hate the shawl itself, just the edging. The inside was basic and if I could find the right edging, I’d have a pretty shawl I could wear. So, I cast on in July and worked on this in the background of a bazillion other projects.

Color ch-ch-changes

And then last week at gymnastics, I decided I wasn’t in love. I was making something that was good enough.  I knew if I wasn’t in love, I’d probably never really wear it. For several months I would knit this shawl and would look at each leftover skein and think about making Clapotis with the same color fading. If I was dreaming about making another shawl, I knew I would not wear this one. And if I was dreaming about another shawl, I knew I could make a different pattern with this technique. Of course, I also blame the Eliina Shawl.

Is this not absolutely beautiful? (not my photo, obviously)

So my original shawl is to be frogged and this will be made in it’s place, assuming a test of the edging looks okay. Now that I know how to work the color transitions, I feel confident working on a different pattern. Now I’m excited about what it’s going to make.

Goodbye little shawl. You are going to a better place.

FO: Fir Cone Shawl

Pattern: Fir Cone Shawl
Yarn: Prime Alpaca Sport Weight from Times Remembered
Needles: US 8

Ravelry Page

At the last Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival I attended (two years ago), I bought way too much yarn. Shocker, I know. One of the millions of skeins I bought was Prime Alpaca Sport Weight from Times Remembered. I had planned to knit a sweater for the Husband with it. Unfortunately, a week later, after I came down from the yarn high, I found myself thinking that an alpaca sweater just wouldn’t work for the Husband. I mean, he wears sweaters but he’s not that hot and I’ve heard that alpaca makes for one hot sweater. So, the yarn went in my ginormous stash and sat there until, last August I decided to knit myself the Fir Cone Shawl from Folk Shawls.

The shawl took almost exactly a year to complete. At first, I put it down for other projects. Then I became board with the center part. Once I finished the center part, I had to figure out the edging and because it frustrated me, I put it down longer. Of course, there was a baby in there. But finally, finally I got it done.

Would you believe this is the first project I’ve completed in 2010. That is a sad state of my knitting right there.

After starting this, I noticed that I have made myself two sweaters that were gray. This shawl was gray. My next clothing item will have COLOR. This I swear. That said, I love this yarn. It’s soft and nice to touch. It knit up well and looks good as lace. The pattern, outside of a few questions I had to figure out, wasn’t too hard. I recommend it.

I haven’t decided if I’ve blocked it well. I think I may have done it a bit too softly; unfortunately, the only place big enough to block it is the basement. We’ve had mouse issues this past summer and I’m not 100% sure they aren’t down there. I would hate to take it off the blocking wires to find a mouse has eaten it. So softer blocking to make sure it’s not eaten. Fair trade, I think.

The only problem with the shawl? I realized after making it that I’m afraid to wear it. I’m not a shawl person to begin with, and I’m not the most aware person. What if I rip it or something? I’m going to have to make myself wear it, just not with the kid around. She will definitely ruin it.

FO: Clapotis

Pattern: Clapotis
Yarn: Bamboo, Merino Wool, and Silk from Maple Creek Farms
Needles: US 7

I have wanted to make Clapotis since I first saw the pattern. I can rock many an outfit, look adorable in a tee and jeans, or just look fierce if I so choose, but throwing something like Clapotis into the mix and I’m about as stylish as Ma Clampet on pig slaughtering day. So Clapotis was thrown into the “to make someday” pile and not really thought of again. Until San Francisco.

When we went to visit Shana in SF I realized that if I were to live in San Francisco there would not only be massive amounts of crankiness but I would need a lot of things to cover my neck thanks to a semi-persistent wind. At least from what we observed while we were there. Now I have learned to put two and two together, on occassion, and by adding the wind to the fact that Shana would completely look fabulous and know how to wear a scarf/shawl, I realized the sum was to make Clapotis for Shana. Finally! An excuse.

So I began knitting, and I have to say, it’s a really nice pattern. It is extremely easy but it doesn’t look it to the non-knitter. And, quite honestly, it’s fun to drop stitches on purpose, which may be more of a reflection of my lack of life than the pattern.

Wherin I have a nice sister

The sister commented on the shawl post about the fact that she didn’t wear the shawl I slaved over for her reception.

“I was so sad that I couldn’t wear it during the reception. It was just way too hot. But I did bring it with me on my honeymoon (brought it in my carry on so nothing would happen to it) and wore it twice. Plus I have pictures to prove it.”

Awwww…she’s so good to me. She wore the shawl and liked it. Here she is with her husband on their honeymoon.

I knit because I enjoy the process but it is better to know the gift was loved and will be used.